Grocery Stores: No More Cashiers?
http://www.thelocal.se/39588/20120309/
Green Matmarknad, a grocery store in Malmo, Sweden, has eliminated cashiers, allowing customers to pay for all of their purchases through automatic self-checkout systems.
The store promises that jobs will not be eliminated, enabling staff to perform other duties to help the store operate more efficiently. Of course, if the store was operating before with traditional checkout stands, it seems unlikely that it would retain extra personnel it did not previously need.
In Sweden, most grocery stores require customers to bag their own purchases, so the elimination of actual cashiers is only a small step away from complete self-service. In the US and UK, baggers are often hired to pack groceries and help older or disabled customers carry and load them into their vehicle, otherwise cashiers bag the groceries before moving on to the next customer.
Ideally, checkout lines would be eliminated with the use of RFID, evolving the way self-service department stores eliminated the need for clerks to pull items from shelves. In addition to loss prevention, RFID will allow customers to walk their shopping carts through the door, automatically scan merchandise, and charge it directly to their account.
Produce, however, poses a dilemma. Attaching an RFID unit to each piece of fruit seems unrealistic, and unlike most merchandise, produce is generally sold per pound rather than per unit.
The technology could take a decade to become mainstream in the United States.
Fast Tube by Casper
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