Self-checkout
[1] Most self-checkout areas are supervised by at least one staff member, often assisting customers to process transactions, correcting prices, or otherwise providing service.
"[4] The machines were originally invented by David R. Humble at Deerfield Beach, Florida-based company CheckRobot Inc., with NCR Corporation having the largest market share.
[5][6] They were introduced to the public in July 1986; the first machine, produced by CheckRobot, was installed in a Kroger store near Atlanta, Georgia.
[10] An alternative system (self-scanning) consists of a portable barcode scanner that is used by the customer to scan and bag items while shopping.
Systems manufactured by Caper Counters (acquired by Instacart) allow customers to put items in a designated area but not align them to expose the barcode.
[28] One benefit to the retailer in providing self-checkout machines is in reduced labour costs: one attendant can often run four to six checkout lanes with the work of the cashier now being assumed by the customer.
The system requires payment via debit or credit card, ending the need for customers to exchange paper money or coinage with those employees, a potential vector for disease transmission.
Although there are self-checkouts that have been designed for vision impaired and wheelchair users, they are not common, and disabled advocates are pushing for equal access.
For example, discount store Poundland has used the voices of Yoda,[40] Elvis Presley, Count Dracula and Father Christmas on various occasions.
[41] In 2019, Marks & Spencer replaced its regular checkout announcers with the voices of judges from that year's season of Britain's Got Talent.
For example, in 2020 Kroger signed up with new systems that detect a skipped scan and shows a video to the consumer who is given the opportunity to correct their mistake.
[4] Some retails fit their self-checkout terminals with a CCTV system which displays the customer's face on a small video screen.
Self-checkout customers are held within a barriered area and are required to scan their printed receipt on an optical scanner to open an automatic gate, before they are permitted to exit the store.
[51][52][53] A study revealed that self-checkout machines increased shoplifting, 6.7% of transactions had some amount of shrink (theft), 1 in 5 shoppers admitted to accidentally taking an item without paying for it, 1 in 7 admitted to purposely stealing items, and individuals with household incomes over $100,000 per year were more likely to steal than lower income brackets.
[37][56] A California appeal court confirmed in September 2013, with a 2–1 majority, a law banning the sale of alcohol through self-checkouts.
The law requires alcohol only to be sold in face-to-face transactions with staff members, as is mandatory for cigarettes, spray paint and some over-the-counter medication.
Similarly, the court said that a previous direction from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control was of no legal effect as it was not given for discussion or public comment.
