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On a recent company podcast, Trader Joe’s CEO, Bryan Palbaum, and president, Jon Basalone, both strongly denied rumors that the grocer was planning to offer self-checkout options.
“That’s as false as false can be,” said Basalone. “We believe in people and we're not trying to get rid of our crew members for efficiency sake or whatever the, I don't know what the reasons are people put self-checkout in.”
Palbaum interjected in the conversation, describing the scanning and bagging that comes with automated kiosks as “not fun.” He added, “Self-checkout is work. I don’t want that.”
Basalone also noted that self-checkout can be complicated. He pointed to a time he needed assistance at a retailer after being unable to scan items. He said, “I'm like, I do this for a living, and I can't get this thing to work.”
Self-checkout options increased during the pandemic due to social distancing concerns and advances in automation, and it helped retailers better manage high labor shortages and costs.
Costco and Albertsons are among chains bringing back self-checkout stations in recent years after eliminating them about a decade earlier. Kroger, Walmart, and Dollar General are among retailers piloting exclusively self-checkout stores.
Recent consumer surveys from Raydiant and Zebra Technologies further show that consumers are increasingly preferring self-checkout options largely to avoid waiting in cashiered checkout lines.
A recent survey from PlayUSA found that 66% of U.S. consumers (84% of Gen Z and 76% of Millennials) would choose to use a self-service kiosk over a human-run checkout. Seven in 10 (71%) said it’s because human-run checkouts take longer, while 60% indicated it’s to avoid human interaction. Still, 75% of PlayUSA’s survey respondents believe tech-based interactions have led to a decrease in social skills, and 68% think it’s led to a decrease in empathy.
In July, Sparkle Markets, with 18 locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, joined Trader Joe’s in vowing not to add self-checkout. The grocer’s president, Vincent Furrie Jr., said in a Facebook post, “In times like this, jobs are more important than ever. We value the person at the register — we hope you do as well. Helping one another just cannot be replaced."