Walmart is planning a store without cashiers

Axios.com ^ | 12/19/2017 | Christopher Matthews

[mykroar]

Walmart's NYC-based innovation center is experimenting with a cashier-less store concept called Project Kepler, which "aims to reimagine the in-store shopping experience with the help of technologies like computer vision," Recode reports.

Project Kepler is in part aimed at creating a store that would feature no checkout lines or cashiers, but use computer vision to detect which products customers leave the store with and then charge their accounts accordingly. Why it matters: Amazon is also experimenting without cashiers, while roughly 3.5 million Americans operate cash registers for a living.

Recode also reports that Walmart's new start-up subsidiary, called Code 8, is experimenting with "high personalised, one-to-one shopping experiences," that will be marketed to "busy NYC moms."

[Salvation]

I never shop at Target. They will not allow the Salvation Army Bell Ringers at their locations.

Their loss. And I encourage other to do likewise.

[Garth Tater]

"They’re trying to emulate the Sesrs/K-Mart business model..."

Yep. If I can't quickly and easily hand my cash to a person with a smile on their face that speaks English I will go elsewhere. My minimum requirements: Cash, Smile, English.

And don't make me wait 20 minutes to checkout. That was the last straw for me with Sears - middle of the day, more employees than customers in the store and they were all from "another department" and couldn't check me out. I haven't shopped there in years.

[subterfuge]

I think most of the machines take cash.

[Keyhopper]

Well if I have to go, and the ladies room is open, I now identify as a female

[meatloaf]

Maybe. Just remember the flyover states put Trump in the White House. Care to guess where the majority of Walmart’s locations are? Something pushed them to almost a half trillion in sales and climbing. What does Amazon do, 150 billion? When it comes to profit, it’s worse.

[editor-surveyor]

.
Walmart is planning a store without customers?

Coming soon to a neighborhood near you!
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[morphing libertarian]

I have neighborhood walmart across the street. A small supermarket with great pharmacy. Their self-check works well. If I bag and buy a donut, I need help and someone is right there. The scanning, debit card and buy a bag functions work perfectly.

Don’t go to McDonalds much but anxious to see their kiosks. So much for government increasing minimum wage.

[editor-surveyor]

.
>> “What happens when blacks riot?” <<

Free Day!
.

[usconservative]

What happens when blacks riot?

That's not rioting you racist! That's undocumented shopping.

[SamAdams76]

Back in the early 90s I used to do my grocery shopping at a super Walmart, because I saved quite a lot of money. But as time went by I stopped because it took 20 minutes just to checkout. It was absurd to see 20 checkout lines, but only two or three ever in operation.

I stopped going to Kohl's for the same reason. Just three or four cashiers with the remaining 10+ checkout slots empty. One big long line snaking back to the pantyhose section policed by an overweight grouchy woman (who is NOT wearing pantyhose) directing those at the front of the line to the next available register. Then once you got to the register, you'd have to endure the spiel of "we can take 20% off your order if you apply for our store credit card." Yeah, like I'm going to hold up the 72 people behind me even longer so I can fill out a credit card application form!

It was a brutal experience and the only reason people in line didn't go completely beserk was because they were able to bury their heads in their smartphones to pass the time.

Anyway, there are a lot of people replying to this thread chortling about this and that and how it will never work because people will leave the store without paying for their goods - they have no idea what they are yapping about. They do not realize the state of surveillance technology today. Pretty much anybody stealing from a retail store these days is going to get caught. Surveillance cameras are incredibly cheap and of high quality. Go ahead and shoplift something today and you will likely have a policeman knocking on your door in a few hours and that's only if you don't get snagged by a security guard in the parking lot. (If you are a protected minority or an illegal alien, you will likely not be chased down - so carry on at your own risk).

This is surprisingly under-reported but shoplifting in retail stores is getting eliminated almost as quickly as ISIS.

[Flipajig52]

Not RFID! Digital Watermarking or the invisible barcode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l99f0mWTelA

[Bellflower]

Let’s hope that they have more people out on the floor. I remember when you could always find someone to help you. Now it’s almost impossible to find help. Not Sam Walton’s Walmart at all. When will corporations realize that life means a lot more than just profits. How about a little real human care for a change?

[Mr.Unique]

We always use self checkout anyway.

I do when they are avaialbe. It does SEEM though, that the self checkout readers as way more (or is it less?) sensative.

You have to line up the bar code just right to get to to scan.