Target Self Checkout: Now 10 items or less

[BillyGr]

Excellent idea and finally!

I implemented that policy at all Fresh & Easy stores in my district. NO exceptions and all the stores were surveilled by camera for compliance. And guess what? SHRINK SHRANK! <<<<< (that sounds funny )

So, YOU are the one that fails to remember that the law states INNOCENT until PROVEN guilty.

By restricting is based on item count, you are ASSuming that everyone with 11+ items is guilty of being a thief which is NOT the case.

Many people are perfectly honest - go after those who actually BREAK THE LAW and not those who don't!

[veteran+]

My policy had nothing to do with the law.

The policy was not assigning guilt, nor was it discriminating against anyone.

If a customer does not like it then they could go to another retailer..............perhaps Grocery Outlet?

[bayford]

I'd rather have a basket only/no cart policy than a strict item limit.

[storewanderer]

My policy had nothing to do with the law.

The policy was not assigning guilt, nor was it discriminating against anyone.

If a customer does not like it then they could go to another retailer..............perhaps Grocery Outlet?

Grocery Outlet does not have self checkouts in any stores that I've ever seen. They always have cashiers, and often have baggers working too. Their checkout is always efficient and usually friendly, even in the worst locations. No loyalty card, limited PLU entry items, often having a bagger, really speeds up the checkout process.

I am curious how you did that policy given many F&E Stores were self checkout only. I know a few reconfigured self checkouts so they became full service lanes (moved around to where the customer stood on the other side of the counter from the cashier) but that involved moving equipment around a bit. Did you manage to get that equipment moved around in all stores or just keep a couple lanes staffed/on assist mode at all times?

I actually like the suggestion here about no carts in self checkout. That would make self checkout a lot easier to watch. People also play weird item switching games using carts, use carts to more easily conceal items in reusable bags, etc.

I was recently in one of those large chain drug retailers who doesn't staff front end and has self checkout then a bell on the counter. This chain is so stupid. I watched an individual scan items, but there was some kind of an error on the screen and none were registering on the machine. The scanner kept beeping anyway after every item. The individual scanned all of the items, bagging as scanning, then at the end even put a payment card into the chip reader and kept it in there for a few seconds. Pulled it out, took the bag away and left the store. Nothing ever registered on the self checkout. I walked up and saw the self checkout unit was flagging some kind of a printer error (I suspect the individual opened the printer to make that happen). I closed the printer and ran my transaction through with no issue.

A few days prior in a different location of said chain I went in and since this was a CA location I actually needed a cashier for what I was purchasing. There was no employee to be seen anywhere on the front end. Closed sign on the counter and a non-working bell. A customer well I thought customer was behind me trying to pay too. I finally walked back to pharmacy and asked them to page a cashier to the front register. I walked back up front. An angry woman came out of the bathroom as I was walking back up front and grumbled at me she was the only person working (it was a Sunday afternoon). Meanwhile I saw the self checkout was there and the other customer was gone, but they had scanned their item and hadn't actually completed payment on the self checkout. No sign of the item up there at the front end. Not sure what happened. I commented about that to the rude employee and got a comment barked back "that happens sometimes when only one person is working." Great attitude.

[veteran+]

My policy had nothing to do with the law.

The policy was not assigning guilt, nor was it discriminating against anyone.

If a customer does not like it then they could go to another retailer..............perhaps Grocery Outlet?

Grocery Outlet does not have self checkouts in any stores that I've ever seen. They always have cashiers, and often have baggers working too. Their checkout is always efficient and usually friendly, even in the worst locations. No loyalty card, limited PLU entry items, often having a bagger, really speeds up the checkout process.

I am curious how you did that policy given many F&E Stores were self checkout only. I know a few reconfigured self checkouts so they became full service lanes (moved around to where the customer stood on the other side of the counter from the cashier) but that involved moving equipment around a bit. Did you manage to get that equipment moved around in all stores or just keep a couple lanes staffed/on assist mode at all times?

I actually like the suggestion here about no carts in self checkout. That would make self checkout a lot easier to watch. People also play weird item switching games using carts, use carts to more easily conceal items in reusable bags, etc.

I was recently in one of those large chain drug retailers who doesn't staff front end and has self checkout then a bell on the counter. This chain is so stupid. I watched an individual scan items, but there was some kind of an error on the screen and none were registering on the machine. The scanner kept beeping anyway after every item. The individual scanned all of the items, bagging as scanning, then at the end even put a payment card into the chip reader and kept it in there for a few seconds. Pulled it out, took the bag away and left the store. Nothing ever registered on the self checkout. I walked up and saw the self checkout unit was flagging some kind of a printer error (I suspect the individual opened the printer to make that happen). I closed the printer and ran my transaction through with no issue.

A few days prior in a different location of said chain I went in and since this was a CA location I actually needed a cashier for what I was purchasing. There was no employee to be seen anywhere on the front end. Closed sign on the counter and a non-working bell. A customer well I thought customer was behind me trying to pay too. I finally walked back to pharmacy and asked them to page a cashier to the front register. I walked back up front. An angry woman came out of the bathroom as I was walking back up front and grumbled at me she was the only person working (it was a Sunday afternoon). Meanwhile I saw the self checkout was there and the other customer was gone, but they had scanned their item and hadn't actually completed payment on the self checkout. No sign of the item up there at the front end. Not sure what happened. I commented about that to the rude employee and got a comment barked back "that happens sometimes when only one person is working." Great attitude.

I did not say Grocery Outlet had self checkouts . I just don't care for the company. Just as you explained, I am that customer that if you burn me a couple of times I am never coming back. PLUS, I had to work to spend money in that store? Not going to do that again.

The F&E stores in that area had a combo of long belted self checkouts and regular self checkouts. Customers with larger orders were directed to the belted checkouts. The front was attended by minimum 1 clerk. Many times there were several clerks for busy times and for bagging. Some stores had to add belted checkouts because of high volume and large average purchases. If a customer started a large order on the small self checkouts the order was cancelled and moved to the belted checkout where a clerk would scan the items and bag the order (for the inconvenience). So added customer service was rendered to comply with the rule.

[BillyGr]

My policy had nothing to do with the law.

The policy was not assigning guilt, nor was it discriminating against anyone.

If a customer does not like it then they could go to another retailer..............perhaps Grocery Outlet?

It 100% absolutely assigned guilt.

You stated that due to THEFT, you prohibited orders of 11 or more items from using these checkouts. That means that you made EVERY SINGLE PERSON WITH 11 or MORE ITEMS GUILTY OF THEFT, even though many of them were in fact 100% INNOCENT. That is exactly the opposite of innocent until PROVEN guilty!

[storewanderer]

I did not say Grocery Outlet had self checkouts . I just don't care for the company. Just as you explained, I am that customer that if you burn me a couple of times I am never coming back. PLUS, I had to work to spend money in that store? Not going to do that again.

The F&E stores in that area had a combo of long belted self checkouts and regular self checkouts. Customers with larger orders were directed to the belted checkouts. The front was attended by minimum 1 clerk. Many times there were several clerks for busy times and for bagging. Some stores had to add belted checkouts because of high volume and large average purchases. If a customer started a large order on the small self checkouts the order was cancelled and moved to the belted checkout where a clerk would scan the items and bag the order (for the inconvenience). So added customer service was rendered to comply with the rule.

I used to feel the way you do about Grocery Outlet but some better operated stores, policy changes (no more expired items allowed- per corporate), and ongoing mix improvements made me come around. I would also propose to you the operator who burned you with expired product/other dissatisfactory experience is no longer an operator but I suppose you could check into that. I had one unit who hassled me over walking in with a bag from a neighboring store and was about two steps from trying to accuse me of something (bag was from Harbor Freight-nothing Grocery Outlet even sells) and I boycotted that store because despite the operator seeming very responsive to my complaint when I spoke to her, I went back and watched the same employees who hassled me hassle another customer under the same situation as me and I literally walked out right when I saw that happen. Since then the store has changed operators twice, that particular store still sucks, but I no longer boycott it since those employees are gone also. I really would encourage if you have the chance to go to some of the better operated Grocery Outlet units and give the chain a re-evaluation, talk to some of the operators, and observe how well many (not all) of the stores are being run. In my market I have 2 what I consider to be excellent five star stores (Sparks-Disc, Reno-Lemmon), 2 poor stores (Fernley, Reno-Kietzke), 1 very good store (Dayton), 2 acceptable stores (Sparks-Oddie, Gardnerville), and 1 well stocked/nice but very borderline due to service issues store (Carson City).

I see what you are saying so you put the item limit in place on the small self checkouts and kept staffing focused on the large self checkouts. This makes complete sense. This is how the units should have been designed in the first place, and corporate signage should have been posted to that effect chainwide. The small self checkouts were in effect the "express lanes" and the belted self checkouts were the regular lanes. I always thought it was best when F&E had at least 3 employees up front. This way one employee could be completely involved with a cart, then if a second cart came up, that second employee could get involved with that cart. Then a third employee to watch the smaller units. But I understand how the staffing model didn't make it easy for that to happen in the majority of the stores. They always did call it "assisted" checkout as opposed to "self checkout."

I am going to be curious to see if these retailers making some of these changes see any measurable shrink improvements- Wal Mart in Albuquerque removed/is removing self checkout from 3 stores 100%. This Target 10 item limit thing. We will see how this goes.

Meanwhile it is my view at this point the consumer basically demands self checkout. Personally I almost dread going to a store without self checkout (such as... Walgreens) as I don't enjoy waiting in a slow line with a super slow cashier who is trying to work a super slow point of sale system on a poorly designed checkout counter. But if I go to a store like Trader Joe's or Grocery Outlet with a properly staffed/efficient front end often with cashier and bagger I don't mind at all, in fact, I often think I get through their front end faster than I would a store with self checkout.

[veteran+]

My policy had nothing to do with the law.

The policy was not assigning guilt, nor was it discriminating against anyone.

If a customer does not like it then they could go to another retailer..............perhaps Grocery Outlet?

It 100% absolutely assigned guilt.

You stated that due to THEFT, you prohibited orders of 11 or more items from using these checkouts. That means that you made EVERY SINGLE PERSON WITH 11 or MORE ITEMS GUILTY OF THEFT, even though many of them were in fact 100% INNOCENT. That is exactly the opposite of innocent until PROVEN guilty!

That's a stretch, a big stretch.

My stores were the highest volume F&Es and the best reviewed so I guess the customers did not see it that way.



BTW, I never said "due to theft". My shrink numbers were below company average due excellent customer service. The main reason was for faster and more efficient flow up front. It removed the clogging up of the typical small F&E front ends. The bonus from this was reduced shrink which prompted a visit from corporate as to how we did it.



P.S. Why are you yelling again?

[veteran+]

I did not say Grocery Outlet had self checkouts . I just don't care for the company. Just as you explained, I am that customer that if you burn me a couple of times I am never coming back. PLUS, I had to work to spend money in that store? Not going to do that again.

The F&E stores in that area had a combo of long belted self checkouts and regular self checkouts. Customers with larger orders were directed to the belted checkouts. The front was attended by minimum 1 clerk. Many times there were several clerks for busy times and for bagging. Some stores had to add belted checkouts because of high volume and large average purchases. If a customer started a large order on the small self checkouts the order was cancelled and moved to the belted checkout where a clerk would scan the items and bag the order (for the inconvenience). So added customer service was rendered to comply with the rule.

I used to feel the way you do about Grocery Outlet but some better operated stores, policy changes (no more expired items allowed- per corporate), and ongoing mix improvements made me come around. I would also propose to you the operator who burned you with expired product/other dissatisfactory experience is no longer an operator but I suppose you could check into that. I had one unit who hassled me over walking in with a bag from a neighboring store and was about two steps from trying to accuse me of something (bag was from Harbor Freight-nothing Grocery Outlet even sells) and I boycotted that store because despite the operator seeming very responsive to my complaint when I spoke to her, I went back and watched the same employees who hassled me hassle another customer under the same situation as me and I literally walked out right when I saw that happen. Since then the store has changed operators twice, that particular store still sucks, but I no longer boycott it since those employees are gone also. I really would encourage if you have the chance to go to some of the better operated Grocery Outlet units and give the chain a re-evaluation, talk to some of the operators, and observe how well many (not all) of the stores are being run. In my market I have 2 what I consider to be excellent five star stores (Sparks-Disc, Reno-Lemmon), 2 poor stores (Fernley, Reno-Kietzke), 1 very good store (Dayton), 2 acceptable stores (Sparks-Oddie, Gardnerville), and 1 well stocked/nice but very borderline due to service issues store (Carson City).

I see what you are saying so you put the item limit in place on the small self checkouts and kept staffing focused on the large self checkouts. This makes complete sense. This is how the units should have been designed in the first place, and corporate signage should have been posted to that effect chainwide. The small self checkouts were in effect the "express lanes" and the belted self checkouts were the regular lanes. I always thought it was best when F&E had at least 3 employees up front. This way one employee could be completely involved with a cart, then if a second cart came up, that second employee could get involved with that cart. Then a third employee to watch the smaller units. But I understand how the staffing model didn't make it easy for that to happen in the majority of the stores. They always did call it "assisted" checkout as opposed to "self checkout."

I am going to be curious to see if these retailers making some of these changes see any measurable shrink improvements- Wal Mart in Albuquerque removed/is removing self checkout from 3 stores 100%. This Target 10 item limit thing. We will see how this goes.

Meanwhile it is my view at this point the consumer basically demands self checkout. Personally I almost dread going to a store without self checkout (such as... Walgreens) as I don't enjoy waiting in a slow line with a super slow cashier who is trying to work a super slow point of sale system on a poorly designed checkout counter. But if I go to a store like Trader Joe's or Grocery Outlet with a properly staffed/efficient front end often with cashier and bagger I don't mind at all, in fact, I often think I get through their front end faster than I would a store with self checkout.

So, just to be the devil's advocate, what is worse?

1. Waiting in an express lane behind a really slow checker

2. Waiting in que at the self check outs with multiple incompetent people taking their time scanning and bagging (and sometimes BIG orders)

[BillyGr]

That's a stretch, a big stretch.

My stores were the highest volume F&Es and the best reviewed so I guess the customers did not see it that way.



BTW, I never said "due to theft". My shrink numbers were below company average due excellent customer service. The main reason was for faster and more efficient flow up front. It removed the clogging up of the typical small F&E front ends. The bonus from this was reduced shrink which prompted a visit from corporate as to how we did it.



P.S. Why are you yelling again?

In your first reply, you said you implemented this and "shrink shrank" - that is another way of saying that it was done due to theft (since you mentioned none of the reasons you gave in this last reply back then, only adding them now, the only thing originally mentioned had to do with theft).