Big Y Eliminates Self-Checkout 2011-09-14

SN STAFF

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Big Y Foods here said Wednesday it would eliminate self-checkouts in all of its stores by the end of the year.

The privately owned company, which operates 61 stores in Connecticut and Massachusetts, said it had hoped the self-checkouts would speed overall checkout time when the machines were introduced in 2003, "but that has not always been the case."

"After extensive research, Big Y has concluded that these self checkout lanes not only do not save their customers time but usually take them even more time to check out than customers in standard checkout lanes," the company said in a prepared statement. "Self-checkout lines get clogged as the customers needed to wait for store staff to assist with problems with bar codes, coupons, payment problems and other issues that invariably arise with many transactions."

Big Y's decision follows a similar move earlier this year by Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons LLC.

Big Y said it will add more standard and express lanes in place of the self-checkouts.

"Our self checkout technology could not deliver on the service needs of our customers," said Michael A. Tami, vice president for information resources and technologies at Big Y. "In short, we were not able to provide the exceptional customer service through them that has made Big Y what it is today. While other chains are opting to replace cashiers with more self checkouts, we are adding cashiers to service more standard lanes."