When looking to get a job for the first time, many look at applying to grocery stores or other retail jobs. Many high schoolers rely on entry-level retail jobs for their first work experience.
In recent years, stores like Fareway have been taking out checkout aisles and replacing them with self-checkout machines.
Self-checkouts have had a noticeable impact on jobs, particularly for high school students, and not all of it has been positive.
Hannah Michalec (she/her), 12, worked at Fareway for one and a half years, and started before self-checkout machines were installed in 2021. “By September the self-checkout machines were installed. I believe they removed 3 checkout lanes to install the self-checkout machines,” Michalec said.
Self-checkouts have created positions for employees to monitor the machines. Michalec said, “I liked them when they worked. The machines had a lot of issues when they were first installed. Every other customer called me over for assistance.”
High schoolers typically take on jobs like cashiering, stocking shelves, or customer service, which help develop valuable skills like communication, time management, and problem-solving. With fewer cashier jobs due to self-checkout machines, these workers miss out on those formative experiences that help prepare them for future careers.
One of the benefits of working in a grocery store or retail is gaining experience in customer service, which helps develop social skills and the ability to deal with various situations. With self-checkouts, there are fewer opportunities for younger workers to practice these skills, as customers are usually handling transactions on their own.
There will still be the need for people to set up machines, get trained on how to use it and how to troubleshoot.
However, due to stealing and loss of human interaction, Walmart, as well as other big retailers are removing self-checkout machines in their stores. (CBS)
“As part of our announced plans for additional investments and improvements to stores across the country, we’re converting the self-checkout lanes… to traditional checkout lanes,” a Walmart spokesperson said to CBS.
Self-checkout systems represent a significant shift in the way we approach shopping, offering greater convenience and efficiency for consumers. But, with any technology, they come with their own set of challenges, from security concerns to the potential loss of human interaction.
