Waiting in line in the supermarket? Row after row of neatly organized snacks beg you to eat them while you catch the headlines of bad behavior in Hollywood. Check-out lanes catch us at our weakest and hold us hostage. Some kind of mathematical equation requires the person ahead of you to need a price check, have many coupons, and unload tempting foods in direct proportion to your hunger level and lack of patience that day.
On vacation recently, in a supermarket with 16 checkout lanes resembling a giant bowling alley, I spied empty lanes at the far distant end with ‘open’ lights on. My body wanted to rush there, my brain suspected it was a mirage. I tried to remind myself I was ON VACATION. I compromised by strolling to the lights. What I discovered was nothing short of miraculous!
SELF-CHECKOUT! Five empty lanes, no lines, and no displays. That’s right, no distraction, no temptation, no need! Strange silver beasts with box like contraptions, little screens, and printed instructions. It went very well, until the produce. I persevered. I scanned. Swipe your credit card was a little harder. I just couldn’t tell which of the three little gizmos wanted to read my card. The loudest voice you have ever heard came from somewhere in the silver box shouting ‘Swipe your card! Swipe your card! Swipe your card!' I pressed “here” for help and eventually help arrived. I left victorious. I am a swiper!
I rushed off to research my shiny silver friend and found a press release from Jan. 02, 2008 that’s worth sharing! Reports on the “hottest retail technology of today” describe an amazing product that pleases both merchants and consumers. SELF- CHECKOUT! That’s right.
Retailers appreciate that “self-checkout machines handle large volumes allowing the labor force to focus on other aspects of the retail operation”. Equally amazing benefits for consumers found in marketing research analysis: When we use self-checkout at the grocery store, we “SAVE MONEY AND DROP POUNDS”.
“Impulse purchases among women drop 32.1 percent and men 16.7 percent when self-check-out is used instead of a staffed checkout. The average woman purchased and consumed over 14,300 calories from impulse shopping over the period of a year. Men under the age of 25 are the ‘heaviest’ consumers of caloric impulse items, consuming enough calories each year for an eight pound weight gain!”
While response to self-checkout varies by age and gender, technology now leads us from temptation and delivers us out the supermarket door thinner, quicker, and richer. Despite our best intentions, check-out lanes can catch us at our weakest and hold us hostage to “tempting impulse items such as chocolate candies, chips and soda.” Make your choices wisely when you can.
When temptation calls, make a beeline for the self-checkout line. It’s miraculous.
- Nancy
Labels: grocery shopping, Nancy
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I'm surprised that this is something new to you. Self-checkout is very old up here. Most stores have them. Some stores make it hard to find a real person to checkout. Hopefully soon we'll be able to just fill your cart and just walk out skipping the checkout.