With free returns from amazon, just order in about 3 different sizes and return what doesn't fit.
But yeah, i typically still go local for clothes for that reason as well.
Check-out Clerks; who needs them?
- Thread starter alaskaguy
- Start date
With free returns from amazon, just order in about 3 different sizes and return what doesn't fit.
But yeah, i typically still go local for clothes for that reason as well.
Fine, if they actually do reduce prices, but I am skeptical that the savings in labor will be passed on. Hy-Vee, for example, has self-checkout, but I do not notice their prices going any lower, whereas Fareway does not have self-checkout and in fact will even carry your groceries to your vehicle but has lower prices than Hy-Vee. Maybe my example is not typical, but I will remain skeptical until I see more concrete evidence that your claim is true; that is, I think the savings will be kept by the companies.
Brick and mortars are just showrooms for me for the most part. Clothes for example, go try them on, scan the bar code with your phone, go online and find the best price.
I find it funny anyone thinks the savings would be passed on to the customer when the article straight up says it's to save the company.
Just because they are eliminating the checkout counter, you will still have people to monitor the self check outs. What they are doing is eliminating the number of people at the counter, and there will still be places in the store where they will have registers such as the jewelry department.
Example, when HyVee put their first self checkout system in, it was determined that one person could monitor four self check out registers during busy times. Basically what JCP is doing is the same thing.
Example, when HyVee put their first self checkout system in, it was determined that one person could monitor four self check out registers during busy times. Basically what JCP is doing is the same thing.
Stores like Walmart are already bad enough at paying competitive wages and providing benefits to employees. Self check lanes are doing two things I don't like. They are allowing the retailers to staff less employees while at the same time getting me to do the work for free. I'm essentially paying the store to do the work they used to pay someone else to do.
The only way self check would be more equitable is if there some discount or price reduction passed on to consumers using it, since we are saving the company money by doing so.
The only way self check would be more equitable is if there some discount or price reduction passed on to consumers using it, since we are saving the company money by doing so.
My claim is a basic economic principle. On an individual basis, I have no idea how JC Penny will use their savings so that's not my point.
But in the overall retail clothing sector, the companies that innovate, can either bring more money to the bottom line, or they can pass the cost savings on to consumers, or more likely both.
You can't really put much stock into your Hy-Vee/Fairway anecdote, because there are way too many other factors to look at in food prices. Input costs due to rising commodity pricing over the past few years will result in higher food prices regardless, so it won't appear to have a lowering effect anyway. Not to mention that Hy-Vee and Fairway are so different from one another. I'm sure if you look at their demographics, marketing strategies, products offered, type of locations they tend to build at, they are totally different.
In the scheme of things, Hy-Vee is expanding much more rapidly not only in Iowa but also nearby states. I would say that Hy-Vee's usually have double the square footage as the average Fairway and so on and so forth.
Also, if only 3% of their (I just made this number up) of their transactions are done with the automated system the savings won't be significant. But 20 years from now maybe 90% of transactions will be done that way at grocery stores and in that scenario labor costs would be far different in a store that uses automation compared with one that doesn't.
The beautiful thing about our country is that you don't have to shop at Wal-Mart or any retailer that tries to reduce labor costs. Wal-Mart has a business model that is built on providing the lowest possible prices so it's silly to say they aren't "equitable" with their prices.
The retail sector has dollar stores and Wal-Mart on one end of the spectrum and Sak's and Nordstom on the other end (and everywhere else in between).
If you were so inclined, I have no doubt there are clothing stores that allow very wealthy clientele to shop with their own, highly paid, associate, but the labor costs are built into their pricing structure.
We all get to vote for which model appeals to us on a daily basis.
There is no question that this is the wave of the future. You will see self check-outs everywhere in the next 10-15 years.
For now, though, there is still enough people that demand the human interaction that you only get with a checker. Not all people are disassociated with their fellow human beings, YET, that they can go through their existence with no contact with their fellow humans.
In 20 years that group will be gone, and the masses will be desensitized enough that any interaction will be unnecessary as they shop for jeans.
For now, though, there is still enough people that demand the human interaction that you only get with a checker. Not all people are disassociated with their fellow human beings, YET, that they can go through their existence with no contact with their fellow humans.
In 20 years that group will be gone, and the masses will be desensitized enough that any interaction will be unnecessary as they shop for jeans.
With RFID technology, there are no traditional self-checkout stations. You don't take products out of your cart/basket and scan them individually like you do with bar code scanners. With the right readers, you can just leave everything in your cart and walk through scanners at the doors (like the security gates you see now) and have everything charged to either a store credit card or a standard debit/credit card on file with the store. Just take everything to the car, load up, return the cart to the corrall, and you're on your way.
And others would say that if it weren't for chick-fil-a, there wouldn't be any reason to step foot in that mall. Horay for Lindale chick-fil-a!
What do the stores that have stopped using their self checkout lanes have to say about it ?
One of the Kmarts in the Des Moines area stopped using their self checkout lanes a couple of years ago.
I dont think the Altoona Wal-Mart has its self checkout lanes in operation anymore.
In some cases, I like the self checkout. It is generally much faster if I'm buying just a couple of things that will scan well. If I have more than a few things, I generally need the clerk to defeat some alarm that goes off (it thinks I didnt bag someething or took too long).
I would imagine these are security nightmares. Buy 2 packs of something but only scan one. No one will ever ask to see ID. You dont have to hand a stolen credit card to anyone.
On the plus side, no one will ask me when they are done scanning my stuff if I found everything I was looking for.
One of the Kmarts in the Des Moines area stopped using their self checkout lanes a couple of years ago.
I dont think the Altoona Wal-Mart has its self checkout lanes in operation anymore.
In some cases, I like the self checkout. It is generally much faster if I'm buying just a couple of things that will scan well. If I have more than a few things, I generally need the clerk to defeat some alarm that goes off (it thinks I didnt bag someething or took too long).
I would imagine these are security nightmares. Buy 2 packs of something but only scan one. No one will ever ask to see ID. You dont have to hand a stolen credit card to anyone.
On the plus side, no one will ask me when they are done scanning my stuff if I found everything I was looking for.
The sears i go to doesnt have checkout clerks in most of the depts. the sales reps just use a scan gun and you pay them directly. I needed the sales rep to help explain certain items, but i guess i can just google stuff, so get rid of everybody in every company, and we can all be homeless.
Honestly, I haven't every really been a fan of JCP since I was a kid. That being said, I went there yesterday and found the pricing scheme incredibly refreshing. I like the fact that if I need a pair of jeans or something, I can go there and not have to worry about getting the sale price.
Not sure if it'll work in the long run because a lot of the mall shoppers are coupon driven women, but for men like me this is a great system...
Not sure if it'll work in the long run because a lot of the mall shoppers are coupon driven women, but for men like me this is a great system...
Without a change in leadership, J.C. Penney, will not exist in 5 years. It is sad but their management is truly clueless.
Westdale is just a ghost town anyway, only barely propped up by all the government offices that went out there. It's not even half empty, more like 80% empty.
The Walmart by me removed their self checkout lanes. I rarely venture into Walmart and that gives me even more reason to stay away.
The self checkout in the grocery store is great if you have a few items. What I hate is when they are manned by someone 18 or younger and they have to call over a 19 year old to say that it is ok for a 54 year old to buy beer.
only use JCP for the stupid knick knack junk on the shelves for like mini golf sets or shoe polishers
some of those things are pretty sweet until they break on the 3rd use
some of those things are pretty sweet until they break on the 3rd use
