Shopping psychology ('splain this to me, Lucy)

[Monty]

I do all my grocery shopping at Walmart.  IMO, it'd be hard to justify paying more for the same name brand stuff elsewhere, and their selection generally dwarfs other area stores.

However, Walmart recently cut down the number of self-checkout stations as a means of reducing theft,* yet the two-legged cows still line up 10 deep and wait for the other members of the lower-part-of-the-bell curve-gang to finagle their way through the byzantine intricacies (sarcasm) of the scanner/register, despite the fact that, more often than not, you can go through an actual checker and be out in half the time or less.  Just curious if anyone can 'splain this to me.

*The goal is to wean people off the self-checkouts because thieves are getting increasingly creative, and preventative methods can't always keep up.

[espo]

Many businesses went to the self-checking business model several years ago with the idea they could do away with staff and only needed maybe one person sort of marshaling everyone thru the checkout. Many businesses found their "Shrinkage" or theft rates went up to the point that it was less expensive to pay for a designated checker instead. 

[Monty]

12 minutes ago, espo said:

Many businesses went to the self-checking business model several years ago with the idea they could do away with staff and only needed maybe one person sort of marshaling everyone thru the checkout. Many businesses found their "Shrinkage" or theft rates went up to the point that it was less expensive to pay for a designated checker instead. 

My (admittedly long-winded) question was why do people purposely choose an option that's more time-consuming instead of just using regular checkouts?

[espo]

2 minutes ago, Monty said:

My (admittedly long-winded) question was why do people purposely choose an option that's more time-consuming instead of just using regular checkouts?

There will always be those who may think it would be faster, or have other reasons as mentioned.  

[Rodent]

4 minutes ago, Monty said:

My (admittedly long-winded) question was why do people purposely choose an option that's more time-consuming instead of just using regular checkouts?

So they can steal stuff? 😂

[stitchdup]

11 minutes ago, Monty said:

My (admittedly long-winded) question was why do people purposely choose an option that's more time-consuming instead of just using regular checkouts?

i'm one of those people at the end of a month. If I'm paying for my shopping with change and my card i dont want the added embarassment of people too and i'll queue up to avoid it

[Monty]

18 minutes ago, espo said:

There will always be those who may think it would be faster, or have other reasons as mentioned.  

It's kinda funny - when you walk by them, they're bitchin' up a storm about the wait, but will they move to where a cashier could ring them up?  Nope!  Mooooooo.   

[Ace-Garageguy]

[Ace-Garageguy]

[Ace-Garageguy]

5 hours ago, Monty said:

 Mooooooo.   

There's a whole lotta that around...

[bobss396]

The last time I was in Lowe's (2 years ago) they were down to ONE cashier and the rest were self checkout.

They were in the process of putting everything else under lock and key.

Now I shop mainly at Ace Hardware or buy what I need online if I can wait. 

 

[Monty]

^^^ Walmart has compounded the problem by refusing to implement a 10 items or less restriction for self-checkout, so some poor sap with two items will likely end up trapped behind three Hogzillas with overloaded carts.  

Thought it was interesting that they had a whole section of snacks and drinks right next to the self-checkout area which they euphemistically call Grab-n-Go.  Two thoughts come to mind:

1) Seems like that would actually encourage shoplifting.

2) Despite its alliterative qualities, even they knew that using a more accurate phrase like Linger-n-languish would probably be detrimental. 

Edited 17 hours ago by Monty

[bamadon]

We used to use Walmart but grew to hate the place. We now buy groceries online from Kroger and they are delivered the next day to our front door. No more crazy people and parking lot hazards. I'm 80 and my wife is 76 so this really works for us.

[Rob Hall]

I quit shopping at Walmart and Target for the most part back around 2020 during COVID..  For groceries, I usually go to my local grocer (Heinens, an NE Ohio chain) or get delivery from them or Whole Foods..very convenient. 

For home stuff I used to shop at Walmart for, I find at my local Ace Hardware, Home Depot or Amazon.   I've done very little big box store shopping the last 5 years... 

Edited 3 hours ago by Rob Hall

[Ace-Garageguy]

First time I've been to 'Wol Morts' in over a decade was two weeks back when nobody in the area, unbelievably, had hot-glue sticks (which I burn through pretty quick doing CAD: cardboard-aided-design).

Everything of any value was locked up tight. Nice...though that says more about our changing 'demographics' than the store itself.

And of course you have to get a highly-skilled 'associate' to open the cabinets to actually buy anything...If you can find one.

Home Despot is going the same way, with expensive stuff locked up.

I really miss the days when there wasn't enough retail theft to justify all the heightened 'security', but we all know that's just because I'm a past-it old man shouting at clouds, and if I had any awareness I'd realize how much mo better everything is now.

Yeah, right.

[sidcharles]

15 hours ago, Monty said:

  

. . . Linger-n-languish . . . 

ah, yes. the Farber Twins. i remember them well . . . 

[sidcharles]

thieves gonna thieve no matter.

i worked on a property which was undergoing major renovations to one of the buildings. the stepson of the construction company's owner would go to a store, buy stuff, and charge it to the job. in turn, since the job was "time & material," the owner would be charged accordingly.  since the kid was a crook, he would return said materials and get a store credit card. then he would spend it on his own stuff.

until he got caught, that is.

and the missing tile from Italy was found laid in the foyer of his house.

[Monty]

1 hour ago, sidcharles said:

ah, yes. the Farber Twins. i remember them well . . . 

🤷‍♂️

I don’t get the reference.

[Rob Hall]

2 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

First time I've been to 'Wol Morts' in over a decade was two weeks back when nobody in the area, unbelievably, had hot-glue sticks (which I burn through pretty quick doing CAD: cardboard-aided-design).

Everything of any value was locked up tight. Nice...though that says more about our changing 'demographics' than the store itself.

And of course you have to get a highly-skilled 'associate' to open the cabinets to actually buy anything...If you can find one.

 

Yeah, right.

I noticed that in an Ace Hardware in Colorado Springs a couple months ago...lots of tools locked up..haven't seen that in my neighborhood Ace here in the Cleveland suburbs.