IKEA Gets Rid Of Self-Checkouts

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IKEA Gets Rid Of Self-Checkouts

Post by Alpha8472 »

IKEA has finally gotten rid of self-checkout. If you have ever been to IKEA you know what a disaster self-checkout is at IKEA.

IKEA is a furniture store and when you do self-checkout it is very difficult to scan the barcodes on heavy pieces of furniture. The scanners were awful. You had to hold scanner in just the right way. The scanner didn't even work if you held it closer than 6 inches to the barcode. There were never any signs telling customers about this. There were long lines at the self-checkout units and the haggard employee at the self checkout area had to constantly run from self checkout to the next self checkout and explain everything to each customer. If there is a problem during self checkout the self checkout unit locks up and tells the customer to wait for an employee to come over and reset the machine.

This was such a waste of time. The time spent sorting out all the problems and fixing the locked out self checkout units could have been better spent by having more cashiers. At some times of the day they didn't even have any regular cashiers at the checkouts. They tried to get everyone to use the self checkout units and the lines were so long.

Self checkout really does not work at a furniture store with various huge items that are difficult to move and position in order to scan.

Finally, there can be some sanity at the checkout lanes at IKEA.

Companies try to save money by getting rid of cashiers for machines. Then they create all sorts of delays and long lines. Customers are unhappy. The few employees looking over the self checkout machines are unhappy and the lines just keep getting backed up.

Enough with these self checkout machines. Bring back customer service and bring back employees who will bag your purchases for you. If I am paying money at the store, I expect someone to bag my items. I am not working as a bagger for free.
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Re: IKEA Gets Rid Of Self-Checkouts

Post by KingU8ol0Soopers »

Perhaps they could have just kept them for the market area that is usually by the checkouts. That would definitely make a lot more sense.
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Re: IKEA Gets Rid Of Self-Checkouts

Post by Super S »

Hopefully Home Depot and Lowe's will get the hint. I have been to my local Lowe's several times where the ONLY option was self-checkout (sometimes not even a cashier by the lumber doors), no attendant to be found, and people trying to drag a sheet of plywood over the scanner. Lowe's is one of the worst as far as replacing cashiers with self-checkout, and I avoid the store as much as possible because of it. Home Depot isn't much better but they usually have a couple cashiers always available.
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Re: IKEA Gets Rid Of Self-Checkouts

Post by storewanderer »

A new Lowes (replacement) opened in Sparks, NV recently and only has two small self checkouts. I am also told they removed the self checkouts entirely from a small group of high shrink stores.
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Re: IKEA Gets Rid Of Self-Checkouts

Post by KingU8ol0Soopers »

I was at the IKEA today in Centennial, Colorado, and they still have their self checkouts. Does anybody else's still have their self checkouts?
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Re: IKEA Gets Rid Of Self-Checkouts

Post by storewanderer »

Sacramento Ikea back in September still had self checkouts. And your choice was those or only one register. Frustrating when trying to buy 100+ small pieces of various items.
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Re: IKEA Gets Rid Of Self-Checkouts

Post by Brian Lutz »

All of the self-checkouts are still present in the Renton WA store. Given the fact that they have sixteen lanes of self checkouts in this store (and frequently still a significant line here at busy times) and typically not much more than 2-3 lanes of conventional checkouts open at any given time, I suspect that the staffing levels they'd need to replace them would probably make it more trouble than it's worth to replace them.

Oh, and given the fact that Ikea abolished disposable bags years ago means that you won't have anyone bagging your purchases for you no matter where you go, unless you bring your own reusable bags and do it yourself.
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Re: IKEA Gets Rid Of Self-Checkouts

Post by Alpha8472 »

IKEA said that they were going to remove self-checkouts from all of their stores. However, the process of removing them would take many months, and it would a store by store process. NCR, the company that makes the self checkout machines no doubt has contracts with IKEA and will try to find every loophole to keep the contracts going. Early termination fee, machine removal fee, lawsuit, etc.

Ultimately, it comes down to money. If it is a headache to break the contract for each store, then IKEA might just take their time and simply wait until each store's contract expires on its own.
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Re: IKEA Gets Rid Of Self-Checkouts

Post by Brian Lutz »

Following up on this, I was at the Seattle (Renton) IKEA last night, and saw that they did in fact remove the self-checkouts from the store at some point within the last couple of months. Without the self checkouts, at a relatively low-traffic time (8pm on a Friday evening) they had to have eight lanes open, and even then checkout was much slower than it usually is. They had 1 designated "12 items or less" lame, and 1 "Debit/credit only" lane. When they had the self checkouts in this store they generally directed the majority of the traffic to those, and only had 2 or 3 lanes open .
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Re: IKEA Gets Rid Of Self-Checkouts

Post by Alpha8472 »

Trust me, the customers will be much happier with a trained cashier than with those annoying self-checkout machines. Furniture and heavy items simply are a pain with self-checkout. Also many customers were turned off by the self-checkout machines and I think that in the long run there will be more customers since checkout will be less painless.

People need jobs these days. Hiring more employees creates jobs and those people will have money to spend. Businesses will benefit from more money flowing in and overall there will be benefits for all. Less unemployment is good. Fewer people using up taxpayer dollars for food stamps and public assistance.
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