Heard a cashier at the grocery store say they're testing a self-checkout robot

I was in line at the Kroger on Main Street yesterday and the cashier told the person in front of me that their store is part of a test for a robot that can bag groceries and work the self-checkout area. She said they're told it can handle about 30 transactions an hour without a break. It made me think, that's one more job that might not need a person soon. Has anyone else heard about robots moving into jobs like this in their town?

4 comments

4 Comments

ivan7742mo ago

That part about it handling 30 transactions an hour without a break is the real key. It's not about replacing one cashier, it's about letting the store run with a skeleton crew all the time. One manager and a couple of these could handle a slow Tuesday night shift, no problem. They're building the whole system to need fewer people on the payroll, not just swapping out a body for a machine.

emeryj661mo ago

But don't you think, @jessica707, having fewer people around means less help when something actually breaks or a customer needs real assistance?

karencampbell2mo ago

My friend's store cut night staff down to just one guy now.

jessica7072mo ago

Exactly, they're designing the whole job out of existence. Soon they'll just have one person watching a dozen self-checkout lanes from a security booth.