People Stepped In Together To Stop Using Self-Checkout Machines Claiming They’re Preventing Jobs for People In Need

We don’t think much about automation, but it’s all around us. One of the greatest examples of automation is the advent of self-checkout machines in pharmacies and supermarkets. Self-checkouts allow customers to check in themselves instead of being checked in by a cashier.

While the employee usually stands guard in the self-checkout area to protect against shoplifting and dishonesty, the proliferation of self-checkouts means stores don’t need to hire many workers, which reduces job opportunities.

However, some people resist automation by refusing to use self-checkouts and kiosks. A study conducted by Dalhousie University in Canada found that most buyers prefer to pay for their goods the old-fashioned way.

While two-thirds of survey respondents said they had ever used self-service payment machines, only 11% mentioned these machines as their preferred method of payment. Experts speculate that there may be a myriad of reasons behind this heightened reaction to self-checkout kiosks.

Besides cutting jobs, many people prefer the face-to-face interaction that comes with the traditional way of paying for purchases.

As automation continues to grow and expand, this debate will only intensify