hallelujah!!

Major grocer getting rid of self-checkout lanes
Albertsons will replace computers, wants more human contact


Albertsons LLC, which operates 217 stores in seven Western and Southern states, will eliminate all self-checkout lanes in the 100 stores that have them and will replace them with standard or express lanes, a spokeswoman said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43687085/ns/business-consumer_news/

when i'm getting just a couple of things, i kinda like the self-checkout lanes. -M

when i'm getting just a couple of things, i kinda like the self-checkout lanes. -M

...and, how!

I use self checkout when the mrs sends me on tampon runs

more human contact == less theft, or at least theft was the reason walmart listed for taking theirs out of a lot if not all stores

more human contact == less theft, or at least theft was the reason walmart listed for taking theirs out of a lot if not all stores

I wondered about that the other night. I made a run to WM @ NW Highway & Council to pick up a single item. That store has maybe a half-dozen self checkout isles, and not one was working. Ended up standing in the express line for 10 minutes.

So stupid of Albertsons to make this grave mistake. Thankfully Walmart is smart to keep it.

I've been in the West Side Walmart late at night when the only thing open were the self check out lanes.

So stupid of Albertsons to make this grave mistake. Thankfully Walmart is smart to keep it.

Thats odd everytime im in walmart the self checkout lanes are always closed.

Thats odd everytime im in walmart the self checkout lanes are always closed.

Well, I go to the #1 store in America and its in Del City. :-P

Well, I go to the #1 store in America and its in Del City. :-P

Please never use #1 and walmart together in the same sentence again please..........

Please never use #1 and walmart together in the same sentence again please..........

Sorry, babe....

Sid, you may not be aware that Pete has been working on an OKCTalk app for us mobile users to access. I'm still checking the Android Market for this, but it is not yet available. Once it is, I'm sure an announcement will be made. That way you can browse, read, and post on here while you wait in a long Walmart checkout lane. I think it will be a great idea to have a thread/topic such as "Walmart Checkout Lanes" where people can access here while they wait in line and post their current experience. Now, is this a great forum (copy KFOR's state quote) or what? :-)

Still waiting for this type of self checkout. Except it would cost a lot of jobs and it would cost a lot to tag everything with RFID chips.
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Pretty indifferent on this. Personally I like self checkout when the other lanes are all backed up or I'm just getting a couple things. However, when grocery shopping I always go to a checker - mainly because I also utilize coupons on everything I get so I like to make sure it is done right. :-)

Wal Mart has selectively eliminated self-checkouts at certain of its locations, primarily due to theft problems. The I-240 location was among the first, and that was the reason explained to me.

(Ref. Post #1) "Albertson's?" What is an Albertson's?? =)

(Ref. Post #11) "Please never use #1 and walmart together in the same sentence again please"..........

Excellent and reasonable request (based, I'm sure, on empirical evidence).
All those "in the know" know that Walmart is definitely ["Number Two"]...

Wal Mart has selectively eliminated self-checkouts at certain of its locations, primarily due to theft problems. The I-240 location was among the first, and that was the reason explained to me.

The west side Walmart in Stillwater built several years ago did not include self checkout lanes. So back then maybe Walmart's experience with self checkout lanes was already looking undesirable. The east side Wal-Mart still has them.

I like the self-checkout lanes and it's one of the reasons I always go to one grocery store even though there is another directly across the street.

They've also improved them enough that it's rare you have to seek assistance, so it's usually pretty speedy.


If grocery stores really want a more "human" experience for their customers, how about having people around that can actually help you find something? I love how the checkers always ask "did you find everything okay" when you are in the middle of checking out. I know they can send a runner to go get what you couldn't find but who wants to hold up the line?

It would be easy for them to develop smartphone apps that would allow you to do a quick search while in the store. I spent forever looking for pita chips a week ago and finally gave up. Even if you know where something is, they frequently move stuff anyway.

If you remember back when Albertson's was here. The self checkouts were out of service most of the time. I like how the Douglas Crest Store has theirs laid out. There is plenty of room to use them and they limit them to express check out only. Then again I will admit I like Crest all the way around because they make always make an effor to open more registers when they start getting busy no matter what time of day it is. I think having access to two Crest store is going to keep me living in Midwest City for a long time. I frequent the Reno store when I am in hurry or don't feel like spending forever in the store. The cashiers are always friendly and they always have sackers (that actually know how to SACK GROCERIES) on duty. I was a sacker in high school. Crest is one of the few stores that actually teaches their sackers how to do it. The cold stuff always goes together. You double bag the heavy stuff. You always keep the bread and eggs in seperate bags so they don't get crushed.

still waiting for this type of self checkout.

i was just thinking about this commercial the other day... great commercial. but, it doesn't look like the whole rfid thing is panning out. -M

The cashiers are always friendly and they always have sackers (that actually know how to SACK GROCERIES) on duty. I was a sacker in high school. Crest is one of the few stores that actually teaches their sackers how to do it. The cold stuff always goes together. You double bag the heavy stuff. You always keep the bread and eggs in seperate bags so they don't get crushed.

I don't know how common it is but that is exactly how the sackers do things at the Homeland that I normally shop at.

I don't know how common it is but that is exactly how the sackers do things at the Homeland that I normally shop at.

Homeland uses plastic bags. :-/ And I rarely see a "Sacker" at Homeland. Man, I loved being a Sacker at Crest. I still have customers approaching me randomly. lol

I shop at the Crest on 122nd and N Rockwell. One of the things I've always appreciated about that store is their employees "customer service". Most every checker and sacker is pleasant and helpful. Love the paper sacks too. Now, if they could just get some with handles.

Homeland uses plastic bags. :-/ And I rarely see a "Sacker" at Homeland. Man, I loved being a Sacker at Crest. I still have customers approaching me randomly. lol

My Homeland almost always has them on every open lane. Yeah the plastic sacks are terrible. They use to have the reusable shopping bags, but haven't seen those in ages. At least you can recycle the plastic bags at Walmart and Target.


I shop at the Crest on 122nd and N Rockwell. One of the things I've always appreciated about that store is their employees "customer service". Most every checker and sacker is pleasant and helpful. Love the paper sacks too. Now, if they could just get some with handles.

Went to a Crest for the first time recently and it was nice. Prices are pretty comparable to Homeland, sometimes much higher though when you take in the coupon doubling policy at Homeland compared to the lack of one at Crest. Most of the people seemed pleasant, but like with any business there were plenty that were obviously there for the pay check and it showed.

Only place I've seen paper sacks with handles is Braums.

Only place I've seen paper sacks with handles is Braums.

Crescent Market. . . .

The soon to open in OKC Sunflower Market sacks have handles.
Central Market down here does but HEB does not.

Trader Joe's has paper bags with handles as well.

Also, California came very close to banning plastic bags completely last year. The measure barely failed and I think it's only a matter of time before it's made into law.

Ah, they have very detailed maps but if they exposed those, it would allows smart folks to see how much marketing and vendor relations drives placement rather than convenience. People would start saying, "hey, I have been using your app. You know if you put the milk near the front where everyone goes, you would make folks' grocery shopping trips faster" and they would have the 'data' to back it up. Just saying...

Milk and eggs in the back works well, for the store, as you note. And, not so well for those shoppers with low resistance to impulse buying. Lawd love them, they do their part to spur on the economy.

I shop at the Crest on 122nd and N Rockwell. One of the things I've always appreciated about that store is their employees "customer service". Most every checker and sacker is pleasant and helpful. Love the paper sacks too. Now, if they could just get some with handles.

Send them an email,they might just start using that type of bag. http://crestfoodsok.com/store-6.html Crest is one of the few stores that will special order items and add features if enough customers request or if one customer's request is something they know other customers will love.

The self checkout registers have there pluses and minuses. Its slow when you are buying fruits and vegetables and have to stop and lookup up the items each time. Yes, I am the person in Oklahoma that buys fruits and vegetables. Have you ever tried to buy 10 packages of Kool-Aid at a self checkout register? They dont weigh enough to trip the sensor when you toss them in the bag, so you have to hit the skip bagging key each time. But its handy when you just have a few items with very readable bar codes and you are paying with a debit card.