‘Unexpected item’: how self-checkouts failed to live up to their promise

I prefer self-checkouts and use them whenever available. However, the interaction design can be unnecessarily difficult depending on the retailer. Oddly, the most annoying instance locally is the implementation at a high-end grocery store. The cart interaction design expects each item to be placed in the "bagging area" one at a time and to weigh the expected amount.

Any time this requirement is not met or it thinks an "unexpected" item has appeared, the system locks up and waits for a store attendant, who is rarely available. This interaction design is a terrible approach as customers obviously have usage patterns that vary from a single rigid pattern. I've tested it extensively out of sheer morbid curiosity and remain shocked at how bad it is. I've also seen other users frustrated to the point of just giving up and abandoning their purchase.

The most frustrating aspect is virtually all of the fundamental broken-ness of the design is from wrong-headed attempts to discourage theft which are clearly ineffective anyway. It's like the system was designed by a paranoid anal retentive accountant who was completely unaware of the last two decades of interaction design best practice. They clearly never surveyed the range of natural user behavior, or if they did, chose to intentionally ignore it.

Meanwhile, the best implementation of self-checkout locally is Wal-Mart. It has little of the inflexible expectations and relatively few failure modes. The theft deterrence is centered on human psychology more than rigid compliance such as having a live camera view of the user's face visible on-screen. I think it's likely quite a bit more effective while being completely non-disruptive. Frankly, I tend to avoid the high-end store due primarily to their aggressively broken self-checkout system.

I actually like self-checkouts very much and use them every time they are available. The reason is very simple: They typically do not require any social interaction. I like to shop with music on my ears and generally am pretty deep inside my head when I shop, because I like to plan my shopping list and would like to do that in peace. I hate the superficial social interactions at the register like saying hello and wishing a nice day (which is common and expected here in Germany, where I live).

Now don't get me wrong, I'm pretty social inside my own circle or when I go out for a drink for example (although I am Gen Z, so there's that), but I really do not like these interactions when they are forced and imposed upon me while doing mundane tasks like grocery shopping.

I was pretty surprised when the article claimed customers do not like them because that is the reception I've also gathered from friends.

I have a lot of gripes with this article...

Shoplifting is up? Compared to when? Surely there are factors other than the existence of self checkout?

The self checkout lines have bacteria? Do the regular checkout lines not? Seems like cleaning them regularly is an easy solution...

I like the self checkout mostly because it does seem faster to me. And I prefer to bag my own groceries.

During the pandemic, wegmans introduced a phone app that let you scan as you shop. That meant I could put things directly in my bag as I shopped. And at the end I just scanned the app at a self checkout register. That was the best shopping experience I've ever had.

Sadly wegmans did away with it also claiming too much loss from the app :(

Oh I love self checkouts, enough to drive a little further most times to the store that has them.

9/10 times works amazing. 1/10 times backfires as there's lines backed up there but one employee actively punching in their password is all it takes to keep the lines moving. And its proof that others use them too!

I use them at walmart, costco, target, lowes, safeway, and wherever available. They've all optimized in their own ways and it just works.

I've had to get used to some quirks like don't pick stuff up from the bagging area till you're done paying, don't be stupid and ring a product twice, don't try to buy alcohol there, etc. Now its muscle memory.

I have no idea about the ROI but as a customer I am incredibly delighted to see a bunch of self checkouts.

Thank you to all retailers. I vote with my wallet.

In Switzerland, everything is self-checkout. There is no “unexpected item” bullshit, everything is just scanned as is, with occasional random control. It works perfectly well.

"Failed to live" says who?

The issues with it can be put into two main categories: store issues or user issues

Things like making the weight margins too tight, weird usability or having more choices that need to be picked from a list than needed (it's easier to just add a barcode to some vegetables for example). Or saying you can scan your own bag but failing to allow for that in practice

Well, user issues are a longer list. Sigh

> Andrews says his research has found that the majority of people don’t actually want self-checkouts

Ok cool, you can stay in line while I use the self-checkout

> The checkout screens could also be a threat to your health, according to a recent study

Talk about grasping at straws. The whole thing seems to be an anti-automation hit piece

These work horribly in England. At my local M&S (a middle to upper market grocery store) the self checkout fails at some point about 60% of the time requiring an overburdened overseer watching 25+ terminals to come over and swipe their card without even really looking what's wrong. Most of the time it seems to be poorly calibrated weight sensors or too tight a margin where product variability is not accounted for properly. Probably some stupid outsourced IT team setting a single weight for each sku and not understanding that an apple could be a few hundred grams different.

I like self checkouts personally, they do cut down on lines in my experience. You just have to take a little extra time and not be in a hurry. Most of those POS machines seem to be slow and you have to give them a bit of time to register your item. My big complaint, especially at walmart, is the small bagging area. Most people seem to think they are "professional" cashiers and screw it up by going to fast. Also make sure to have some hand sanitizer, those scanners have a lot of germs and likely haven't been cleaned all day.

They work so well in the Netherlands. Come check em out.

I personally love them and always use them when available. They're simply faster for me. All kinds of stores, I very rarely have any kind of issue. Article seems agenda driven.

Love self checkouts. It does seem like they suck to police (as the article says), but I think they’re awesome as a consumer.

I think we're at a FUD stage of self-checkout deployments.

These things are real unpopular, both with workers whose jobs are threatened and with consumers who are now either honorary employees or de facto shoplifters.

I work computers for a living; I work computers in my free time. Sometimes I enjoy having a little break from working a computer to look a human being in the eye, say hello and thank you. In fact I often enjoy customer service transactions as the only friendly human interactions I might have all week.

I've witnessed a stream of articles saying bad things about self-checkouts and convincing consumers to avoid self-checkout. Since I'm cynical, I believe there's money and lobbying behind those articles, not a true problem or concern. Nevertheless, I'm sorry that there are fewer humans to greet me and help me in the store these days. I miss you guys.