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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375 comments on “Walmart Store Switches to Self-Checkout Only”
All this does is make me not want to go to their stores. To me this is a very good way to eliminate employees. I have almost stopped going to Walmart because of their rising prices and the having no people checkouts has made me to stop going to their stores even more. Like today I called the store in my area to ask a question, the lack of people working I could not even get a person to answer the phone.
I prefer to check out at a register with a human there. For the most part, checking out at self serve stations is alright when you have straight forward transactions. However, when there is some unusual circumstances surrounding the process, the lack of human intervention can stall the swift completion of the sale. Having only one attendant in a busy store can result in curt responses which leaves the customer with a bad taste in their mouths. I have experienced some rather unpleasant reactions from the single employee monitoring the self serve stations. Annoyance at my not intuitively being able to navigate the transaction without bothering them for clarification of the correct route to address some element of the checkout process. I will admit, I too have felt that I am being put in the position of an ” unpaid employee ” with this approach. With the current trend of buying everything online for a company like Wal-Mart to eliminate cashier’s all together i feel is very short sighted. Without the interaction the customer can get from a live checkout individual, what motivation is there for anyone to even come to the store in the first place ?
Self checkout should be limited to 20 items or less. I view self checkout as an Express Checkout, a speedy way to process an order and get out of the store.
This way cashiers jobs are protected.
Walmart makes more than enough money to have both available. I use self checkouts if I only have a few items, but normally… I have a cart full. I like being able to have human interaction. Most of the time, with the self checkouts, I end up having to ask for help anyways. Stupid idea.
I will never shop at a walmart like that I dont use self check outs since I dont get a discount for using them and I dont get paid to use them after all I dont work there so why do their job that is taking jobs away from people
The first Walmart store that I enter with all self check outs, will be my last trip to their store. It is bad enough that they hire employees and work them within one day of eligibility for insurance, and then lay them off. They are taking jobs away from workers, but it is about the almighty dollar. I bet Sam Walton has been spinning in his grave since they buried him over how they tore apart all that he was proud of about his stores.
I love self checkouts. I personally use it all the time and  I think they’re awesome IF you only have a few items. There are people who buy baskets full of Groceries and just the thought of them having to stand there for a long time checking out every single item It’s very discouraging and would make me just want to go shop somewhere else , especially since those machines mess up half the time and you have to wait for Someone to help you. What about buying gift cards and putting money on those ,how does that work and the people who buy the groceries with WIC And pay with checks, I’m not a smoker  What about the people who want to buy cigarettes or how do you go about getting some ice.Â
It’s hard enough to get one person to notice that your machine went down when you do self check out imagine everybody else’s having problems. What if the item rings up a different price than advertised.you need an employee with that to help you. How are you supposed to do all that in self check out?
Never mind having the cashier stand there and smile at you and greet you that DOESN’T happen at my Walmart!!
Half the time they don’t even make eye contact. I say have both options
This has happened in our Wal-Mart Market’s in Georgia and it’s horrible! If something on the check out doesn’t work, (which we know happens often), the one cashier gets pulled over to help times that by 10 with other issues. Not to mention the young Mom with children! I can’t lift any real heavy with my left hand due to surgery so I have to lift with my right which slows it down as well. I have many friends not going to our local Walmart because of the self checkout
Both are needed. Large orders need a cashier to assist. Smaller orders the line can move more slowly with self check out. Coupons, payment issues, alcohol purchases, price adjustments all require a cashier’s assistance and slow down the flow of traffic already. Having someone ask me if I was able to find everything has value in customer service also. And consider the theft that will take place with self checkout only.
I dont work at Walmart. If my groceries are not discounted then NO THANK YOU. I’m not interested in self checkout. I can go to Brookshires. They will take your groceries to the car if you ask.
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!!!!