I was checking out some groceries today, and the person next to me was clearly doing something the machine didn't like.
"Please scan the item before putting it in the bagging area".
Over and over again. I started thinking about what an entirely bogus thing "self-checkout" is. It seems to have exactly zero benefits to the consumer. No bagger, no help if you're missing a price sticker, not even ample room to put your groceries while you scan. You're left with exactly one square foot of space to do this job.
Is it making groceries cheaper? After all now they don't have to staff as many cashiers now. Nope! Groceries are higher than they've ever been! All that delicious margin gets sent straight to our benefactors at the Kroger corporation. Where would we be without them!
Not to mention the thing is calling you a thief every five seconds. The ones by me even film you and if they feel you're swiping something, it will show a slow motion video of you in the act and it tells you to correct your mistake.
So it's work that I have to do. That nobody is getting paid for. And that is taking videos of your face and your behaviors. And it's constantly announcing that you're a bread thief to everyone in the store.
And for what? To increase unemployment of course! It's one of those things I can't believe collective society has taken sitting down. It's one of the most egregious examples of pure corporate greed at the expense of the consumer experience, all the while cutting swaths of entry level jobs.
At my local supermarket, I scan every product while I shop, then scan my phone at the self checkout terminal, and then walk out. The payment is via the app. My groceries are at this point either in the trolley, so that I can load them into my pannier bags on my bike, or if I came on foot, they're already in my backpack or in the shopping bags I brought with me.
So. Much. Better than queueing at a checkout counter and having someone scan my groceries and then having to handle them again.
How does this work with produce? It all needs to be weighed right?
There's a scale with a printer in the fruit and veg section. You weigh your produce and scan the barcode that comes out of the printer and stick it on.
Same with the Pfandautomat.
Now this is interesting. Based on your use of "trolley" I can assume you aren't from the US. Is there anything stopping you from throwing some extra items in the cart and walking out without scanning? I can't imagine this happening in the states unless they could ensure you pay every penny first.
U.S. definitely has that system. In the Boston area the stores called "Stop & Shop" have the handheld scanners. Or, you can use your phone. It's not 100% of their stores, but, most.
I personally like it. I usually have one canvas bag and buy no more than a handful of items.
I understand the complaints about self checkout and agree it's unfortunate that it cuts back on # of employees.
To each their own. Some folk prefer a bit of banter and the human touch.