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Self-checkout kiosks won't overtake cashiers, according to analyst

Due to technological problems and the rise of online retail, self-checkout kiosks will not overtake human cashiers, according to a Bloomberg View columnist.

August 18, 2015

Bloomberg View columnist Virigina Postrel believes that current self-checkout kiosks will never replace employee checkouts, according to an article by The Tampa Tribune.

Postrel said that a poll by Harris found that 88 percent of Americans wish checkout lines could be faster. However, many people also avoided self-checkout due to technical problems.

"But three-quarters of respondents also said they sometimes avoid self-service — most often because of technical problems," Postrel said. "Nobody wants to listen to an endless loop of electronic reprimands while watching other shoppers move smoothly through the human-staffed queue."

Customers tend to rely on self-checkout kiosks only for small orders, as each additional item increases the chance of a technical problem, according to Postrel. Postrel admits that kiosks developed by companies like NCR are becoming more accurate, however she believes as online stores become more efficient, the human element of brick-and-mortar stores will be one of their key strengths.

"The only reason to go shopping will then be for the social and aesthetic experience," Postrel said. "Stores will have to treat employees as long-term assets who create specific value for customers rather than expenses to handle routine transactions. Technology will serve as a complement to, rather than a substitute for, staff."