2023, Business, Mysteries, Technology

Checking Out

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I’m not a huge fan of the self-checkout.  Mostly because I’m not good or fast at it – nor are a lot of folks that I see – meaning an employee still has to come deal with me.  In trying to be kind to corporate America (yeah, I know, I know), I like to pretend that the employee hours saved at the check-out areas get shifted around to other parts of the store. 

Friday morning, with YA working from home, I was freed up from staying home with the contractor so ran a whole bunch of errands; one of these errands was at Michaels.  They installed a couple of self-checkout units in my local Michaels – about 8 months ago.  Usually if there is a cashier, I let them do the work.  On Friday when I came around the corner, there weren’t any cashiers to be seen and I only  had about six items so I went with self-checkout.  Of course, since I’ve only done this a couple of times at Michaels, I was VERY slow, checking the sale price on every item and then logging in so I could see if I had any coupons.

While I was poking along, a family of three followed into the check-out area, an older woman and what was probably her daughter and son-in-law.  She did not know how to use the self-checkout and she was NOT in the mood to let the younger generation to show her up.  So now both of the self units were occupied and the line behind us was piling up.  The daughter was getting impatient and called in a very loud voice for casher assistance.   As I was finally finishing my session, the daughter called again, even more loudly.  As I exited the store, I counted the line waiting to checkout – nine folks – and still not a cashier in sight. 

I know that many retail establishments would prefer that all of us just get with the twentieth century and embrace self-checkout but based on what I experienced and witnessed at Michaels, it won’t be happening any time soon!

What are some of the oldest chain stores in America?

50 thoughts on “Checking Out”

  2. I always say of Michaels, “Where creativity goes to die.”

    I almost never use the self checkout. I find it somewhat insulting to be compelled to do the store’s work for them. Maybe if they offered a discount when you self checkout it might be (slightly) more acceptable. But I hate it.

    There are lots of chain stores that have disappeared locally and some altogether—grocery chains like Piggly Wiggly and Red Owl, department chains like Sears, Montgomery Wards, S&L, variety chains like Kresge’s and the alluded to Woolworth’s. The retail landscape of my youth has vanished.

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  3. Not sure, but I vaguely recall a place out east called Crane’s Chains, Planes (woodworking tool), Grains, and Stains (paint products). Started out in New York some 200 years ago by a guy named, um, something like Ichabod? (I know,weird name, huh?)

    Chris in Owatonna 😉

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        1. The Puritans had both odd names (to my ears in this time), as well as repetitive names. There were so many Hannahs and Elizabeths among the initial generations from about 1621-1700 that it was very difficult to sort them out and to know that they were different people. You must pay attention to birth dates.

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        2. And they often reused a name when the previous child died. You’d think that would feel like a jinx, especially the third time around.

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    2. I have Lena, Meta, Berta, Greta, Willy, Ernst, Otto, and Johann. The Ostfrieslanders in my family tree really have odd names, like Weert, Harmanna, Faulke, Harm, Okke,Taalke,, and Geerds.

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  4. Rise and Check Out of Automation, Baboons,

    I have come to loathe self-check out. There are always problems and an inattentive clerk into his/her cell phone. Unfortunately with the labor supply in such a shortage of workers, sometimes I have to do the self-checkout just to get what I want out the door.

    I am not sure about the oldest chain stores. Anything I frequently in the dark ages of my childhood is gone: Ben Franklins Five and Dime, Kresges, Coast to Coast–is that still there?

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      1. I still have a box of 22 rifle shells from Coast to Coast. I think they were $1.99. (Not that I’m up on my shell costs, but I know they’re more than that now.)

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  6. I like self checkout. I see a lot of vacant cash registers at stores. Either the stores are having trouble getting people to staff them, or they don’t have enough customers to open more registers because of the self-checkout, and I suspect it’s the former.

    The self-checkout experience has improved over the years. The annoyance factor of having the machine start barking “Unexpected item in bagging area” or some other criticism is declining each time they upgrade the machines.

    I was fond of the Red Owl store I shopped at when I lived near Grand Avenue. It’s now a Kowalski’s. If I still lived there, I would probably shop elsewhere. I like Kowalski’s but the prices are a lot higher than Red Owl used to be, even adjusting for inflation.

    I have a tendency to lament stores that have gone out of business. I wish I could go back to the Woolworth’s downtown, where they had sewing notions in the upstairs, and sometimes the parakeets would escape their cages and fly around.

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    2. The Kowolski‘s up on 54th used to be a Red Owl as well. I actually was kind of happy when Red Owl sold out. When YA was about 2 1/2 or 3, we were shopping and she announced she had to go to the bathroom. And at that age, you don’t have a whole long period of time between when they realize it and when they can’t wait any longer. But I had been in the restrooms of that Red Owl before and I knew I was not taking my child in there. We abandoned the cart, rushed home so she could do her business and then we went back. The cart was still sitting there, so we resumed our shopping. I can report the bathroom in the Kowolski’s is splendid

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  8. I’ve always loved the Ben Franklin in Grand Marais. I bought my shoes there for years. They used to have the best brands and I could find good quality, well-fitting shoes. I’ve also bought some nice yarn and other hobby accessories there. The store was sold a few years ago and I don’t like it as much anymore under the new owner. The shoes aren’t as good although they still have a good selection of Minnetonka Moccasins if you’re into those. They also have some very nice sweaters and coats but they’re too expensive. I don’t go there as often and I don’t buy shoes there anymore. Anyway, I don’t even know how many pairs of Birks I have – at least six pairs. And I have plenty of boots too, so I don’t really need shoes anymore.

    There was a Red Owl (maybe it was a PigglyWiggly, not sure) in Owatonna when I was a kid. I was with my mom once, following her around the store with two fingers from each hand shoved in the sides of my mouth. I was practicing my shrill whistle. I hadn’t succeeded yet, so it was mostly just a bunch of whooshing air over my tongue and past my lips. I tightened my embouchure around my fingers and blew again. Suddenly a shrill blast shrieked out in a grocery aisle. I was delighted! I did it! My joy was very short lived. My mom whirled around and said, “You go out and wait in the car NOW!” I was so proud of myself for finally whistling loudly. She was furious with me for embarrassing her. Always that tension…

    I will wait in a long line to avoid the self-checkouts. I always have problems with them. I like to see people employed. The Co-op in Northfield doesn’t have self-checkouts; Cub has them but they usually also have at least one if not two human checkers; Menards has all humans. Those are the places I usually shop, so I avoid the frustration of the self-checkouts.

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        1. Your mom’s response fills me with sadness, Krista. She was apparently so consumed with what she thought her surroundings expected of her as a mother and how her children should behave, that she failed to enjoy, celebrate, or encourage your developing self. She judged herself as harshly as she judged you, I’m sure. I think lots of parents of that era did. I know my mom certainly did. Looking back, that’s sad for all of us.

          Once again, I’m grateful that I’m not a parent. It’s truly an huge responsibility to successfully transmit your values to a developing child, and I’m not so sure I would have passed the test.

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  9. OT: Almost no sleep last night due to a loud t-storm at 1 a.m., an anxious dog, and unceasing thunder through the wee hours. It’s raining heavily and thundering with a constant rumble now. I hope others get some of this rain. I’ll check my rain gauge later. I think we’re getting some big amounts.

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    2. Right now in the Twin Cities, we’re having a good old thunder boomer. And I can never understand this but Guinevere, who is afraid of practically everything on the planet, is not afraid of thunderstorms. Nor fireworks. She is, however, afraid of the contractor, so she is spending her days on a leash with her vibrate collar on as well.

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    3. At least it wasn’t sleepless from the nightmares.

      We had thunder and rain overnight, too – then a break this morning till now, should start up again this evening. Ground is so saturated I was able to get out a bunch of baby trees under the hackberry…

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  10. Update on self check out at Michael’s. I just ran down to Michael’s, while the contractor was out to lunch. There was a cashier, but when I approached the desk, she seemed a little put out and suggested that if I had a debit or credit, I could use the self check out. I said no that’s OK, she then said “they’ve told us that we should send people over to self check out if they have a credit or a debit card.” When I said I would prefer not to, she was a little snarky at first and said “if you think you’re saving my job, you’re not I have plenty to do here.” She got nicer after that. Now I’m thinking about talking to Michael’s management to complain. Not about this particular cashier, but about them making the cashier shove people over to self checkout.

    Bill, I thought about using your line about not really wanting to do someone else’s job for them but figured that was something to say to management, not to the poor cashier standing behind the desk.

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  11. It has really rained here all day! I mean, rain! Heavy at times, or just steady rain. It poured a few minutes ago but it’s just raining steadily now. I think there’s about 3” in my rain gauge but I’m not sure because I can’t see it clearly. I’ll check it tomorrow.

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  12. I don’t know anyone that likes self-checkout. Invariably, the computer doesn’t register that I’ve scanned something and put it in the bag area and then it perpetually demands that I call for assistance for the pure reason that it’s out of sync. Then the self-checkout monitor cashier has to go through everything I’ve already bagged, which defeats the entire self-checkout purpose. And all of this because it saves the store from having to hire people when they can make us to the work for them. Bah, I say, BAH!!!

    On an unrelated note, I’m planning out my Halloween show for this Friday night on KFAI, when The UltraSonic Gin & Tonic becomes The UltraCreepy Grim & Reapy. I mention this shameless plug only because I’ll be playing a few Halloween Morning Show favorites and (at 9:00pm) a Genway spot from Dale & Jim Ed.

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  13. Red Owl was my first and only experience with shoplifting. Mom returned 6 years old me and the candy bar to the store. My life of crime ended then and there.

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