Self-service check-outs at the supermarket

For a long time I have eyed the self-service checkouts at my local Sainsbury’s, but have been too nervous to try them out.

The impetus behind them seems to date from American patent 4787467, which was applied for in 1987 by Neldon Johnson. It is key because over 40 later patents from many companies have it cited against them as relevant prior art, quite a number.
 
The patent explains that to save labour costs, a self-service checkout is a good idea. Previous attempts weighed the goods to prevent fraud, but this one read bar codes as well to produce a bill which then had to be taken to a further counter. The shopping trolley rested on a weighbridge. The item taken from the trolley must correspond in  weight with what is placed in a bag on another pair of scales.

Studies apparently show that many like using the new technology, and one friend of mine at least likes using it for fear of embarrassment if he wants to buy just one or two items. I personally feel that they are likely to go wrong, if only over discounted goods. And I do like the personal touch of a person being there.

That patent became the property of International Automated Systems, a research and development corporation. By 2001, at least, a supermarket in Utah, U-Check, which they used for research purposes, only had these automatic checkouts. The shop claimed that its labour costs were a third those of comparable competitors. A member of staff, admittedly, had to wander around as a “fixer” to sort out problems, and a camera was focussed on each lane. The cost was $25-35,000 per lane.

Purely in the interests of research, I tried out the system for the first time at my local  Sainsbury’s branch in north London. I was confused at first as there was no obvious  indication on the screen about where you used your Nectar® card, or where you placed the items to be scanned, or where vegetables were placed to be weighed. Spring onions initially did not seem to be listed as an item for me to indicate as the vegetable being weighed, but then appeared. I could have paid by cash but, not trusting the method of obtaining change, I used by debit card.

It probably took twice as long as usual, and I am not sure that I will use it again, but at least I know how it works. There are probably some losses by fraud or accident – you could select a cheap fruit or fruit variety, for example, for weighing -- but the company does save on labour (but must pay for the machinery). In looking through patent specifications on the subject, I was amused by the comment in US 2007/241188 that “While it provides great conveniences to consumers, the online purchase does not provide so much pleasure as doing shopping in real sales points” – not something I was aware, as I shop out of necessity, not as therapy. 

By 2005 the concept had gained firm acceptance among British supermarkets, with Asda rolling it out across its stores. One advantage was seen as saving on space.

So, what is my Patent of the Month ? I looked through many patents, often with titles like “Self service checkout systems”, and eventually selected Toshiba’s EP 1696395, which simply provides a temporary shelf when the goods are being bagged to prevent damage to soft items. My motivation is that it has a rather nice drawing.

The shelf is marked as (25). 


The ironic thing about all this technology is that this generation is supposed to be better off financially than ever before, yet things that used to be done for us now have to be done by us. We have long been used to putting the petrol in ourselves at filling stations, and now perhaps we will be charged extra in the future for going to a human being at a checkout – if that option exists.

Keeping labour costs down in retailing is nothing new. As long ago as 1916,  Clarence Saunders applied for American patent 1242872, which includes a vivid drawing of the layout of his new store. Previously, you would have asked staff at counters for goods which would be handed to you from shelves behind them. Saunders’ invention meant that you were forced to walk a route through aisles formed by the shelving for the goods, and having made your selection you left via the cash register. Ikea used to have a similar layout. The patent stated that “the customer is required to review the entire assortment of goods carried in stock” and that this would mean “relieving the store of a large proportion of the usual incidental expenses, or overhead charges, required to operate it” – an unusually frank statement. His Piggly Wiggly® supermarket chain continues to flourish across the American South.