Self-checkouts are nothing new, they have been around for a couple of years now. You can find them in grocery stores, hardware stores, even McDonald’s has the option to use a self-checkout instead of a traditional cashier. A Walmart store is starting to switch to a self-checkout store only.
via shutterstock
Walmart Self-Checkout
Fayetteville, Arkansas is doing a new test for its Walmart. They will only be having self-checkouts at their store, no cashiers. This is a new experiment for them to see what works better.
If all goes well and the test is successful, then Walmart will do the same thing in more locations and across the country.
While they did not have a set date in place for these to take effect, it could happen sooner rather than later. These new decisions will also depend on many different things.
One factor is feedback from their employees as well as the customers. The main concern is Walmart just wants to do things that are easiest for both their employees and their customers.
Why the Change
Some people wonder why the need for a change and if it will help employees or just make things worse.
One of the main reasons for this change is self-checkout is very cost-efficient. Having a customer do the same work you would normally pay an employee does save the company a lot of money.
One report found that checking someone into their flight at the airport with a cashier costs around $3 dollars. If the customer checks themselves in, it only costs about 14 cents, which is a significant difference.
Another positive is the privacy that customers get when they buy things. If someone gets a personal item or something they might be embarrassed to get, having the self-checkout allows them to keep their purchases private.
Negatives of Self-Checkouts
A lot of customers actually are against self-checkouts. They feel that they are doing all the work and not getting paid for it.
Others find the machine to be difficult to use and cause more problems and takes up more time. Especially the older people who don’t use technology too often may have more problems with the self-checkouts than others.
Oftentimes customers have to ask the employees for help, which is basically like having a cashier anyway. With there being only one or two employees around to help a dozen or more self-checkout stations, it could end up taking more time on customers to get the things they need.
One other negative is that it does put workers out of a job. With the way the economy is going, we need more jobs open for people to live in this world.
With the way things are going, Walmart may be the first to change out cashiers for a self-checkout only system. Which way do you prefer?
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377 comments on “Walmart Store Switches to Self-Checkout Only”
Walmart doesn’t care one bit about the customers and certainly not their employees. I have never NOT had a problem with self checkout, not once, and I’m pretty tech comfortable. They’re trying to cut costs, and people will be out of work and out of luck in a market that doesn’t always have a lot of openings, especially in areas where Walmart has driven other stores out of business. It’s a very, very bad idea.
I’m not on Walmart’s Payroll so I don’t and won’t use self checkout. Self Checkout doesn’t contribute one dime to the local economy like an live employee.
I think there should be both. In super walmarts where people buy their groceries, customers often have a cart over full of items. The customer should not have to ring up and bag that much stuff themselves. Personally, I would shop elsewhere if self check out was the only option in that circumstance. On the other hand, if you are buying one thing, it’s nice to have the option of running through the self check out quickly and be on your way.
There is some untruth to this.
1) While they can eliminate the majority of registers, they can not eliminate all of them. There are multiple things that have to be done on the register that can NOT be done on a self check out.
2) The number of employees needed to run the self checks is the same as the number of cashiers in open lanes (at least it’s supposed to be)
3) More self checks equals more jobs. I work for the company that makes and maintains Walmart’s self checks. My particular territory has the 3rd highest number of Walmarts in the US. Every time a Walmart adds more self checks…we add more employees. And thats just techs…. that’s not even counting our parts manufacturing and repair, distro, etc.
In other words… more jobs created than lost.
I don’t like the self check out. Keep the cashiers!!! I will stop using Walmart if they go strictly self check. Too stingy to keep cashiers, then I’ll be too stingy to give you my hard earned money!!! Shame on Walmart!!
I guess ima stop going to Walmart, and I go there weekly. I don’t work for them, so I shouldn’t have to ring up, and bag my own groceries.
We’ll see how long that lasts. Not long. Nice try, Walmart, again trying to stick it to its employees.
I do not believe I should have to check Myself out I am not getting a discount to do that and I am not a cashier…all this is is a way for Walmart and other places to save money and make the customer do the work of their cashiers. So atleast they should be passing the savings on to the customer as a discount for checking them selves out…
Have both, sometimes I use the self checkout when I have a few things but when I have alot, no, I will use a cashier.
I will just start shopping somewhere else, screw Walmart!!!!