Hotscot

And that's if they can find it...

Giantaxe

Amazon has two "Amazon Go" stores in downtown San Francisco. I like them, but predictably San Francisco is threatening to close them on the basis they discriminate against those that can't qualify for credit cards.

Hotscot

Perhaps they will be forced to have one minimal wage employee on a single checkout.
Join the queue...
Cash will eventually disappear.
Panhandlers will have Square accounts.

Perhaps barter will resurge. (To which I don't object. Keeps the Man out.)

Pulaski

Right, so capital and management time wasn't available to properly support the expansion into the US market.

In reality there are a number of cases of food retailers trying to enter another market and ultimately failing - Carrefour trying the UK, Walmart trying Germany and the UK, Safeway trying the UK, Sainsbury's trying the US (Giant, DC area) are some that spring to mind.

SpoogleDrummer

They've had it for a few years, I've got receipts on my phone from 2016 so I assume it's here to stay. You just have to show your phone on the way out just like you would the receipt, they scan it and are supposed to check to make sure you haven't nicked anything but they pretty much just wave me by all the time now.

lizzyq

The majority of the time I use the self checkouts in our Wegman's unless I know I have more than the item limit, which is rare. I do usually get "a have a nice day" type interaction as I leave, or a compliment on that day's qwertee shirt from one of the minders, but I don't object as it doesn't add significantly, if at all, to my shopping time. Mid to late August can be a bad time to use the self checkouts for us as that is when we get the influx of freshman college students who have no idea how to buy groceries on their own! Manned checkouts are for the big shop at Christmas or if I am helping cater an event and have a large quantity of stuff, even then I try to use one with a high school student that I know through on of my sons as at least that way any social interaction is slightly more meaningful.

Hotscot

Qwertee

scrubbedexpat091

I wish grocery stores here would embrace technology a bit more, I would love to have the ability to scan each items while shopping and then pay with a credit or debit at the end and bypass cashiers.

The local store we frequent the most due to location doesn't even use self check out, and lucky if they have more then 1-2 lines open at any given time.

And then the stores with self check out tend to limit to 15 items or less.

Still do need cashiers though for those times there is no money on debit card and I have to use cash, so not ready for 100% cashless.

Hotscot

It's an evolution.
But I think we'll need have guaranteed minimum income or whatever it's called, to get there..

Maybe Thanos was right.

Pulaski

But do they enforce the item limit? ….. BJ's has two types of self scan - one of which uses a handheld scanner, like a small hairdryer, and it is much more convenient than taking everything out of the trolley and passing it over the scanner and onto the conveyor belt; as I shop I just place things in the trolley with the bar code up/ showing. …. It says "up to 10 items", but I have used it for as many as 20 items with no issues at all.

Hotscot

Yes, I've never noticed self checkouts to have a limit. Only the manned personed ones.
It does seem to be a suggestion...

lizzyq

No they don't enforce the limit, but as I get extremely frustrated by people that take a full trolley through it I try not to inflict that behaviour on others. I do wish the screen would tell you how many items you have scanned so that those who can't estimate the number of items they have might get the idea that they have overdone it! I am sure you are a fast and efficient scanner and packer and your 20 items take less time to process than the average person's 10.

Pulaski

It's almost always quiet when I am in BJ's - I usually have a choice of self scan locations and no queue, so how long I take really isn't an issue, but yes, I am the master of the quick scan - Kroger, BJ's, Lowes, anywhere and everywhere. I discovered long ago that it is quicker to swipe/insert my credit card before pressing the "pay now" button on the screen - as often as not the card reader has already processed my payment when the voice tells me to swipe/insert my credit card!

Boomhauer

With Walgreens it is the convenience factor of parking right next to the door, and since the store is small there isn't much walking required, plus no big lines at counter. Walgreens also is primarily a place people go for their medications .

Pulaski

So basically the same retail "concept" as F&E, except without the pharmaceuticals.