A New World of checkout operators
by Jaheb Barnett
New checkout lanes in New World have been launched as part of an initiative to help save people time and, ultimately, the supermarket some money.
The catch is that the checkout lanes are operated by you.
It’s self service. No nice looking checkout assistants with those designer green shirts, it’s just you and whatever you’re wearing.
Shoppers can now scan, bag and pay for their items by using an interactive touch-screen system that guides the shopper through every stage of the process.
“We’re always looking for new ways to make supermarket shopping as convenient as possible for our customers,” said Mark Baker, general manager of retail sales and performance.
“It’s fast and convenient – it’s providing another element of choice for our customers.”
The ‘FastLane’ technology is also highly innovative. It has the capabilities of detecting any weight discrepancies between what is scanned and packed, as well as automatically notifying an assistant when restricted products such as beer and wine are scanned.
However, since the checkout is reduced to just one person – you - it leaves scanning and packing all to you. And how many shoppers know the art of packing refrigerated and dry contents into separate bags?
Plus isn’t that doubling the time – doing the work of two? Not only do you have to shop for the products you now are left to scan and bag them.
Maybe this is just a clever PR ploy to tempt people into getting a job at New World?
I must admit the days of playing ‘shop’ when I was a young lad were all flooding back to me when I gave the FastLane a go.
What about a five finger discount? Isn’t this the optimal opportunity to sneak a chocolate bar or two into your bag without scanning them? I think so.
Sure it’s not ethically correct, but you’re saving the supermarket money by employing yourself as the checkout operator. A chocolate bar substituted as a wage is fair game.
If not - maybe a possible solution could be setting up a ‘0800-dob-in-the-chocolate-bar-thief’ telephone number
It would work much like ‘0800 SMOKEY’; a citizen lays the complaint and the villain receives a letter in the mail about the offence.
Pros and cons weighed up - It’s a step in the right direction. It’s giving the consumer more choices.
Check it out.
Just make sure you pay.
-Scoop