Walmart experiments with cashierless checkout at Arkansas store location

[Polycount]

In context: Although the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted just about every industry in some way, larger grocery chains like Target and Walmart have weathered the storm better than others. After all, virus or no virus, everyone needs to buy food sooner or later.

Since these stores are still seeing plenty of foot traffic, many have taken steps to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. Some of these steps include mandatory face mask policies for workers and customers, installing cash register barriers, and placing social distancing-oriented floor markers.

Those measures aren't good enough for Walmart, though. To reduce human contact and speed up checkout times, the nationwide grocery chain will be transitioning to a cashierless checkout system at one of its locations in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The Fayetteville store will require customers to handle purchases and payments themselves, but employees don't have to worry about being out of a job (for now). Self-checkout systems are notoriously unreliable, and Walmart will still need workers on hand to assist customers during the process.

If this experiment proves successful, the company may consider expanding it to other Walmart locations throughout the US.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/85680-walmart-experiments-cashier-free-checkout-arkansas.html

 

[psycros]

But...almost every Wal-Mart already has self-checkout. So its news that at least one store actually *didn't*? Wow.

 

[yRaz]

But...almost every Wal-Mart already has self-checkout. So its news that at least one store actually *didn't*? Wow.

The catch is they just have more people checking your receipt as you leave the store

 

[scavengerspc]

But...almost every Wal-Mart already has self-checkout. So its news that at least one store actually *didn't*? Wow.

Exactly what I was going to say. I used self-checkout years ago at the Butler Pa Walmart.
Maybe they are going completely self-checkout with no cashiers at all?

 

[Uncle Al]

We had a serious altercation at one of our Walmart stores when the person at the door attempted to hold back a person because they didn't want to be bothered with the receipt check. Since the woman actually put her hands on the shopper she was arrested and charged with assault. With these self-checkouts it's easy to miss something or for those more gamy, easy to not pay for items. Stores that are doing this could be taking some serious risks although I have yet to read about any serious court cases ......

 

[Evernessince]

But...almost every Wal-Mart already has self-checkout. So its news that at least one store actually *didn't*? Wow.

The news is that the store ONLY has cashier-less checkout.

 

[p51d007]

I think Wally world was wanting to do this from the start, or why would they have put self checkout in, in the first place. But, they were taking some heat for taking away positions. Now they are using the Rona virus as an excuse to get rid of them.
Personally, I like them because I bag the stuff how I want, and end up with LESS plastic bags than I did before.

 

[PEnnn]

But...almost every Wal-Mart already has self-checkout. So its news that at least one store actually *didn't*? Wow.

Read the article again. Slowly this time.

 

[Homerlovesbeer]

I wonder if the checkouts will secretly film you like they do at Woolworths here in Australia?

 

[EClyde]

Self Checkout was the way to go before the virus. I didn't want my junk touched by the cashier that had touched everyone else's junk

 

[EClyde]

I wonder if the checkouts will secretly film you like they do at Woolworths here in Australia?

It's not a secret

 

[Homerlovesbeer]

It's not a secret

Funny....no signs saying you are being recorded, the recording screen is a tiny blurry box at the top right of the touchscreen and up until 2 weeks ago nobody had a clue.

 

[drjekelmrhyde]

You're still touching something that many people that already touched that day/hour. I doubt they will have employees wiping these down every few minutes.

 

[wiyosaya]

Exactly what I was going to say. I used self-checkout years ago at the Butler Pa Walmart.
Maybe they are going completely self-checkout with no cashiers at all?

That's what I get from the article. This store goes completely self-checkout as an experiment. If it works, they consider going completely self-checkout at all their other stores.

Personally, I prefer the self-checkouts. They are faster than the ones with the cashiers.

You're still touching something that many people that already touched that day/hour. I doubt they will have employees wiping these down every few minutes.

Why wouldn't they? There are other stores in my area, particularly, Lowe's, that are wiping down their self-checkouts after every customer.

 

[toooooot]

Self Checkout was the way to go before the virus. I didn't want my junk touched by the cashier that had touched everyone else's junk

people pick up items from the shelves ALWAYS to check them out. You d have to get the furthest item on the shelf to avoid it. And even then, at the end of the day, workers might reorganize items touching them one by one spreading "junk juice" from one item to another.
What I am saying, it is unlikely that you will always buy "virgin untouched" merchandise anywhere where you are not the only customers.

 

[sorten]

I wonder if the checkouts will secretly film you like they do at Woolworths here in Australia?

Film!

Not surprising that Walmart would pick this moment to copy the Amazon model. Walmart was an early innovator with big data, but have really fallen behind on tech in the past few years.

Ultimately, corporations will replace workers with tech and automation. It's the foundation of the Uber business model, and retail companies have been testing cashierless systems for more than a decade.

 

[Freddie159]

Film!

Not surprising that Walmart would pick this moment to copy the Amazon model. Walmart was an early innovator with big data, but have really fallen behind on tech in the past few years.

Ultimately, corporations will replace workers with tech and automation. It's the foundation of the Uber business model, and retail companies have been testing cashierless systems for more than a decade.

And for me that stops me from going to the stores, I can order from my recliner if I want 'cashier-less' checkout. I never use it unless I have less than 3 items and that's almost never if I go to Wally World. They want ME to pick my items off the shelf, put them in my basket, then they want ME to scan them and put them in bags and back in my basket and NOT give me a discount for doing ALL the work, they can go broke for all I care. This is nothing more than a way to make MORE money off of us while WE do all the work!!! I am NOT a Wally World employee!!! Now IF Wally World gave me a discount for self checkout that's a whole different ball game, but it would depend on the size of the discount.

 

[EClyde]

Funny....no signs saying you are being recorded, the recording screen is a tiny blurry box at the top right of the touchscreen and up until 2 weeks ago nobody had a clue.

Woolworth's was one of my favorite stores. Are there many in Australia?

 

[EClyde]

people pick up items from the shelves ALWAYS to check them out. You d have to get the furthest item on the shelf to avoid it. And even then, at the end of the day, workers might reorganize items touching them one by one spreading "junk juice" from one item to another.
What I am saying, it is unlikely that you will always buy "virgin untouched" merchandise anywhere where you are not the only customers.

Sure BUT why add to that?

 

[matrix86]

We had a serious altercation at one of our Walmart stores when the person at the door attempted to hold back a person because they didn't want to be bothered with the receipt check. Since the woman actually put her hands on the shopper she was arrested and charged with assault. With these self-checkouts it's easy to miss something or for those more gamy, easy to not pay for items. Stores that are doing this could be taking some serious risks although I have yet to read about any serious court cases ......

Apparently, the person at the door must have forgotten that we can't actually force customers to show their receipt. The only time we can detain a customer is if there is actual proof that they're stealing before they make it to the door.

 

[p51d007]

Unless you have a compromised immune system, cancer survivor or some other underlying health issue, just catch it and get over it already. We are doing a disservice to our immune system by
wiping everything down, treating every little cut like it's the plague, sanitizing everything. Our immune
system needs a good workout once in a while to build up it's strength. Right now, it's just sitting on
the couch, snacking away while binge watching tv!

 

[wiyosaya]

Right now, it's just sitting on
the couch, snacking away while binge watching tv!

And there are health experts out there that are realizing that the results of such inaction contribute to a compromised immune system. For someone like that, catching it might very well be the last thing they do.

 

[Freddie159]

Unless you have a compromised immune system, cancer survivor or some other underlying health issue, just catch it and get over it already. We are doing a disservice to our immune system by
wiping everything down, treating every little cut like it's the plague, sanitizing everything. Our immune
system needs a good workout once in a while to build up it's strength. Right now, it's just sitting on
the couch, snacking away while binge watching tv!

Says the healthy person who's probably not going to die, but could anyway, if they actually got the virus. If it were your parents or grandparents who died would you feel differently? What if it was your brother or sister, or child? The problem is the virus affects everyone differently, I'll bet you never get the flushot either. Did you know that THE FLU kills over 30 THOUSAND Americans every year? That's more than alot of small towns total popultion!! That's more people than in the last 20 generations of your family tree!!!

 

[p51d007]

Says the healthy person who's probably not going to die, but could anyway, if they actually got the virus. If it were your parents or grandparents who died would you feel differently? What if it was your brother or sister, or child? The problem is the virus affects everyone differently, I'll bet you never get the flushot either. Did you know that THE FLU kills over 30 THOUSAND Americans every year? That's more than alot of small towns total popultion!! That's more people than in the last 20 generations of your family tree!!!

My parents were married for 63 years, together for 65. My father died of kidney failure in January, my mother, of a broken heart 45 days later. Yes, I have receive the flu shot every year. Why? Because my job puts me in contact with children at schools, people in nursing homes, people at hospitals & doctors offices. This "novel corona virus" is the same virus that causes/caused MERS, SARS, Ebola and countless other upper respiratory diseases. The panic of the global society is because of the media, politicians wanting more control, and primarily because people are ignorant (hope you know the difference between stupid, and ignorant). If people were raised with respect, manners and other things that most people over 60 grew up with, were raised with, we wouldn't have to lock down everything because people are afraid of their own shadow.

 

[ZedRM]

I already avoid Wally-world. Looks like I have another reason. No human cashiers? No money from me...