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    1247 points mangoman | 13 comments | 05 Dec 16 14:57 UTC | HN request time: 1.1s | source | bottom
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    Someone1234 ◴[05 Dec 16 15:26 UTC] No.13105907[source]▶
    Companies have been discussing "checkout-less" stores since forever, but nobody has been brave enough to do it due to the perceived threat of shoplifting.

    And while shoplifting is a legitimate threat, are non-shoplifters going to be turned into shoplifters without a checkout? Are normal shoplifters stopped by checkouts? These are the core questions, and until it is tested nobody will know for sure.

    Target is getting awfully close to this. With their Cartwheel app you're meant to scan all your items as you shop (so it auto-applies coupons and discounts); but they haven't taken it to the next logical step and allowed you to provide your Cartwheel output at the checkout for checking out.

    I will say that the way Target has implemented smartphone barcode scanning makes me think that there might be a future in all this. It is extremely painless, they just need to stop kicking you out of the scan screen when it finds a discount (i.e. it doesn't kick you out if no discount is found, but does when a discount IS found, that's problematic for efficiency reasons).

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    bbrks ◴[05 Dec 16 15:30 UTC] No.13105954[source]▶
    In the UK, Tesco have been running a 'Scan as you Shop'[0] thing for a couple of years now. Customers pick up a scanner as they enter, scan their items as they go into their cart, and they have special checkouts which read your scanner.

    There's a random chance that your scanner will be audited by a human against the contents of your shopping cart. Usually the first time you use it, then it backs off.

    [0] http://www.tesco.com/scan-as-you-shop/

    replies(8): >>13105978 #>>13105999 #>>13106011 #>>13106021 #>>13106082 #>>13106184 #>>13106261 #>>13106267 #
    1. BjoernKW ◴[05 Dec 16 15:43 UTC] No.13106082[source]▶
    Tesco also has pushed self scanning tills for years now.

    However, the number of employees working at the cash register is still the same because those scanners sometimes do not work and most importantly their user experience is deplorable. So, you frequently have to ask someone for help (and I'm in my mid-thirties and very tech-savvy. I can only imagine how someone twice my age would feel when using these scanners).

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    2. dingaling ◴[05 Dec 16 16:14 UTC] No.13106398[source]▶
    > However, the number of employees working at the cash register is still the same

    Actually the ratio of staff:active-self-checkout machines is planned to reduce in each new deployment as customers become accustomed to the machines. Starts around 1:2 and usually sits around 1:4 with a target of 1:8 or even 1:12 at quiet times.

    That's definitely a reduction in cashiers since the machines displace existing check-out lines & registers.

    Source: an acquaintance is a manager in a Tesco Superstore.

    replies(1): >>13109235 #
    3. crottypeter ◴[05 Dec 16 16:14 UTC] No.13106405[source]▶
    Terrible UX is spot-on.

    I was using one of these just this morning: got all my shopping onto the scale/shelf and was getting ready to pay. The machine asks how many 5p bags I used. So I start packing the stuff into my backpack to find out whether I need a bag. The machine pipes up: "Did you remove something from the scale?" The screen has a full screen modal warning that I have to put the shopping back.

    I put the things back on the scale and guess that I won't need a bag and I pay using contactless but what if my shopping won't fit in my bag?

    I understand why we have to "pack" things onto a scale (it makes it much harder to take things without scanning them) but it has to trust you at some point.

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    4. lorenzhs ◴[05 Dec 16 16:33 UTC] No.13106584[source]▶
    Don't ever use a Chip + Signature credit card at a Tesco self-checkout, they had to reboot the thing when I accidentally used it instead of my regular UK Debit card.

    Other than that I really like self-checkouts, usually much quicker and they're excellent for coin disposal (dump all your coins in it and pay the rest by card).

    replies(1): >>13107060 #
    5. lorenzhs ◴[05 Dec 16 16:35 UTC] No.13106602[source]▶
    Just say you brought your own bag and put the backpack on the scale. Then put things into the backpack as you scan them. Sometimes it'll request an attendant to confirm that it's empty (probably because it's heavier than most bags).
    replies(1): >>13107446 #
    6. nmeofthestate ◴[05 Dec 16 16:36 UTC] No.13106620[source]▶
    You're supposed to put your bag on the scale at the start when it asks if you brought bag(s). Fill it, then fill 5p bags if necessary.
    7. k-mcgrady ◴[05 Dec 16 17:18 UTC] No.13107060[source]▶
    >> Don't ever use a Chip + Signature credit card at a Tesco self-checkout

    Are UK banks giving these out? I've never come across them before.

    replies(1): >>13109301 #
    8. crottypeter ◴[05 Dec 16 17:50 UTC] No.13107446{3}[source]▶
    Yes, but i always think that will take ages ;-)
    9. nawitus ◴[05 Dec 16 19:40 UTC] No.13108603[source]▶
    Self-checkout registers in Finland have about 1 employee per 6 machines. They work pretty well, I haven't had any issues after the first few months they were launched.
    10. SXX ◴[05 Dec 16 20:31 UTC] No.13109181[source]▶
    I used them in Tesco many times it's was horrible expirience too. Sometime they didn't work properly or failed to scan something.

    What worse shortly after some stores in London got those there was less cashiers working at eventide. So you had to choose between unpleasant expirience or long queue.

    11. robryan ◴[05 Dec 16 20:36 UTC] No.13109235[source]▶
    Similar at supermarkets in Australia, one staff member could be watching over about 12 self checkouts. They still offer regular registers for people with a lot of stuff and people that don't like self checkout.

    The machines are good enough now that I almost never get stuck, although some people are a lot more prone to needing staff assistance to complete checkout.

    12. makomk ◴[05 Dec 16 20:42 UTC] No.13109301{3}[source]▶
    They're standard issue from American banks these days. I believe you can request them from UK ones too if you have trouble remembering a PIN, though.
    13. modeless ◴[06 Dec 16 02:17 UTC] No.13111734[source]▶
    You can blame that bad UX on the government, not the store. Next time you can just lie. The store doesn't care. They'd be happy to give you as many bags as you need for free if they were allowed.