Good move, but removing self checkout in SF is annoying
Oftentimes not even then, if I bring my own bag and the scanner demands an employee come over after every item because the scale is off by a couple of grams. Completely awful experience if there's more than one alcoholic drink as well.
Targets in my area don't suffer from this, but I know of one grocery store location that seems to have a single cashier, even on the busy weekends. This was true before self-checkout. I used to avoid this location at all costs, but with self-checkout it is somewhat bearable to pick up a few items. There isn't even someone at the self-checkout station to help you out if needed.
At a poorly owned and and managed grocery store, that is chronically understaffed, as someone giving them money, you'd rather temporarily become an unpaid employee and waste your time looking up the product codes for apples and onions, using a system that's purposefully less efficient than what the real cashiers use, instead of just going to a store that doesn't make you work for them to pay them money.
In places where it's as bad as you've described there's often a line and wait for self check out. I've just abandoned my shopping and went somewhere else if I have over a handful of items
But stores that go overboard on this (like Walmart) are incentivizing us to actually spend less and definitely not fill a cart. An employee staring at us like we're robbing the store doesn't help either when we're trying to do things properly. I always feel like a SWAT team is standing by in case I put something on the wrong side, and the stores are happy that I feel that way because perhaps then I'm less likely to steal, but really I'm more likely to click "Buy Now" on a website.
Best Buy is an example of a store that has processes that are mostly welcoming, even with relatively high-value and easily shoplifted items, and they don't have or need self-checkouts. Perhaps that's because their margins are higher or because they have such a short distance between their segregated checkout areas and the anti-theft associate standing by the door.
I noticed it once when I paid for pharmacy items at Walmart and later put that bag into the bagging area when I bought grocery items. It flagged it as an unscanned item and notified the attending associate.
All in all, it's a superior experience to waiting in regular lines or having to talk to people. Ultimately, I want to just scan and pay with my phone without the kiosk bottleneck.