There was a time when Target differentiated itself from Wal*Mart with their checkout lines. No More!

[TheBlackAdder]

.

The Targets in NJ are starting to adopt Wal*Mart's forced self-checkout philosophy.

There were two registers open and 4-5 self-checkout registers.

The line was between 15-20 minutes just to buy stuff. I needed to pick up one thing for my daughter, waited for a second, and wondered if they are still running two lines, one for a staffed checkout and one for self-checkout. Well, I was wrong. It was one long ass line and the people in the front were saying 15-20 mins. I said, excuse me, as I walked to the idle register, placed the product I was going to buy onto the conveyor and left the store.

I call this a cargo drop. Not the worst I've done. That goes to Lowe's when shutdown every register and forced everyone to do self checkout. I drove and worked over 12 hours, spent 1 hour shopping and had almost a hundred items and at that point overspent. I asked them to open a register and they refused. I up and walked out the door. They said, "Hey, where are you going?" to which I retorted home. I'm not going to spending another 30 minutes checking out. I still had to load and unload the minivan. I was all over the store too, with a packed cart and a lumber cart. I went back there a month later and they had staffed checkouts.

Oh, this shit with Target has been going off and on for a while, but the lines were not that long. I guess they're trying to slowly ween people into the self-checkout paradigm.

.

[PJMcK]

1. Self check out doesn't save anyone's time

Last edited Sun Jan 29, 2023, 11:09 AM - Edit history (1)

It does, however, save money for the store.

Every time— I’m not exaggerating— I’ve used a self check out lane in these types of stores, something I’m buying requires a sales agent to clear the purchase (like alcohol or other over-21 purchases) or the equipment isn’t working properly. The result is that lines back up because there are only one or two agents.

It’s one of the many reasons Walmart, etc. no longer get our business. My time and sanity (not to mention my ethics) mean more to me than saving money on mediocrity.

It’s yet another way the corporations are squeezing the non-oligarch Americans through our money and our time!

[Kaleva]

8. It saves me time and I use it whenever I can.

Regardless of the store.

It's like I much prefer going to a self service gas station then a a full service one or one where the pumps don't take cards and you have to go into the station to pay for the gas.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

28. Same

I’ll choose self checkout every time.

[BlackSkimmer]

29. Same here. And the extensive conversations I've had with those who work in these stores shows plenty

of support for the self-checkout aisles. The employees don't mind them.

[MiniMe]

21. I'm really surprised that you can buy liquor at a self checkout

If I was underage, that's the store I would go to.

[Luciferous]

25. An employee still has to come check your ID

[BlackSkimmer]

30. No, the register flags the item and an employee has to come override the system after checking.

No one is buying booze underage.

[ProfessorGAC]

33. Confirming!

I but 3 different brands of zero beer. The highest of these has 400ppm alcohol, so TWENTY SIXPACKS equal one beer. Another is so low it takes 200 beers to equal one regular beer.
The system even flags those.
Weird thing is, though, I saw someone buying Holland House cooking wine (12% alcohol) & it wasn't flagged. I never use that because I go by the experts' rule of "if you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it". But, I thought it odd that the beer I'm buying can't be used to get a buzz and it's flagged while that wine is.

[PJMcK]

35. I'm 64 and I had to show ID for a six-pack

On a trip, Walmart was the only option. I think it was in NC. I was buying six or seven items including the beer. The line had five people behind me when it was finally my turn. The beer froze the register for authorization. It took nearly ten minutes for the sales agent to show up, scan my license and clear the register. By then the line had eight folks behind me and the next lady had two bottles of wine so it was going to happen again.

Pathetic. It’s another reason I’ll avoid these stores.

[lpbk2713]

2. Whenever I go to Lowe's I always check out through the Garden Shop.

I am not one of their employees. And I don't get a discount
for checking and bagging. So screw Lowe's management.

[AllaN01Bear]

6. i used to do that at our local walmart but the wm here closed the lanes down.

[live love laugh]

3. Same thing in Chicago... probably everywhere by now.

[Mosby]

4. That's really rude what you did at Lowe's

You know employees, who have nothing to do with staffing at the registers, have to put back all the crap you left in your cart. They will do that instead of helping customers and maybe running a register. What you did was selfish and inconsiderate.

[TigressDem]

10. I am not sure you are reading the post that you replied to correctly.

The person indicated they go to the Garden Center so they get a human to check them out.

Ergo no crap to put away. Simply rung up.

The OP mentioned ditching the merchandise and leaving.


FYI.

[GusBob]

13. The poster is replying to the OP

Not post 2 by someone else

[TigressDem]

19. Not sure. The OP is talking about Target and subject line says Lowes.

Seems was responding to OP like you said, but saw Lowes in the post above and just confused the two.

Anyway. Was just a clarification of which happened where.

God knows I've been confused on DU occasionally.

People help me out and I like to return the favor.

[ProfessorGAC]

34. The OP Mentions Lowe's Too

About leaving 2 full carts because the line was too long. Around the 3rd paragraph.

[TigressDem]

38. Ahhh. Now I get it.

That's what I get for multi tasking.
Thanks.

[ProfessorGAC]

41. That'll Teach Ya....

...for being industrious!
I'm retired. I don't multitask anymore. I do one thing at a time. For a few minutes each. Then, it's break time again!

[TigressDem]

42. Riiight?

I'm having a heck of a time surviving my "reich wing son's" rants and I have to do several things at once sometimes to purge my brain of grief and fear. Grief that the person I knew is no longer residing in his skin and fear that he will never return to reality.

So I play solitaire or mahjong while watching Beau of the Fifth Column or Legal AF or another Meidas Touch update while also checking posts here. After a bit of that my head stops threatening to explode. Then I watch music videos and/or acappella reaction videos to calm the rest of the way down so I can actually sleep.

[ProfessorGAC]

43. Acapella Reaction Videos

I didn't know that was a thing until I read your reply.
I checked one out of guys doing Nothing Else Matters by Metallica.
Those are fun!

[TigressDem]

44. Here's another fun one

[ProfessorGAC]

46. Yep! That Was Fun. (nt)

[GusBob]

11. 'Tis a consumer issue to be sure

I mean the poster indicated he spent an hour of his time collecting cargo he indicated couldn’t pay the freight for. And he seems to make a habit of this?

Yes no wonder there are no cashiers, the employees are busy restocking!

[PortTack]

5. I'll give target a big pass ...they announced pay will go from $20 to $24. Pretty darn good

[GusBob]

7. A hundred items! Holy crap

Question: did it take longer than 30 mins to acquire the items elsewhere afterwards?

I mean even with Amazon Prime it would be a tad longer no?

These first world problem threads make me laugh

[BlackSkimmer]

31. A hundred items, wow!

I love to shop, but I don't think I've every checked out with that many items lol!

[HAB911]

9. No discount, no self check out

[Karma13612]

12. It must be different in less populated areas.

I’ve had great experiences at the self-checkouts. Yes, sometimes the line has 3-4 people in line, so I’ll then go to a staffed check out. But overall, I like being able to make sure everything is scanned properly. When I go thru a staffed lane, they mis-identify the produce and don’t bother to make eye contact and are slower. I have done the self check out so often that I am now faster than the cashiers are. My time is valuable and I know what I’m doing.

My feeling is that the store managers should re-assign the available cashiers to be clerks scattered throughout the store. Be available to help customers find stuff. At nearly 69 years old, I remember the days when there were actually store clerks available to help you find stuff. WalMart is forever moving their stuff around and I put on hundreds of steps trying to get all the stuff I need.

I know my opinion is not popular, but I love the self-checkouts. And I’m the first to admit I was scared of them initially. But I plunged ahead and found out it was fun! Yes, we have to wait to buy wine, but that only happens every couple weeks. And the odd item that doesn’t want to scan, there is usually a monitor around pretty quickly.

Please be gentle with your criticisms. Thank you.

[madinmaryland]

22. Thank you..

Self check-out is not evil.

[Kaleva]

27. Many people find self checkout to be more convenient.

[GusBob]

36. Less populated areas

The nearest Target is over 100 miles away from us, WM is over 30

That’s what makes me laugh. People have these amenities easily at hand and complain about them.

A trip to town is a once a week event, better not forget the vanilla or no cookies! The check-out lines are like living chat rooms, everyone knows each other or at least recognizes someone else and is sharing news and stories

I’m jealous of you, I stink at self check out from lack of practice I reckon

[Karma13612]

40. 😀

Where we live in NY-21, our closest large enuf town to support a regular full size food store is 20 miles away. We live in the Adirondacks. The closest Target is just under two hours away.

We get in to our closest town about once a week. We hit all the stores as if we’re stocking up for an impending snow storm. Down here in North Carolina on the coast, the Dollar General stores actually have fresh produce to help in a pinch! That’s within a miles of us! Walking distance! And the funny thing is, we still have two full size food stores just 15 minutes away!

WISH Dollar General would offer produce in their stores in NNY. So, yea, I know about needing to make due until the next food run.!!

I think some critics of Self-check out don’t realize that WITHOUT them, there might not be enuf cashiers to handle the shopper volume. We had a chance to talk with a staff member in a NNY Walmart and they said they struggle to fill their cashier positions. So, thank heavens for self-check out lanes!

[LostOne4Ever]

14. Corporations will use any excuse to replace people

They dream of the day when they can replace everyone with machines.

[Bluethroughu]

15. That's a great idea...

Go to a checker if the lines to long, ask management to open a register and if they won't say...
Thanks but no thanks and leave without buying anything.

[Luciferous]

16. Went into Target earlier today and there were no cashiers. The line was all the

way to the cosmetics section. I turned around and walked out.

[TheBlackAdder]

17. Same with me. I was just buying deodorant and I would have waited 15-20mins to get to a register.

.

But, it all worked out in the end.

While the deodorant was a couple of bucks cheaper than CVS, I had a couple Extra Bucks and CVS coupons which brought it down to below Target and I was in and out of CVS in 3 mins.

If I had time to kill, I might have waited in line, but this was one of a half-dozen stops I had to make in an hour. When the people in line said how long the line was, you could tell that they didn't realize it and the longer they waited, the more they had invested in waiting more.

.

[Doodley]

18. It's a lack of respect for the customer, especially when there are employees standing around doing

very little.

[sarcasmo]

20. Does Target offer pickup?

[TheBlackAdder]

23. They do, and there were at least 10 people stacked in the queue there.

[sarcasmo]

24. That Target's front end manager should be fired.

[Kaleva]

26. At my local Target, one waits in designated parking spots for pickup

Walmart has the same setup.

[BlackSkimmer]

32. Yeah, it usually works pretty well.

I always find the employees to be friendly and helpful. There are occasional waits, but they're very apologetic.

I try not to be in a huge hurry when going shopping; good for the blood pressure.

Do the folks who find self-checkouts to be so evil make sure they go to the teller at a bank? Find a full-service gas station?

[TigressDem]

39. Yep. Drive Up.

Order online.
Get a text when it's ready.
Go to the store parking lot.
Park in a drive up spot.
Text that you have arrived.
And indicate parking spot number.
It gets brought out to the car.

I've used it a few times.
It worked fine.

[JCMach1]

37. Target here in North Texas always has less checkers than Walmart

One reason I rarely shop there.

[marmar]

45. The Target I go to most frequently here in the Detroit area.....

..... always opens up staffed lines when backups start at self-checkout.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

47. ... I chose to use the one staffed register...the person expressed surprise "you don't want to check

out yourself"?? subtle shaming?

[JI7]

48. The problem may be they don't have enough emolyees

A lot of these retail and fsst food and similar places are looking to hire people.