The main reason that I hate running errands, especially during “busy times” at the store, is not bustling aisles, nor is it congested parking lots, but instead:
Slow. Checkout. Lines.
I realize that nobody likes waiting in lines, but I particularly dislike waiting in long checkout lines, especially with tired, hungry or just plain cranky children. It’s the worst! Some of my favorite stores, Kohls and Jo-Ann Fabrics, have the slowest lines around in my hometown. Wegmans and Target are usually better, but not always.
So if you’re like me and hate long lines, here are 5 solutions to the problem!
- Self-Checkout.
From the store’s perspective, self-checkout is awesome because it reduces the number of employees on staff and it can help cut down on shopping lines. As a customer, if you are shopping for just a few things, it can be great. But the fact of the matter is that people often avoid self-checkout because of technical difficulties. I guess it all comes down to a matter of preference and your level of comfort with the technology.
- Shop Online.Fast, easy, and all from the comfort of your home. In my opinion, there is nothing better than shopping on my couch wearing sweats! The drawbacks? You can’t see or hold a product to experience its actual size, weight or texture. Shipping charges may come into play when it comes to heavier items. You also may have to wait for the order to be filled and your item(s) to ship, depending on the company.
Use Mobile Couponing Apps.
If you’re coupon-enthusiast, you know that it can be painful to wait for an employee to try scanning paper coupons, fail, and then wait for the manager to come over. Mobile couponing apps, such as SavingStar, allow couponers to access deals on their smartphones by connecting to loyalty cards. This eliminates one step in the checkout process and still results in $$ savings for the customer.
- Chipless RFID Tags.
This one is still in development, but has the potential to speed up, or even eliminate the checkout process! Leading researcher Dr. Karmakar explains, “If you have credit card details on your mobile phone, you can pay as you walk out.” Perhaps these “smart labels,” will soon replace the UPC barcode, but there are several barriers in the way, including cost per RFID tag and a complete overhaul of the current UPC system. We’ll see what happens!
- Digimarc® Barcodes.
This is my personal favorite so far, at least in terms of the grocery store checkout experience. Every inch of the packaging is scannable, thanks to barcoding that is imperceptible to the human eye! According to Digimarc’s website, the Digimarc® Barcode is much faster than traditional barcodes and significantly accelerates checkout scanning speed. Now we just need to hope – and beg – manufacturers and retailers to jump onboard with Digimarc®!
Although there isn’t a perfect solution to the long checkout line dilemma right now, there is some great potential in the works. In the meantime, I will continue to dream of a world without slow checkout lines and keep the chipless barcode and Digimarc® barcode on my radar!
Questions?
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Email info@L-Tron.com
About the Author:
Carmella Giancursio is L-Tron’s Public Relations Specialist & Content Editor. When she’s not working, spending time with her husband, or taking care of her 3 young kids, she can be found in the kitchen, channeling her Italian heritage!