Let the great self-checkout debate continue.
When IKEA opened its massive warehouse store in Tampa back in 2009, it included self-checkouts. That, it turns out, is about to change as the store found self-checkouts were not as "efficient" as the company had projected when it opened for business.
On busy days, according to a Tampa Tribune report, the lanes clogged as consumers found checking out wasn't as easy to do when they did it themselves.
"On peak days, we were finding that we ended up staffing them anyways with a co-worker per checkout lane," IKEA spokesperson Joe Roth told the Tribune. "If you end up doing that, what's the purpose of having it?"
IKEA is now in the process of removing self-checkouts from its stores across the U.S. although many locations, including those in Oregon, continue to offer the self-checkout option.
While ready-to-assemble furniture warehouse stores may not be the best location for self-checkouts, supermarkets and mass outlets, even with some notable exceptions, continue to expand the option. Chains as diverse as Walmart and Wegmans have increased the use of self-checkouts this year.
Research conducted by Dechert-Hampe found self-checkouts are in about two-thirds of all supermarkets in the U.S. Nearly one-in-four checkouts are of the do-it-yourself variety.
"Self-service is not for everyone," Raymond Jones, managing director for Dechert-Hampe, told the Tribune. "If you're a retailer, your business is to satisfy your customers. And we found that people can have a wonderful experience all the way through the store, but everything can be undone by that extra five minutes at checkout."
- Ikea's self-checkouts prove self-defeating - The Tampa Tribune
- Ikea to mothball some self-checkout lines - The Oregonian
- IKEA Discloses an $11 Billion Secret - The Wall Street Journal
- Wegmans Adds Self-Checkout Lanes - The Buffalo News
- Walmart to Add More Self-Checkout Lanes - Reuters
- BrainTrust Query: Self-Checkout - What Should Drive the Retailer Decision? - RetailWire