|
Xaris posted:The Safeways here (bay area, ca) are utter garbage though, there's like 1-2 full-cashiers even during peak hours, and because you can't buy liquor at self-checkouts, those lines get utterly buttfucked lining up to the back of the store backing up the entire front walkway and aisles. 4thandKing.txt
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 00:03
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 10, 2024 02:04 |
|
|
Motronic posted:4thandKing.txt Anyways I don't really know where I was going with that other to bitch about poor management which makes shopping miserable--grocery stores aren't going anywhere in my lifetime, unlike a lot of retail. But I really hope someone can drive Safeway to obsolescence, I know I've already reduced my trips as much as possible there preferring TJ for staples mostly because of much better management. Aldi is apparently making an effort to expand out west here and that'll be nice, though I think a lot of the "convenient" locations are already taken up by Safeway. We don't many Wincos or they are super far away out in the far-flung burbs. Xaris fucked around with this message at 00:09 on Nov 6, 2017 |
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 00:03
|
|
|
Moving to Seattle and having nothing but Safeway makes me retroactively grateful for the absurd majesty of Foodsco, where you could buy a week's worth of groceries for under forty bucks and all fifteen lanes would be open.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 01:01
|
|
|
Magic Hate Ball posted:Moving to Seattle and having nothing but Safeway makes me retroactively grateful for the absurd majesty of Foodsco, where you could buy a week's worth of groceries for under forty bucks and all fifteen lanes would be open. As far as budget grocers go, there's also QFC.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 01:45
|
|
|
HEY NONG MAN posted:As far as budget grocers go, there's also QFC. QFC is even more expensive than Safeway and is extra hoity-toity.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 03:30
|
|
|
Not all self-checkouts are created equal. At Winco, I'll ring out a full cart. Problems are so infrequent that eh. At Safeway, well, it's literally ~3 minutes from my apartment and I've just about stopped going. There really needs to be an industry standard on this poo poo.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 04:00
|
|
|
A lot of self-checkout systems out there are almost the exact same thing used in different stores with maybe some extra decorative plastic and branding on it. But if one store doesn't bother to keep it properly cleaned and maintained, and the other store does, well, you'd think store 1 was using some really crappy system.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 04:10
|
|
|
Our Safeway is pretty great, no complaints of any significance
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 05:15
|
|
|
In the Northeast we have a store called Market Basket. I have never seen a self checkout at any of their stores, they have about 25 checkout lines, and on weekends all of them are open. They also have the cheapest prices of any other local grocery store chains. Stores are super busy and parking is hard to find. It's a little worse than Costco on the weekends, but not by much.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 05:37
|
|
|
For the first time in a long time I've encountered a problem I don't know how to answer. Can you guillotine a self checkout kiosk?
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 06:23
|
|
|
You can guillotine anything you want
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 06:29
|
|
|
the infographic molded onto the self-checkout machines at giant has pictures of coins near the coinslot and one of them says '20' 
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 06:43
|
|
|
In my neck of the woods the mainstay supermarket that is open 24/7 will have all of the self checkouts closed during the 3rd shift hours and it is usually a single manned checkout. The cashier will do tons of other front end stuff so once in a while you have to wait a bit for them to notice you and come up but this is generally painless. That process seems a bit more logical since you need a person up there anyway to monitor the lanes self checkout or not. And with so few customers the front end person gets to spend most of their time doing other stuff anyway. Self checkouts seem to serve two competing purposes at stores. Some employ them to make it easier for some people to check out. Either those that wish to avoid human contact or that have few enough items that the self checkout isn't counterproductive. This is a good use of the concept as it makes it easier for the customer to part ways with their money. Other stores use it as a way to cut down on staffing costs and in many cases will make it more difficult for a customer to purchase goods (such as in the goon's story). This is in general a bad thing for retail stores. The front end worker is just doing their job and executing the mandate from corporate; but a lot of those mandates are counterproductive.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 06:46
|
|
|
Call me crazy, but I'd think that with the failings of the retail market lately, the last thing any retailer would want to do is make it harder for a customer to give them their money.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 06:51
|
|
|
Liquid Communism posted:Call me crazy, but I'd think that with the failings of the retail market lately, the last thing any retailer would want to do is make it harder for a customer to give them their money. You're assuming retail is managed by people who know poo poo and staffed by people who give a poo poo.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 08:03
|
|
I CANNOT EJACULATE WITHOUT SEEING NATIVE AMERICANS BRUTALISED!
|
Liquid Communism posted:Call me crazy, but I'd think that with the failings of the retail market lately, the last thing any retailer would want to do is make it harder for a customer to give them their money. Not enough businesses seem to understand that success in retail is entirely about making it as easy as possible for people to give you money. Regretfully, you will usually have to give them goods in exchange, so you should make that easy too.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 08:05
|
|
|
When I was a cashier at Home Depot well over a decade ago we would shut down the registers except for the self checkouts about an hour or so before the store closed. Self check-outs at a hardware store is the stupidest idea.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 14:55
|
|
|
Alterian posted:When I was a cashier at Home Depot well over a decade ago we would shut down the registers except for the self checkouts about an hour or so before the store closed. Self check-outs at a hardware store is the stupidest idea. I use them all the time at Home Depot and I rarely have problems with them. Only issue I've ever had with their system was when the UPC code of a 15a breaker couldn't be scanned.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 14:57
|
|
|
Alterian posted:When I was a cashier at Home Depot well over a decade ago we would shut down the registers except for the self checkouts about an hour or so before the store closed. Self check-outs at a hardware store is the stupidest idea. Why? I'm at Home Depot several times a month and I always use the self checkouts unless I'm buying lumber or drywall or something. I can't recall ever having any problems.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 16:56
|
|
|
Home Depot is another store that isn't going anywhere, but drat it also feels mismanaged. Long lines because there's only a few checkouts, rarely any floor staff, pretty expensive for some things and horrible products (especially their lumber), private security that will stalk you around the store, and intrusive receipt checking. basically make you feel like a criminal as soon as you pull into the parking lot. That said the self-checkouts aren't any worse than anywhere else and mostly work fine as long as it's not any "material" like lumber or buying lots of bags of conc like I tried last time. I unironically like Lowes a lot though, seems a bit cheaper, cleaner, and much better staffed and always generally pleasant experience to part with money. Almost night and day the experience.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 17:13
|
|
|
Menard's is pretty decent, they have a better selection than Lowe's or Home Depot. Haven't seen any self-checkouts there.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 17:25
|
|
|
Paradoxish posted:Why? I'm at Home Depot several times a month and I always use the self checkouts unless I'm buying lumber or drywall or something. I can't recall ever having any problems. The store tries to use them instead of a real cashier. Like I said, all other registers would shut down except self checkout an hour+ before the store closed. Thats when people are rushing in before closing to buy 4 bags of tube sand and rock salt and a snow shovel.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 17:26
|
|
|
All stores should sell cigarettes at checkout. That'll force them to keep one real live cashier around to open the cage.
Yak Shaves Dot Com fucked around with this message at 17:39 on Nov 6, 2017 |
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 17:36
|
|
|
Unbelievably White posted:All stores should sell
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 18:07
|
|
|
Star Man posted:I imagine grocery shopping would be far easier to get through if they just had more staff. This is basically always the answer but corporate is ideologically opposed to valuing staff at all so you end up with that sorta poo poo. Xaris posted:Home Depot is another store that isn't going anywhere, but drat it also feels mismanaged. Long lines because there's only a few checkouts, rarely any floor staff, pretty expensive for some things and horrible products (especially their lumber), private security that will stalk you around the store, and intrusive receipt checking. basically make you feel like a criminal as soon as you pull into the parking lot. That said the self-checkouts aren't any worse than anywhere else and mostly work fine as long as it's not any "material" like lumber or buying lots of bags of conc like I tried last time. AFAIK Home Depot is one of those stores run by extreme right-wingers and it really comes across in their policies. I will happily drive out of my way to go to a Lowes instead because it really does significantly affect the experience of shopping there. The ideology eater fucked around with this message at 18:28 on Nov 6, 2017 |
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 18:22
|
|
|
BlueBlazer posted:
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 18:26
|
|
|
I wish as a consumer there was something I could do if I hated a store's policies or products. Something I could do that would allow me to not have to deal with what ever I hate about the store and not support them with my consumerbux?? Maybe if I go there more often they'll spot me as a regular and ask my opinion?
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 18:28
|
|
|
Inescapable Duck posted:Not enough businesses seem to understand that success in retail is entirely about making it as easy as possible for people to give you money. Regretfully, you will usually have to give them goods in exchange, so you should make that easy too. I like shopping and buying in stores and the thing that will make me put down poo poo and go somewhere else is a line. I'm sorry I'm not gonna wait 20 minutes for the privilege of giving you money, staff up with more cashiers, drat. If I'm doing well, I will pay more money to go places without lines. Get the money out of people's hands as fast as possible, before they have time to think more about their purchases. Always get the money first. Sure, they could return stuff still, but many are disincentivized to return once they've made the purchase because it's more effort to come back again. Every moment in line is a moment they could decide to drop items from their cart or walk away. Some stores counter this with all the junk they keep at the counters but really, it's a losing strategy. I mean geez, when people talk about on-line shopping, the one thing that always comes up is how you get to avoid the lines. You'd think you'd prioritize this more. People gravitate towards convenience, which is why we've all gotten fat off convenience foot. Just make it as easy as humanly possible for people to roll through painlessly. I spend a lot of time in lines thinking about how stupid they are. StrangersInTheNight fucked around with this message at 18:36 on Nov 6, 2017 |
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 18:31
|
|
|
glowing-fish posted:My real question is, how big of a ripple effect will this have? How many malls are going to close down when Sears closes? Fair Oaks mall here in Fairfax County is anchored by a Sears, a JC Penney, and two Macy's (and a Lord & Taylor, but I don't know how they're doing). I imagine they're worried.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 18:37
|
|
|
Yeah I've flat out put my stuff back and just left if there's a long line. I don't wait for restaurants either, if a place has a line and a server tells me "there's about a 20 min wait" I just go eat somewhere else. If I go into a grocery store and it's huge line ups and half the tills are closed, bye. Sometimes I feel a little bad when its just some overwhelmed ma & pa shop, but it's nothing personal, I just don't do lines. It's cool, I'll come back later, but if you're business is consistently like this I'm writing it off. Lines can be very deceiving though. What can look like a long line in busy urban grocery store can zoom by fast as the clerks are a blur of scanning and bagging and the customers actually value their own time and pay quickly. Meanwhile the same grocery chain out in some sleepy suburb and everything's in slow motion. Those 8 people ahead of you in the city is equivalent to 2-3 in the burbs. The clerk will actually stop scanning for a moment because they're so focused on the small talk. All motions are at 25% speed. The total comes and the person is caught off guard, like the idea that they'd need to pay at the end of this transaction was not at all something they were prepared for. Hold on, oh my I'm sorry, I think I have cash. Let's see, 20, 40. How much was that? 40.38? I think I have some change. Oh my no, sorry, I'll have to use my card. Now where's my card, do I put it in now? Oops I pulled it out early can we start over? Oh! I found it! The change! Also if found a 1 cent off coupon. I don't want tie up the line to apply the coupon but can you flag a manager over to spend 5 min writing me out a rain cheque on this 1 cent coupon?
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 18:40
|
|
|
StrangersInTheNight posted:
much like traffic, people only notice the system when it's not working for them personally. from the perspective of the system owner, a little congestion is good as it means you're close to optimal allocation of resources spent on throughput - imagine paying 20 checkout clerks to stand around with very few customers to check out
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 18:53
|
|
|
I wish more US stores would use a queue for all of their check-outs like other countries do. The only places I've experienced this is Joann Fabrics and TJ Max. Its the only fair way to do check outs 
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 19:11
|
|
|
Joke's on you, many areas won't let stores sell liquor at certain hours of the night! Around here alcohol sales end at midnight and don't start again until sometime in the morning. Although at least we let our grocery stores and supermarkets sell booze. I'm still weirded out by the states that don't allow that. Alterian posted:I wish more US stores would use a queue for all of their check-outs like other countries do. The only places I've experienced this is Joann Fabrics and TJ Max. Its the only fair way to do check outs It also seems like it'd be hard to upscale for places with more than five or so check-outs(aka "most grocery stores and big box stores"), unless you had a few different queues feeding them.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 19:37
|
|
|
Alterian posted:I wish more US stores would use a queue for all of their check-outs like other countries do. The only places I've experienced this is Joann Fabrics and TJ Max. Its the only fair way to do check outs I have seen a Best Buy or two in the US do that, one of which was in a major university town and quite high volume. It's a very good system, but seems space-intensive to me. Haifisch posted:I'm guessing there's too much middle management inertia to change it. Also this.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 20:29
|
|
|
JustJeff88 posted:I have seen a Best Buy or two in the US do that, one of which was in a major university town and quite high volume. It's a very good system, but seems space-intensive to me. It does take more space. It is a trade-off between maximum possible throughput and median wait times.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 20:38
|
|
|
I've found the one big line is always way way slower. From the time it takes the next person in line to be flagged down and walk way over to what ever til just opened up, an entire transaction could have been processed. They keep trying ways to speed this up and keep people's attention. I was in one the other day and not only does the next available til start flighting, and the clerk makes eye contact, a speaker will boom "TILL 4 PLEASE" and even then it often takes people 10-20 seconds to realize that yes, they are the next person in line, and yes they should walk over to till 4. Then depending on how far away that till is from the end of the one-big-line there's another 10-20 seconds lost. Just have enough staff that the line at any till is never more than 1-2 other people.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 20:42
|
|
|
Xaris posted:Home Depot is another store that isn't going anywhere, but drat it also feels mismanaged. Long lines because there's only a few checkouts, rarely any floor staff, pretty expensive for some things and horrible products (especially their lumber), private security that will stalk you around the store, and intrusive receipt checking. basically make you feel like a criminal as soon as you pull into the parking lot. That said the self-checkouts aren't any worse than anywhere else and mostly work fine as long as it's not any "material" like lumber or buying lots of bags of conc like I tried last time. I have never had the experiences you describe at the Home Depots I frequent. Alterian posted:Like I said, all other registers would shut down except self checkout an hour+ before the store closed. Thats when people are rushing in before closing to buy 4 bags of tube sand and rock salt and a snow shovel. I had that happened once where it seemed everything was closed. Then the lady down at customer service yelled us over telling us she could help us.
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2017 21:14
|
|
|
I thought it was Lowes that has the lovely owners?
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2017 00:42
|
|
|
Nah, the owner(s) of HD are raging loving Trumpsters and babble right wing talking points all the time. I've never had store security follow me around, but all the other lovely things ring true, especially their abysmal lumber quality. I always drive across town to Lowes, Home Depot can suck it.
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2017 01:02
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 10, 2024 02:04 |
|
|
So about my questions about how big of a ripple effect the expected retail closing that will follow this holiday season could be: 1. Sears Holdings has 140,000 employees. 2. JC Penneys has 100,000 employees 3. Macy's has 150,000 employees 4. Kohl's has 140,000 employees (Any other big stores to be added to this?) Between the four of those, that is around 550,000 employees. Some of those companies might continue to exist, with "restructuring", but at least one (Sears) looks like it is going to be totally gone. But it looks like that might be a loss of 250,000 employees, total. Spread over 1-4 months, that is hardly enough to dent employment numbers. But of course, as mentioned, those stores are also the anchors for big malls. That is going to effect mall employees, and also employees at non-anchor retailers. So it looks like anywhere from 200,000 to one million jobs could be lost in the first four or five months of 2018.
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2017 01:17
|
|
