Fred Meyer checkstand question

[Super S]

I recently noticed, in many of the Fred Meyer stores that have been remodeled over the last five years or so, that the checkstands have a second conveyor belt after the cashier. What I also have noticed is that these second belts are rarely, if ever, used. The way the checkstands are set up the cashier can scan and bag the items easily. The only time I could see the second belt used is if there is a second employee bagging items, (which there appears to not be a need for), or if Fred Meyer were to implement a "bag your own" format (which they have used somewhat in the past but doesn't really work in the current format). My question is, are these checkstands a universal Kroger design? If not, why would Fred Meyer spend the extra money for a second conveyor belt?

[Brian Lutz]

The checkstands that were put in at one of the two local QFCs during the last remodel actually removed the first conveyor completely, and have only one conveyor after the scanner. If you're using a cart this is more convenient because it means you don't need to unload anything, but if you're using a basket it's a bit of a pain because you have nowhere to set down the basket until it's your turn in line. I rarely use anything but the self checkout anymore anyway, so it's not too big a deal. I believe the newly opened Trader Joe's in town uses this style as well. If there's one advantage to this layout, it's the fact that it's easier to have one line for multiple checkstands this way.

I think the older QFC in town still has more conventional front conveyor only checkstands, but I'd have to confirm this. The 2 conveyor checkstands you describe seem to be in use at all of the local Fred Meyers around here. One thing I've noted about Fred Meyers is that for some reason, they like to put various items of merchandise (things like folding chairs in the summer and Snuggies in the winter) at the back ends of the checkstands. I haven't ever seen this practice in other stores.

[storewanderer]

Those Fred Meyer checkstands are the same ones I've noticed ever since I first encountered Fred Meyer in the early 90s.

Most Kroger divisions use a checkstand identical to what Safeway uses. QFC is an exception with cashier unload used to enhance the "service" to the customer.

The Fred Meyer one has the cashier enter it from the front and does not position the keyboard above the scanner. As the cashier is scanning items at Fred Meyer they are looking at the back wall rather than looking at the next cashier's back.

[Super S]

I do remember one other type of checkstand Fred Meyer used in their grocery department. In the mid-80s, when Fred Meyer opened the Garden City store in Boise, they had a "dual cashier" setup which looked almost identical to the type that Waremart stores were using at the time. This was still during the time different departments had different registers, and I think toward the end of Fred Meyer's "warehouse foods" format. This store did not have these for long and they were replaced with ones similar to what is used today. However, I do remember a few older Fred Meyer stores in Portland using these into the mid-90s.

Fred Meyer does use checkstands without conveyor belts in their apparel sections in some locations. However, some locations have done away with apparel registers altogether depending on the store layout.

As for QFC, I have not been into one in several years, but it seems that those checkstands mentioned were made to be used with the "folding" carts they used for years, I know that the 162nd Ave. QFC in Vancouver which opened in the late 90s (now closed) had that setup. I have no idea what the newer 192nd Ave QFC has though.


Storewanderer made a good point about "cashier unload" How many stores still do that instead of making the customer load things onto a belt?

[Alpha8472]

Cashier unload formats are present in several supermarket chains in my area: Lunardi's, Nob Hill Foods, and Trader Joe's.

I dislike the cashier unload format. If you have a basket you have no place to set it down. With a conveyor belt you could unload your basket. Also I am so used to the unload format, that having to wait for a cashier to unload my groceries is just a very annoying delay.

Having to wait and hold a heavy basket of groceries doesn't make my customer service experience better. It makes it far worse.

[krogerclerk]

Does QFC have express lanes? When the Atlanta and Nashville KMAs had cashier unload checkstands, the express lanes still had a lead in belt, but no belt between the cashier/scanner and the bagging area as express cashiers did the bagging. The cashier unload checkstands had a small shelf that was large enough to set a grocery basket on in front of the scanning area. When the stores were converted to customer unload designs, most checkstands were retrofitted with the section for the lead in belt added to the checkstand rather than a complete replacement of the checkstands. Ingles, some BiLo's(mostly former Red Food and Kroger Sav-on locations), some Food Lions and several independents still utilize cashier unload checkstands.

Most grocery stores in this area have a lead in belt and a belt between the cashier and bagger, typical to Bruno's, the majority of BiLo's, Kroger, Publix and Winn-Dixie and newer build Food Lions. Generally if there is no bagger, the checkstands lack the belt between the cashier and the bagging area, such as Walmarts carousel lanes,which Kroger utilizes a similar setup for standard expresses. The Fred Meyer set up sounds like the difference between theirs and Kroger's checkstands is that the cashier faces the backwall and the keyboard is located on the counter in front of the cashier, rather than facing the lane in front of them. Sounds like checkstand designs prior to the late 80's.

[Alpha8472]

Now that I think about it, Safeway and Whole Foods have Express lanes that do not have conveyor belts. The express lanes at my local Lifestyle Safeway and Whole Foods have a small area to set down items.

I never liked this format because again you have to hold your basket of food until the person in front of you is done.

They did studies on Express lanes and found out that Express lanes are misleading. The fastest checkout lanes are the ones with the fewest people. If the Express lane has 20 people while the regular lane has 10 people, the regular lane will tend to be fastest even if the regular lane customers have more items. Each items adds only a few seconds of scanning time onto the transaction, but each additional person in line adds several minutes. Go with the shortest line for the fastest checkout.

My local Target has closed their Express Checkstands because they don't have conveyor belts. They just have a small area to place a few items in front of the cashier. It turns out that the Express lanes were slower and the lack of a conveyor belt really slowed down the transaction times. They spent all that money to add new express checkstands and now they don't use them.

[storewanderer]

I always found it laughable when the express lanes had those odd "half sized" belts. Usually the belt was so short it could only fit one or two baskets. Raleys has express lanes like that and I've seen them in some Safeways too. Those small express lanes also had little room on the cashier end for bagging beyond the slot with the rack of bags and room to place one bag awkwardly above it. It seems to be an express lane that is difficult for the cashier and difficult for the customer doesn't create much of an "express" at all.

Cashier unload is policy at Raleys and they advertise unloading your cart as part of their "service." I don't know of any other west coast grocer still doing cashier unload. Even smaller chains are replacing with belts. Cashier unload is not only inefficient for the customer and cashier but also creates a real strain on the cashier's back and wrists.

I did see an older Safeway in Coquille, OR with a lifestyle remodel that retained cashier unload checkstands after being remodeled (the remodel was in progress this summer). I think keeping that set up was due to the store receiving a very light lifestyle remodel and due to its size and perhaps not wanting to re-do the wiring to allow for a different set up. It looked like they just re-did the surfaces of the old checkstands or painted them. I have seen a very small number of Albertsons Stores with cashier unload checkstands but most of those were converted to turntables in the late 90s when they got new registers or converted to belts in after-2000 remodels.

[Brian Lutz]

There are some older Target stores (smaller unremodeled late 80s/ early 90s stores) that don't have conveyors on their checkstands at all. All of the checkstands are in the express lane format. The Target store in Redmond (which originally opened as a Target Greatland in 1995 or so) always had conveyors on their checkstands though.

Also, since I was out doing some shopping last night, I grabbed a quick picture of the checkstands at the QFC I usually shop at:



(Yeah, I know, the camera on my phone sucks.)

[krogerclerk]

Kroger has used this same cashier unload checkstand design since 1983 when Kroger began using NCR 1255/2552 cash register/scanners. Other than the color and hardware(Magellan scanner scale/ IBM SurePOS, etc), it hasn't changed in over 25 years. Oddly, Kroger converted most of its stores in the eastern operations to customer unload with belts due to pending OSHA requirements regarding cashier injuries from this design that were never adopted.

Even Kroger superstores used a cashier unload design, but the checkstands were made of steel and the old cash registers sat on a counter separated from the checkstand. There was enough space to roll the shopping cart between the register and the checkstand and the cashier faced the back wall. Stores that had IBM 3663 series scanners used a metal checkstand, usually painted harvest gold,
and had unadjustable keyboards facing the back of the previous checkstand as in the prototype in your picture, just old school construction. From the time scanning was adopted, Kroger used belts on the express checkstands.

Heres an image of a setup similar to the express lane for an IBM 3663.

http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhib ... V4020.html