Target Rolls 10 item "Express Self Checkout" Nationwide

[storewanderer]

Probably ran out of money gutting the mess inside and couldn't afford to fix the outside. They don't seem to have a "signature" exterior design. They just take what is there.

That is fair. Anyway I am pretty sure that store had the new prototype. But it doesn't seem to have it anymore. So I guess I did see that prototype.

[ClownLoach]

Probably ran out of money gutting the mess inside and couldn't afford to fix the outside. They don't seem to have a "signature" exterior design. They just take what is there.

That is fair. Anyway I am pretty sure that store had the new prototype. But it doesn't seem to have it anymore. So I guess I did see that prototype.

I looked at the pictures and there are a few signage artifacts left, so it did open with the fancy new prototype but then they removed everything like the others. They don't have very consistent formats from store to store, so having a prototype was probably a good idea but not one that couldn't be operated profitably.

I think when Cornell went to Sam's next he tried to make the stores attract more Walmart customers. Sam's was much more business oriented than Costco at the time. So they started bringing in lower end items and doing the super discount membership. Basically the same thing that did in BB&B, lowering the quality in hopes that increased traffic offsets the lower prices. We all know how that worked, basically a lost decade for Sam's with store closures and lost members while Costco basically doubled their footprint.

Now we have Cornell ruining the culture of strong operations, fast service, and consistency at Target. Worse, they lean into distractions and announce them publicly such as very strong D&I programs which ordinarily would be fine but not when the customer sees that you're more focused on a single new product line or commercials than getting the shelves full, cleaning the store, and staffing the checkouts. To many it looks like Target gave up one for the other, and worse they relaxed accountability the same time they raised wages while Walmart did the opposite by every indication. Funny that Walmart has strong D&I programs but they're not becoming the butt of jokes and criticism from one end of the political spectrum, probably because of the otherwise competent operations.

I am convinced basket size is way down at Target. For a short time I think it was fine as their open banks of self checkouts made it easy to run in and get a few last minute items for less than the supermarket prices. Those additional shops were incremental extra sales which are now at risk due to the incompetence of Cornell and his team in handling shrink issues. Now I have to believe on top of self checkout, basket size must be down due to store execution driven out-of-stocks (wrong inventory count, recovery issue, etc.-nearly 100% of the time it's available at the other store across town). Pricing errors are far too common as they struggle to execute markups and markdowns. Clothing is always a disaster area with bad sizing and poor recovery, and there are still numerous stores that haven't reopened fitting rooms with the same lazy old COVID signs up from 4 years ago. If you want to be Costco or Sam's and say "just return it" then at least don't be lazy and demolish the rooms or wall them off, but for several stores I can name to have actually remodeled the fitting rooms but not reopened them? That is unacceptable. And let's not forget the cornerstone of Cornell, the small format Target... How many have closed now, been taken out of development, or worse are sitting there paid for and never to open (in a luxe high rise in Downtown San Diego)? If he thinks he saved the company by getting out of some low rent Zellers in Canada, how many high rent small formats has he wasted in the US?

I think they've added about $40B a year in sales under the Cornell era, and most of that is due to the ongoing collapse of malls and inflation. I have a strong opinion that the inconsistent operations and store conditions may be costing them billions per year in lost sales and additional shrink (because we all know that messy, disorganized stores are also higher shrink as they broadcast to thieves "We Don't Care Here!"). A good ex-Walmart exec could probably get those stores into shape and squeeze billions out of them without spending a penny on increased anything, just through fixing the leadership culture and reestablishing standards with accountability. Target needs a new CEO, and all that is my case that their problems do indeed stop at his desk.

Back to the thread topic after all the distraction.

[storewanderer]

Now we have Cornell ruining the culture of strong operations, fast service, and consistency at Target. Worse, they lean into distractions and announce them publicly such as very strong D&I programs which ordinarily would be fine but not when the customer sees that you're more focused on a single new product line or commercials than getting the shelves full, cleaning the store, and staffing the checkouts. To many it looks like Target gave up one for the other, and worse they relaxed accountability the same time they raised wages while Walmart did the opposite by every indication. Funny that Walmart has strong D&I programs but they're not becoming the butt of jokes and criticism from one end of the political spectrum, probably because of the otherwise competent operations.

I am convinced basket size is way down at Target. For a short time I think it was fine as their open banks of self checkouts made it easy to run in and get a few last minute items for less than the supermarket prices. Those additional shops were incremental extra sales which are now at risk due to the incompetence of Cornell and his team in handling shrink issues. Now I have to believe on top of self checkout, basket size must be down due to store execution driven out-of-stocks (wrong inventory count, recovery issue, etc.-nearly 100% of the time it's available at the other store across town). Pricing errors are far too common as they struggle to execute markups and markdowns. Clothing is always a disaster area with bad sizing and poor recovery, and there are still numerous stores that haven't reopened fitting rooms with the same lazy old COVID signs up from 4 years ago. If you want to be Costco or Sam's and say "just return it" then at least don't be lazy and demolish the rooms or wall them off, but for several stores I can name to have actually remodeled the fitting rooms but not reopened them? That is unacceptable. And let's not forget the cornerstone of Cornell, the small format Target... How many have closed now, been taken out of development, or worse are sitting there paid for and never to open (in a luxe high rise in Downtown San Diego)? If he thinks he saved the company by getting out of some low rent Zellers in Canada, how many high rent small formats has he wasted in the US?

I think they've added about $40B a year in sales under the Cornell era, and most of that is due to the ongoing collapse of malls and inflation. I have a strong opinion that the inconsistent operations and store conditions may be costing them billions per year in lost sales and additional shrink (because we all know that messy, disorganized stores are also higher shrink as they broadcast to thieves "We Don't Care Here!"). A good ex-Walmart exec could probably get those stores into shape and squeeze billions out of them without spending a penny on increased anything, just through fixing the leadership culture and reestablishing standards with accountability. Target needs a new CEO, and all that is my case that their problems do indeed stop at his desk.

Back to the thread topic after all the distraction.

I am sure someone convinced the CEO that through heavy focus groups and other surveys, the "core customer" wanted to hear about the D&I programs and hearing about those things would make them shop Target more and make them feel better about shopping Target. And that may be the case.

The problem comes when those programs get exposed with a company that struggles with basic Retail 101. At that point people start to get frustrated and annoyed. It isn't the D&I program itself that is annoying people, it is the fact that the store has issues and rather than basic store operations getting addressed it appears the company has decided to focus on D&I programs instead.

Target had heavy D&I type programs for many years and back when the stores were fine I didn't hear much complaining about any of it.

Still have the open banks of self checkouts in Reno... and Sparks...

Some Wal Mart Stores in the area are still doing screwy things with self checkout; one that was really messed up got a new manager and it was fixed immediately on the new manager's second day in the store- all self checkouts reopened. There are still two others that are very screwed up.

Dollar General has entirely disabled self checkout. They did software updates to kill it. Many of these only have one checkstand. I will no longer be bothering with busier stores in that chain due to this. In the busier stores having only one register is a complete joke. In less busy stores it doesn't matter as much. But even then it does. I went into one last week in one of those population 1,000 rural NorCal towns and the customer in front of me decided her laundry soap was supposed to be "10% off." It is very difficult to perform a price override at Dollar General. However the employee offered to do a price check. They disappeared for a few minutes and came back and no price override occurred and the customer paid the scanning price. The customer then kept trying to swipe a Chip card, then when the cashier said insert the chip ended up taking it out too soon... big mess. Eventually I paid and left. I would have been 5 miles down the road if self checkout was still there.

[HCal]

Walmart has upgraded employee quality but also established pride in the workplace.

My Walmart stores must be very different from yours, because Walmart is the last place I see employees with any pride in the workplace. They seem to be bitter, overworked and frustrated. I'm glad this isn't universal though.

[storewanderer]

Walmart has upgraded employee quality but also established pride in the workplace.

My Walmart stores must be very different from yours, because Walmart is the last place I see employees with any pride in the workplace. They seem to be bitter, overworked and frustrated. I'm glad this isn't universal though.

Not seeing much of that in my area. I still see some indifference but they don't seem overworked. Quite a few retail employees seem frustrated at various retailers- being so many retail stores seem poorly managed and add to it most of the employees are part time and many work multiple jobs I understand the frustration.

I don't want to make any specific comments that may come off as offensive but all I have to do is look at Wal Mart employees today vs. Wal Mart employees 5-10 years ago to see there have been some major improvements made and it is clearly reflected by the higher wage. It appears to me the benefit program has improved and/or more employees are taking advantage of things like medical and dental benefits than before. However I am aware there is still a very large portion of Wal Mart employees without employer provided insurances, they are one of the largest employers in my state of Medicaid enrolled individuals. Along with the State itself, some unionized casinos and other retailers, including one mostly unionized grocery chain. https://nevadacurrent.com/2024/01/24/am ... -medicaid/
Wal Mart has about 16k employees in Nevada and Amazon has about 21k employees in Nevada, for context. So Wal Mart has about 30% of its employees in Medicaid and Amazon 36%... in Nevada... Given typical retailers seem to like to be 70%+ part time (meaning no benefits...) it seems to me Wal Mart's percentage, for retail, isn't so bad... yes it is a high percentage but for the retail industry this is a lot lower than a typical retailer.

Target employees on the other hand - what has happened... really do not have the professional and uniform look they once had.