No more check out jobs?

AizawaTakako · Post by **AizawaTakako** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 8:29 am

http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... 9F&catID=7

Ok so it's gonna be a while before that arrives, but there's already many grocery stores around my area that actually offer a self-serve check out. One guy watching four terminals, and making sure people aren't walking off without scanning their groceries.

One o these days it's just gonna be one store manager, two robotic reshelving bots, a baker bot, and a deli chef.

I can just feel it coming.

Shyknight · Post by **Shyknight** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:10 pm

Blah, self-serve checkout isn't high-tech. It isn't even convenient. Why the heck should I scan and sack all my own groceries?

And that article had NOTHING to do with groceries. It was about identifying organic compounds using various metals like gold and silver. I doubt they will be putting gold and silver barcodes on groceries.

AizawaTakako · Post by **AizawaTakako** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 12:06 am

Oh, knowing the agricultural indistry I wouldn't be surprised if they tried genetically engineering a barcode into their crops.

As for the article, I guess while it doesn't go as indepth as it could've... if you think about it, with this kind of technology all you'd need is a item scanner that you would walk through, instantly totaling up all your items, and a retinal scanner to identify you and your bank accounts, etc. Or just cash.

asdf · Post by **asdf** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:55 am

some people are, however, contemplating using some kind of wireless technology that will automatically bill you as you walk out the door with whatever you want to buy. presumably some kind of short-range thingy like bluetooth will detect what you're holding in your bag, connect it with some kind of ID you have on your body, and... yeah. neato- but i can totally see it being abused, hacked, buggy, etc. etc.

Beware of the Leopard · Post by **Beware of the Leopard** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 1:52 am

but would the sensor cost more than the pack of gum I had just purchased?

reva · Post by **reva** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 4:20 am

They put a self-service check out (in addition to several traditional aisles) in the K Mart here a couple years ago. It was only there a few months before they took it out. I'm not sure the reasoning, theft most likely, but it didn't seem to be that popular/convienant at all.

asdf · Post by **asdf** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 5:49 am

yeah, cashiering is a total pain in the ass job sometimes... and i doubt people will want to do it if they're not being paid for it =P

AizawaTakako · Post by **AizawaTakako** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:03 pm

[quote="Beware of the Leopard";p="371756"]but would the sensor cost more than the pack of gum I had just purchased?[/quote]
Unlikely if they're only going to be a small biodegradable silicon chip the size of a pinhead.

We're not talking about those gigantic pin-stapled magnetic stripe thing you see on clothes in malls.

Dark Nexus · Post by **Dark Nexus** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 11:08 pm

[quote="Shyknight";p="369751"]Blah, self-serve checkout isn't high-tech. It isn't even convenient. Why the heck should I scan and sack all my own groceries?[/quote]

Lack of lineups? If there's much of a lineup at the regular cash, I'll use the self-serve checkout.

Rfairney · Post by **Rfairney** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 11:20 pm

Why should i do it when they hire people to do it for me ?

Convenience perhaps ? if its empty it would be faster to do your own

Hell, Asda have them over here already, Scan them as you go round before they go in the trolley, send the data at the end, and presto, straight through to payment

Imperator Severn · Post by **Imperator Severn** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 2:34 am

Blah, self-serve checkout isn't high-tech. It isn't even convenient. Why the heck should I scan and sack all my own groceries?

It is, however, cheaper in the long run. That's why gas monkeys are such a rarity these days.

Beware of the Leopard · Post by **Beware of the Leopard** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 5:02 am

[quote="AizawaTakako";p="372386"]...small biodegradable silicon chip...[/quote]

It's that exact combination of words, in fact, that leads me to believe it could be expensive.

As for why someone should scan and bag their own groceries... first, if you do it often, you'll get used to it and be faster. Second, there are never lines there because people fear technology like the plague. (It has touch screen buttons!!! *craps pants in fear*) Third, maybe you don't want that girl from your English class at register 6 to know you need hemorroid cream. Good way to boost sales of odd topical medication and contraceptives if you ask me.

Phong · Post by **Phong** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 5:24 am

I hate self-serv checkouts, this is in part because I myself am I grocery store cashier, and if I wanted to check out my own bloody groceries, I'd go to fucking work and get paid for it. No one fucking helps ME out by checking out their own groceries.

Deacon · Post by **Deacon** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 2:29 pm

I love my own checkout things, except for the fact that they're programmed for morons, so they seem to usually take forvever (as in, not instantaneous) to let you scan another item.

Mat3 · Post by **Mat3** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 7:46 pm

asdf, The thing you are talking about are RFID tags.

They are cheap and convenient. They are commonly used in warehouses in the UK to keep control of stocks. However, the problem is, there is no reliable way to turn them off, so it becomes rather bigbrother-ish in potential. (Although they have a limit to a 5m range)

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