| Self Checkout |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT SELF CHECKOUT | |
| distribution, retailing, and wholesaling | |
| payment systems | |
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Some Retailer s have introduced self checkout machines, where the Customer is permitted to scan their own items and manually identify items such as Fruit s and Vegetable s, and place the items into a bagging area, where the item is weighed. The weight observed in the bagging area is checked against previously stored information to ensure that the correct item is bagged, allowing the customer to proceed only if the observed and expected weights match. There is normally an attendant watching over several self checkout machines, to provide assistance, prevent theft through exploitation of the machines' weaknesses, and to enforce payment. Attendant assistance is also required for the purchase of age-restricted items such as Alcohol and Tobacco . The benefit to the customer is in the reduced checkout time because stores are often able to efficiently run four self checkout units where it normally might have had one or two cashiers. The time efficiency requires that the customers using the machine are reasonably competent, however, as an inexperienced customer can cause the same sort of delays as an inexperienced cashier on a conventional register. The benefit to the retailer in providing self checkout machines is in reduced staffing requirements. The investment in such machines is particularly worthwhile where the price of labor is sufficiently high, as is the case in most Developed Countries . Although theft is likely to increase when shoppers use self checkout machines, each item in a supermarket is typically of low value, and this makes it worthwhile to accept the minor loss in revenue given the significant savings incurred through reduced employment. Payment on these machines is accepted by card via EFTPOS , or Cash via coin slot and bank note scanner. In addition, many stores also allow customers to pay via check with attendant assistance. Self checkout manufacturers include NCR (Fastlane), IBM , and Fujitsu (U-Scan). ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM An alternative system consists of a portable barcode scanner that is used by the customer to scan and bag items while shopping. When the customer has finished shopping, the scanner is brought to a checkout kiosk, where the information from the barcode scanner is downloaded to the kiosk, usually in conjunction with a . Accessed May 1 , 2006 . SEE ALSO REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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