A Store Without a Checkout Counter? JCPenney Presses on with Retail Revolution

[angelatc]

Your way of life is almost inevitable. Try going to even a zoo without a smartphone nowadays with those stupid blob squares for info instead of a zookeeper/naturalist who might tell you something interesting about the exhibit.

With the exception of the bird and dolphin shows, I've never been to a zoo where a human stood around to answer questions. I've only encountered signs, and boxes with speakers in them that didn't work half the time. I'm fine with signage, but the smart phones would be an improvement over the latter.

Damn smartphone people. Soon the signs will be gone too, all thanks to them.

 

[angelatc]

Besides, who better to complement items and ensure proper color coordination, sizes, etc., than the cashier during checkout of their customer’s finalized purchases?

Go shop in a boutique if you need that.

 

[angelatc]

And you think it is hard to find somebody to help you in the store now....



Really? I'm thinking security guards standing by the doors. Once thieves figure out where the RFID tags are, the merchandise should start flying off the shelves and out the door.

I worked in a department store for a while (also worked for the famous Harrod's Department store in London- saw many celebreties including the Queen's husband Prince Phillip in there). This is one reason for the high unemployment among unskilled workers- they have been replaced by technology. Even if they may be easier or faster- avoid self checkout and go help support workers and jobs by going to a real checker. They don't earn lots of money (usually) but they do spend it in other local businesses which also enourages more workers there. It helps everybody.

Doesn't help me. Makes prices higher.

 

[angelatc]

Free market and full transparency--the way our country was set-up to be.

So you don't believe we have a right to privacy?

 

[truelies]

Well that will be the last of my shopping with them if they want to go complete self check out. I hope they fail, utterly and completely, as an example of how important a human factor is in retail. I am not one of those who wants a hovering sales associate, but the sterile environment of a tracking system and wireless grid is nauseating. I thought that many of the places that were putting in self checkouts were removing them because of cost factors and lack of use?

Exactly my thoughts

 

[moostraks]

With the exception of the bird and dolphin shows, I've never been to a zoo where a human stood around to answer questions. I've only encountered signs, and boxes with speakers in them that didn't work half the time. I'm fine with signage, but the smart phones would be an improvement over the latter.

Damn smartphone people. Soon the signs will be gone too, all thanks to them.

I guess I attend a higher brow set of zoos (Miami, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Columbus to name a few we often have frequented). There was a time when the different exhibits had people who were interactive with the public, but not so much anymore and it has been diminshed to a few special exhibits as you have stated to be your experience.

As for signage, that is actually the situation at the Columbus Zoo where the information is a name and area and unless you have a smartphone, then you are out of luck on the rest at many of the exhibits.

 

[angelatc]

I guess I attend a higher brow set of zoos (Miami, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Columbus to name a few we often have frequented). There was a time when the different exhibits had people who were interactive with the public, but not so much anymore and it has been diminshed to a few special exhibits as you have stated to be your experience.

As for signage, that is actually the situation at the Columbus Zoo where the information is a name and area and unless you have a smartphone, then you are out of luck on the rest at many of the exhibits.

I grew up in Columbus! I remember when that zoo was all cages. Then Jack Hannah came along, and suddenly we were getting national attention with the changes he made.

I have a friend that knows him. I'll call him and bitch.

 

[silverhandorder]

I am for one happy about cellphones and chips replacing mundane labor. First they can make our society richer doing other things and second it saves me on convenience. If you are afraid of technology I don't know how I can help you. It is just the way life goes. Can't expect people to conform to your life style.

 

[donnay]

Funny, I was at the zoo a couple weeks back -- annual pass is the best darn deal in entertainment around -- and we were at the tortoise exhibit and overheard a young child ask the couple zoohelper people there: "whats the difference between a turtle and tortoise?". The best answer they could come up with? "Tortoise are bigger". Really? Thanks but I'll take the digital answer with more details and explain the differences to my kid, myself.

Thanks to the good ol' public school system we are producing more and more illiterate/ignorant people by the day, that IS the real tragedy of this all.

 

[donnay]

So you don't believe we have a right to privacy?

Transparency on the market side of a truly free market. Besides you said in an earlier post you have no problem with biometrics (thumb scanning) and the fact it is much more convenient for you to do your shopping.

 

[angelatc]

I am for one happy about cellphones and chips replacing mundane labor. First they can make our society richer doing other things and second it saves me on convenience. If you are afraid of technology I don't know how I can help you. It is just the way life goes. Can't expect people to conform to your life style.

I'm not afraid of cell phones. I just have no desire to make myself available to the whole world 24/7. Leave a message, I'll call back.

 

[angelatc]

Transparency on the market side of a truly free market. Besides you said in an earlier post you have no problem with biometrics (thumb scanning) and the fact it is much more convenient for you to do your shopping.

I have no problem with it as long as the government doesn't mandate it. I have no desire to make you scan your thumb, but I don't want to stand in line behind you while you dig through your purse looking for another nickel, either.

That's how markets function best - individuals making choices.

 

[moostraks]

I grew up in Columbus! I remember when that zoo was all cages. Then Jack Hannah came along, and suddenly we were getting national attention with the changes he made.

I have a friend that knows him. I'll call him and bitch.

That would be awesome...lol! While you are at it tell him he needs to mind his business about animal ownership and the new polar bear exhibit is a bit over the top with the global warming. The Columbus zoo is really nice esp. with a North American animal exhibit which most zoos don't do, but I like Pittsburgh's better, as it doesn't seem to be putting on airs so to speak. We haven't made it up to the Cleveland Zoo yet, but are supposed to get reciprocity with our annual Pittsburgh membership.

 

[moostraks]

Funny, I was at the zoo a couple weeks back -- annual pass is the best darn deal in entertainment around -- and we were at the tortoise exhibit and overheard a young child ask the couple zoohelper people there: "whats the difference between a turtle and tortoise?". The best answer they could come up with? "Tortoise are bigger". Really? Thanks but I'll take the digital answer with more details and explain the differences to my kid, myself.

Which is all part of the profit ratio. They hire people that don't care to do the manual labor instead of paying people who excel at their trade and can relay the information. The electronic format is now the means to combat having to look for and reward the human factor. It does not, however, reward the soul as well. I have seen the spark from an enthusiastic caretaker more than once as they have interacted with my children. The zoo went from a place one goes to see animals to a potential career choice. Zoos should be punished like any other business by taking the dollar elsewhere when they fail to live up to expectations, which we did-annual passes to Pittsburgh now instead of Columbus, because their format is more condusive to our lifestyle. I agree about the annual pass. With a family our size it is the best deal in town. We almost always have had an annual pass to a zoo somewhere in the area we live in.

 

[donnay]

I have no problem with it as long as the government doesn't mandate it. I have no desire to make you scan your thumb, but I don't want to stand in line behind you while you dig through your purse looking for another nickel, either.

That's how markets function best - individuals making choices.

Yes, ideally, in a free market of which we do not have. Government is mandating the biometrics--drivers licenses all over the country.

The problem with all of this is they will get what they want, because Americans are impatient and want instant gratification.

This is why since 9/11 (12 years) we have seen a rapid descent of our liberties--so many people are willing to give up liberty, not only, for security, but for convenience. True democracy--51% want convenience while 49% are willing to be inconvenienced to guard their liberty. Democracy sucks!

 

[Nickels]

No, it wouldn't be more honest to say what you are reading into pp remarks. I love technology, but not at the expense of human beings or my privacy. That would not make me a techno-phobe. In my world that translates to shrewd analysis and opposition to the ulterior motives of sociopaths who never have an end to their desire to control their fellow man.

What do you mean by at the expense of human beings? Technology ALWAYS saves time, and ALWAYS makes things more convenient, so eliminating the imaginary privacy you only had due to lack of technology, or decreasing job opportunities, is almost guaranteed, what examples are you thinking of where technology does not do one or both of them?

 

[Nickels]

Transparency on the market side of a truly free market. Besides you said in an earlier post you have no problem with biometrics (thumb scanning) and the fact it is much more convenient for you to do your shopping.

do you mean when it comes to trading, there should be no privacy?

 

[LibertyRevolution]

I have no problems with this technology, I don't like waiting in line. I use the self checkout all the time.
There will be sales associates on the floor to help you, you just don't have someone go through all the items you bought and ring them up..

Our local grocery store has that scan it thing where you just scan things as you shop and bag, then just pay at the self checkout, no waiting.
They have 18 registers, 4 are self checkout, and there are only ever 2 cashiers on duty.
I keep waiting for them to get rid of the other 12 registers they don't use.

 

[Nickels]

I have no problems with this technology, I don't like waiting in line. I use the self checkout all the time.
There will be sales associates on the floor to help you, you just don't have someone go through all the items you bought and ring them up..

Our local grocery store has that scan it thing where you just scan things as you shop and bag, then just pay at the self checkout, no waiting.
They have 18 registers, 4 are self checkout, and there are only ever 2 cashiers on duty.
I keep waiting for them to get rid of the other 12 registers they don't use.

so why do you care about the registers they don't use? what better use of space would they be for?

 

[heavenlyboy34]

So you don't believe we have a right to privacy?

It's currently settled law that there is no such thing as a right to privacy. Sad but true.