Self Checkout - Home Depot vs Lowes

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Re: Self Checkout - Home Depot vs Lowes

Post by cjd »

I remember in 2020, Home Depot erected substantial looking glass barriers with metal frames around the self checkouts. They sure didn’t stay long. I think they were gone by the end of the year.
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Re: Self Checkout - Home Depot vs Lowes

Post by Brian Lutz »

I used to go to the Snohomish Home Depot store back before we moved away, and if I went on a weekday during the day the self checkouts were almost always staffed by the same person, an older lady in a wheelchair. Usually I wouldn't notice who was at the register, but she seemed to do well with the customers and I suspect a lot of them recognized her.
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Re: Self Checkout - Home Depot vs Lowes

Post by storewanderer »

cjd wrote: January 29th, 2023, 7:42 am I remember in 2020, Home Depot erected substantial looking glass barriers with metal frames around the self checkouts. They sure didn’t stay long. I think they were gone by the end of the year.
Some other stores did that too. I forget where. Also some that hung what seemed like clear shower curtains to surround the self checkouts. Those barriers weren't cleaned very often if ever.

Then there were some stores that just closed half of the self checkouts to address the six foot rule which was very frustrating for different reasons.
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Re: Self Checkout - Home Depot vs Lowes

Post by ClownLoach »

Here's a new wrinkle: now Lowe's has an option in their app for customers to report an item is out of stock in the store. The store map function allows the customer to report either an error on the map or that the shelf location is empty when it was supposed to be in stock. We've moved way past self checkout I guess, now they expect the customers to order for the shelves? I actually think this isn't a first, I am convinced that the Amazon Dash Cart has its cameras scan the aisles for the employees to report out of stocks.
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Re: Self Checkout - Home Depot vs Lowes

Post by storewanderer »

ClownLoach wrote: February 2nd, 2023, 4:54 pm Here's a new wrinkle: now Lowe's has an option in their app for customers to report an item is out of stock in the store. The store map function allows the customer to report either an error on the map or that the shelf location is empty when it was supposed to be in stock. We've moved way past self checkout I guess, now they expect the customers to order for the shelves? I actually think this isn't a first, I am convinced that the Amazon Dash Cart has its cameras scan the aisles for the employees to report out of stocks.
Safeway used to have that feature in their app 10 years ago. "Find in store" then a little button to click, "can't find it?" and state why you can't find it- empty rack, can't see it, etc.

I have no clue what they did with the data.
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Re: Self Checkout - Home Depot vs Lowes

Post by Alpha8472 »

storewanderer wrote: January 29th, 2023, 8:32 pm
cjd wrote: January 29th, 2023, 7:42 am I remember in 2020, Home Depot erected substantial looking glass barriers with metal frames around the self checkouts. They sure didn’t stay long. I think they were gone by the end of the year.
Some other stores did that too. I forget where. Also some that hung what seemed like clear shower curtains to surround the self checkouts. Those barriers weren't cleaned very often if ever.

Then there were some stores that just closed half of the self checkouts to address the six foot rule which was very frustrating for different reasons.
I was listening to KCBS radio and with regard to airflow dynamics those COVID barriers make it worse for infection. Any barrier blocks airflow. It is best to have no barriers and constantly flowing air.

Costco took down their barriers in their restrooms a while ago. Why would you need barriers in the bathroom trough? Costco has deep bathroom trough sinks for some reason. I always found this weird. Their urinals are built into the floor like a school restroom.

Walmart got rid of their tiny plastic barriers at checkout a long time ago. Plastic barriers are only needed for salad bar sneeze guards. I remember when Lowe's closed off every other urinal to get people to space out in the restrooms. That has disappeared.
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Re: Self Checkout - Home Depot vs Lowes

Post by storewanderer »

For self checkout the barriers were just an awful thing. I can see how that would be very bad for airflow if multiple people were contained within said barrier (employee and customer...) and someone was sick, vs. if air was flowing without the barriers, it would be helpful to let the air travel away but with the barrier it would make it much easier for the sickness to linger there.

I notice some stores I go into still have barriers at checkout. Most grocery stores still have them. Drugstores vary; some Walgreens and Rite Aids have barriers and others do not. Even World Market for some reason the one in Carson City still has barriers but the others do not. CVS don't, but some CVS never did have them at all.

I think this stuff in the bathrooms was to try and promote the six feet distancing thing between users.
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Re: Self Checkout - Home Depot vs Lowes

Post by ClownLoach »

storewanderer wrote: February 3rd, 2023, 2:47 pm For self checkout the barriers were just an awful thing. I can see how that would be very bad for airflow if multiple people were contained within said barrier (employee and customer...) and someone was sick, vs. if air was flowing without the barriers, it would be helpful to let the air travel away but with the barrier it would make it much easier for the sickness to linger there.

I notice some stores I go into still have barriers at checkout. Most grocery stores still have them. Drugstores vary; some Walgreens and Rite Aids have barriers and others do not. Even World Market for some reason the one in Carson City still has barriers but the others do not. CVS don't, but some CVS never did have them at all.

I think this stuff in the bathrooms was to try and promote the six feet distancing thing between users.
Still seeing a lot of stores that are leaving the restroom doors propped open for COVID ventilation. Target, Lowe's, Home Depot haven't gone back to closing the doors. Not pleasant to say the least if you walk by or are in the general area and hear what is going on in there... and if the restroom isn't adequately cleaned or has a plumbing issue then the situation is much worse.
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Re: Self Checkout - Home Depot vs Lowes

Post by storewanderer »

ClownLoach wrote: February 7th, 2023, 6:48 pm
storewanderer wrote: February 3rd, 2023, 2:47 pm For self checkout the barriers were just an awful thing. I can see how that would be very bad for airflow if multiple people were contained within said barrier (employee and customer...) and someone was sick, vs. if air was flowing without the barriers, it would be helpful to let the air travel away but with the barrier it would make it much easier for the sickness to linger there.

I notice some stores I go into still have barriers at checkout. Most grocery stores still have them. Drugstores vary; some Walgreens and Rite Aids have barriers and others do not. Even World Market for some reason the one in Carson City still has barriers but the others do not. CVS don't, but some CVS never did have them at all.

I think this stuff in the bathrooms was to try and promote the six feet distancing thing between users.
Still seeing a lot of stores that are leaving the restroom doors propped open for COVID ventilation. Target, Lowe's, Home Depot haven't gone back to closing the doors. Not pleasant to say the least if you walk by or are in the general area and hear what is going on in there... and if the restroom isn't adequately cleaned or has a plumbing issue then the situation is much worse.
Target never had the bathroom doors propped open up in Nevada or what I saw around Sacramento either. They also removed paper towels and only have air dryers (this happened during COVID, when COVID guidelines said to not run those air dryers). Home Depot and Lowes seem to usually have doorless bathrooms, but can't recall their doors being propped open.

I notice Petsmart locks its restrooms at all stores now at least around Reno/Sacramento. Some of these are really odd places to have a locked restroom where no other retailer for many miles has a locked restroom.
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Re: Self Checkout - Home Depot vs Lowes

Post by cjd »

Lowes here is doorless. For some reason Home Depot often has the mens room door propped open yet the womens never is that I have noticed. Sometimes the mens door is closed.
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