Self check-outs have become a hot-button topic in recent years as their usage increases in stores throughout the city. On the heels of a similar story in national news earlier this year, a discussion sprung up on the forums on Tuesday night about the systems in place at the city’s East-end Shoppers Drug Mart location.
The user who started the discussion came away from a visit to the Shoppers location Tuesday with the impression that only self-checkouts were an option for payment in the store at that time. Subsequent replies in the thread saw a level of concern from folks that prefer to pay through a regular cashier/til.
Since it would be a major step for a store to enact such a change, I’ve since been in touch and obtained clarification. According a representative of the local store, self-checkout is always an option and not mandatory and there are no plans for any change in that regard. There is to be at least one associate at the front of the store and when a customer is ready to pay, the associate is to approach and first ask if paying by debit, credit or cash and offer assistance with self-checkout. Should the customer prefer to use a standard til that option is absolutely there regardless of whether paying cash, debit or credit and in fact there are some items/transactions that have to be handled that way. Self checkouts however are not able to take cash.
While on the topic of self-checkouts, whenever the topic is brought up concern is often expressed by some about the potential effect on jobs. When it comes to the Shoppers location I was told that since the new system was put in place almost a year ago there has been no impact to staffing and there is no intent foreseen for that to be the case based on other responsibilities within the store for staff.