Self Service Lanes Get Mixed Reviews

Store, checkout ambience

Sheryl: OK, I’m looking at the screen; I’m going to hit English…

I admit it – I usually avoid the self-service checkout lanes in the supermarket.

I’d rather someone else scan my groceries.

But one day I decided to give it a try:

Scanner: Please scan your first item.
Sheryl: OK, where’s the barcode? OK, that works. Hmm, why do I have to rescan the item? Can you help me with this (to clerk)? Is it not working?
Clerk: No…these things are just on slow-mo today.
Sheryl: This is why I never use these…(laugh)

But apparently many people do use them.

One of the companies that makes these scanners paid for a customer survey.

They found that 40 percent of consumers choose self-service over waiting in line.

And according to industry numbers, the amount of money moving through those aisles is expected to double in the next four yhears.

John Sacconanno works for NCR Corporation, which supplies scanners to many of the leading chains.

He says in the U.S. alone, stores have installed well over a hundred thousand self-checkout units.

According to Food Marketing Institute, approximately two-thirds of all supermarket companies have installed at least one self checkout in their stores.

Saccananno says he doesn’t know of any employee who has lost a job because of the self service technology.

Instead, he says, managers move employees to other areas of the store to help shoppers.

NCR markets its products as a quote essential convenience, and says they improve efficiency.

But Michael Norton says self-checkout lanes don’t dramatically improve things.

Norton is with Hannaford Markets based in Scarbourough, Maine,

Norton says customers still like the personal contact.

But they also like to have choices.

Just the perception that if I’m in a queue, and maybe I don’t want to be in a queue, and I’m comfortable with this technology, I’m going to move over, and move on with my day more quickly. You want people to get in and out of the store as quickly as possible, and anything you can do to give them more options to do that, you’re inclined to do. That’s as much as why we’re involved with this as anything else.

Ambi, outside
Stephanie Morse of Nashua has just come out of _______________

She says she uses self-service only when she has one or two items.

But more than that, I usually end up finding that the thing goes off and I have to get customer service, and it’s longer. It takes longer to get through.

But shopper Charlie Pipilas of Nashua says

They’re faster, much faster. It’s so easy to swipe your item, put them in the bag, and pay -- and leave.

And here’s another interesting fact.

More men than women use the self-service lanes.

Greg Buzak is with the retail industry consulting company, IHL Group:

Men use self-checkout more because they’re typically still not the main shoppers in the store. So they’re in there buying smaller size transactions. Pick up the eggs, pick up the cheese, we’re out of milk.

Self-checkout scanners aren’t cheap.

NCR says they range from 80 to a hundred thousand dollars.

But retailers seem to think it’s worth it.

Hannaford has them in 38 of their 167 stores.

And it adds them every time it renovates or builds a new store.

In the future, will grocery store cashiers and baggers to the way of gas station attendants and bank tellers.

Hannaford’s Michael Norton:

If customers get really comfortable with it, it could happen. It will evolve. It’s not something that will revolutionize overnight.

Scanner/market sounds…Please wait for assistance, fade under SOQ

For NHPR News in Nashua, this is Sheryl Rich-Kern.