Checking In on Checking Out
The last time I was in an airport, I selected a coffee and a sandwich at a kiosk, only to discover that there was no one there to check me out. I stood there, puzzled. Then I noticed that the cash register was more than just a cash register. It was a self-checkout machine.
“Oh, boy,” I thought. “This is going to be embarrassing.”
I’d had a few run-ins with such equipment before. If you’ve ever been in a situation where you’re incompetently trying to make a machine work, while people stand behind you, shaking their heads, you know what I mean. This particular machine, though, was easy to use. I felt a flush of pride when it thanked me for my purchase.
I got to wondering about automation in general and these automatic checkout machines in particular. I’m sure they’re economical in terms of labor costs. But what about the cost of dealing with people that need help to use them? And what about theft? (No one was watching me. I’m pretty sure I could have walked away without paying.)
I did a bit of research. Apparently, there are lots of people who share my discomfort with this technology. According to a report in the WSJ, two out of three shoppers report having problems with it.
Nevertheless, the number of these machines is increasing. In 2018, self-checkout accounted for 18% of grocery transactions. Last year, it was 30%. This year, it is expected to be 35% to 40%. And some chains, like Walmart, Kroger, Dollar General, and Albertsons, are testing self-checkout-only stores. (My friend and colleague, TS, tells me that Amazon is trying something even more advanced. You just pick up what you want and leave the store with it. All the items are tracked, and your account is billed.)
According to The Hustle, one of these machines costs from $14,000 to $40,000. Even amortized over two years, it’s cheaper than hiring a human checkout clerk. Do the math over a 10-year period, which is probably closer to the machines’ useful life expectancy, and you have numbers that are impossible to ignore. Humans behind cash registers will soon be a thing of the past.
In the meantime, there will be embarrassing moments for people like me. Like this one:
Click here.
