Poll:
Do you use self-checkout at the grocery store?
PORTLAND - Some Northwest stores are changing up the way they do self-checkouts.
For retailers, self-checkouts are all about getting you in the door to stay as long as you want. But, when it's time to check out, they want you out the door as fast as you can.
"Well sometimes, it depends if people know whether they're doing or not. It took me a while to figure it all out, now I can go a lot faster," shopper Debbie Lewellen said.
The self-checkout concept started in 1992 in a small town in New York. It became widespread across the country in 2003 in answer to shoppers wanting a quicker exit. The concept spread to other big box retailers and home improvement stores including Home Depot.
At Fred Meyer stores, more self-scanners will be added, along with a new concept from Europe. The Euro-style stations are smaller units. In the space it takes for one conventional checkout, there are three 12 item express stations.
"They can get those orders processed faster than someone who's going through UScan, because of the limitation as far as the number of items you can have," said Amanda Ip, spokesperson for Fred Meyer stores.
Fred Meyer will add the new Euro-style to its new and remodeled stores. Other companies are testing hand-held scanners which could check out shoppers while they are shopping.
The experiment is over for some stores. A chain of Albertsons LLC stores will remove the self-serve scanners from its grocery outlets in eight states. Albertsons LLC does not own any stores in the Northwest.
However, Albertsons stores owned by Supervalu, a separate corporate entity, will continue self-checkout operations, store officials said. This will include the stores it owns and operates in Oregon, Washington state, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Southern California and Utah.
Other retailers are rethinking the efficiency of the self-checkout. Costco is cautiously considering them at its stores and will not add them to any of the chains high volume outlets.
For some stores, the self-checkout is not part of the business plan. At Bales Marketplace in Aloha, the owners prefer to keep service on a more personal level.
"We'd rather keep people employed, than have machines doing that work," said Al Best, assistant store manager.
