Tennessee Kroger Goes All Self-Checkout — Will There Be More?

I split it right down the middle when I'm shopping. But at Kroger; nowhere else. Depending on the crowd and the staff on hand, I might go self-checkout or I might let an associate do it. Matters not. It's good to get extra vibes now and again.

But I AM a fan of self-checkout and always have been. And at Walmart or Meijer, it's usually easier to do it yourself. On the other hand, I always wonder whether or not this technology took someone's job or if--because of, say, COVID--advances in said technology were necessary because of a worker shortage.

Tennessee Kroger Goes All Self-Checkout

What I do know is that there's a Kroger in Tennessee--and in the Nashville metro area, by the way--that has gone ALL self-checkout. And the following story makes me feel better about those employment concerns.

I guess if you notice that an overwhelming majority of your patrons is making a beeline for the self-checkout lanes, you take this obvious next step.

You may have also notice that Kroger improved the belts at those checkout lanes by making them wider. Hey, I am all for that. In fact, in Cincinnati--where Kroger is headquartered--20 metro area stores have converted to those much-needed wider belts and have added something I actually MISS at Meijer.

Yes, I want my conveyor rollers back. (Author realizes his cries are falling on deaf ears and moves on.)

Self-Checkout -- the Pros and the Cons

According to CNN Business, other national chains feature stores that have gone all self-checkout. Walmart and Dollar General join Kroger in that category. And it also confirmed my suspicions about COVID, sort of. The pandemic led to more self-checkout aisles because customers wanted to AVOID contact with others, and it just, you know, stuck.

Then again, there are those who feel self-checkout needs to go away. And thestreet.com addresses that elephant in the room...loss prevention. If I've seen one Facebook post about being stopped at the Walmart door so the greeter can check receipts, I've seen a million of 'em.

But in at least one Kroger, self-checkout is here to stay across the board. And the WKRN story indicates that there are no plans, at present, to make other locations all self-checkout.

So, I guess we grab our popcorn and watch as the self-checkout debate continues.

[SOURCE: WSMV-Nashville]