Self-Check-Out Kiosks: Friend Or Foe?. Have You Ever Been

These platforms are currently at a 50% installation rate as of March 2016, and Sonic expects to see the rest of its locations operating with these new systems by the end of 2017. Their point of sale system is different than others in the QSR industry in that it offers a more customized experience for customers, while also streamlining service and reducing waste (Murphy). This point of sale system also has the future potential to connect to customer’s mobile phones for further descriptions, while also featuring a touch screen for ease of access. This new technology will replace a system that is currently over 20 years old - Sonic may sometimes brand using their “retro” vibe, but antiquated systems set no one up for success (Kelso). This new technology is also said to drive their average check upwards by several points; Chairman, Chief Executive, and President, J. Clifford Hudson, reported not only a 2.2 percent increase in stores who had begun using this new technology, but also stated a whopping 33.8 percent rise in profits, for the same time period. This increase in profits can be related to the fact that the new POS system is not only beneficial for the customer, but also for the restaurant and employees - while minimizing waste, it also makes some things such as theft, miscommunication, and

Similarly, the growth in vending machines has found more people sidestepping the checkout line in favour of the kiosk.

As stated on the corporate website (2017), “Walmart is the largest retailer in the world, where 2.3 million associates meet the needs of more than 260 million customers every week.” These numbers are huge, and with so many locations around the globe, they have had allegations been made by employees regarding their dissatisfaction about poor work conditions, gender discrimination, low wages, poor benefits, and inadequate health care. Walmart has been criticized for its policies against labor unions and this issue has prompted public outrage, (Johansson, 2005) which is of great concern for the market. The company has also faced criticism for being anti-union, but it has claimed that it is rather pro-associate, whereby employees

Gone are the days of waiting in long lines while at grocery stores with the hopes that that person in front of you will have a speedy transaction without the delay of a price check. The grocery shopping experience is quite different than when we were children. Many of us in the Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z era are ditching the long lines and relying on apps to fill our fridges. However, while many of us are relaxing in the comfort of our homes and ordering a week’s supply of groceries, others are bypassing the cashier and are heading directly to self-checkout.

By implementing a curbside pick-up and delivery program, Publix will be able to create an advantage over its competitors by offering its customers affordable merchandise in a convenient and efficient way. Publix will benefit by attracting new customers and retaining existing customers who for physical, time sensitive, or other reasons cannot make it into the store to do their grocery shopping. Although Publix could potentially miss out on revenue made by customers making impulse purchases based on eye grabbing displays in the aisles or at the register , they will surely make extra based on the ease of clicking and selecting items. By clicking items to add them to their “shopping cart” customers may lose themselves in the ease of amassing groceries and end up spending more than they would have had they been inside the store.

Walmart employees, customers, and suppliers have seen their fair share of Walmart’s bad side. While Walmart’s founder, Sam Walton, claims to make their employees feel like they “are working for them” and that they care Walmart has done such a horrific job with the way they treat their employees that one day, the workers decided to walk out and go on strike. They walked out on the grounds that they “were emblazoned with the workers’ grievances: poverty wages, miserly benefits, dignity denied” (Eidelson 1). They felt like they weren’t only taking a stand against Walmart, but also taking a stand for the younger generations to come. Walmart’s employees are getting treated unfairly and are underpaid. The CEO’s, Michael Duke, annual salary gives him more money in an hour than an employee who works full-time would make in an entire year. In Bangladesh, over 100 workers “died in a factory without outdoor fire escapes, NGOs blame Walmart for pushing deadly shortcuts” (Eidelson 1). Not only are the employees being poorly paid by Walmart, but they are paying their life to Walmart just to make enough money to barely get by. Walmart even made a pregnant employee work around chemicals that eventually made her ill. After a trip to the doctor, Walmart allowed her to be put on a lighter duty, so they made her a door greeter; however, they

Long-term, the cart also can be part of an expedited check out system that decreases congestion during the check out process (Media Cart, 2010). Consumers scan items as they put them into their carts and directly into bags. At the end of their shopping experience, they move the cart onto the scale to check for accuracy and for additional items, before they pay and leave; this process could save money by reducing customer service personnel.

Discussion: The system’s administrative infrastructure shall be installed and tested before the software is connected to any POS stations. Training for administrative personnel will be conducted in three separate sessions at each Kudler location, in order to ensure that all backroom employees are not away from their duties at the same time. (Alternatively, training can be conducted after regular business hours, if Kudler Fine Foods would prefer this method.) Once the infrastructure is firmly in place, POS stations will be connected to the system and tested one at a time. This should require no additional training for the cashiers – the duty manager will be responsible for informing them about the new functionality of the card readers as they report for work.

Many businesses are implementing technology to combat wage increases and remain competitive. Many larger retailers, such as Walmart and Kroger, have effectively maintained self-checkouts for customers for years. The self-checkout area may have four to six registers, manned by one associate. Larger gas stations are implementing new technologies, as well. Quick Trip(QT) has installed a system that allows the user to order food and drink by touch screen, print a ticket and pay at the regular counter, eliminating the need for extra cashiers and registers. They serve a variety of items such as specialty coffees, smoothies, pretzels, pizza, sandwiches, ice cream and more with their user-friendly system. In addition, pay at the pump has provided relief at long lines of gas stations for years. Restaurants such as Wendy’s, McDonalds, and Panera bread are currently investing in kiosk to serve the future needs of their customers. Wendy’s will have 6,000 locations equipped with kiosk by the end of 2016. "With the pressure on wages and minimum wage increasing in some places, (restaurants) are motivated," said Bob Welcher, president of Restaurant Consultants Inc. "From an operational standpoint, I can see the advantages." Welcher also adds that “The kiosks are more precise. They always are courteous. They always show up to work on time." (Malone, JD. "Wendy's embraces self-order kiosks." Columbus Dispatch, The (OH) 17 May 2016: Newspaper Source. Web. 9 Dec. 2016.)

by Neal Peirce The Wal-Mart Watch campaign, a labor-environmental group highly critical of America's mega-mega retailer, recently launched more than 1,000 events nationwide for its "Higher Expectations Week." "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price," a scathing documentary by independent filmmaker Robert Greenwald with a focus on Wal-Mart's business tactics and treatment of workers, began to play to audiences across the country. Wal-Mart is fighting its critics with waves of television ads celebrating happy workers and the company's gifts to local charities. But the action goes much further. Across state capitals, legislators are into spirited debates over whether Wal-Mart should be forced to pay adequate health benefits

“Up Against Wal-Mart” by Karen Olsson, a senior editor at Texas Monthly and who’s article appeared in Mother Jones, introduces her article through the perspective of a Wal-Mart worker. She focuses on the negatives of Wal-Mart by telling the real life struggles of different Wal-Mart employees. “Progressive Wal-Mart. Really.” by Sebastian Mallaby, a columnist for the Washington Post, focuses his article on what Wal-Mart critics say and attempts to defend Wal-Mart by comparing Wal-Mart to other retailers. Even though Karen Olsson and Sebastian Mallaby both examine the negative effects of Wal-Mart, Olsson berates Wal-Mart’s unfair treatment towards employees and the unlivable wages that the world’s largest retailer provides while Mallaby

All this new machinery, technology and robots are not all that great to society but aren’t too bad either. One reason they aren’t too bad is because of how fast they are, people use the self-checkout lanes when they’re in a hurry and

The setting that I chose to observe a community of people for 30 minutes was outside of a local Wal-Mart retail store on a Thursday afternoon. The date was June 30, 2016 and the time was 2:15 p.m. The store is amongst a strip of several stores along a main street. Wal-Mart is the world’s largest retailer and big chain stores such as this one continue to expand and open new stores, despite the fact that there are too many stores in the United States overall compared to the

In my opinion, the biggest concern with Wal-Mart and its practises is the way they

Shopping at the grocery should be a quick process, but it is east to spend at least an hour due to just looking for items. The Smart Kart will revolutionize grocery shopping by having an LCD screen to show the fastest and most efficient route when using shopping lists, will suggest meal items and show location of items, show fastest checkout line, and provide self-checkout. This item will remove the hassle from searching the wide variety of items that grocery stores contain.