Unintended Consequences

[Loulit01]

I don't need a shopping cart. Those little baskets supermarket have suit me fine. Most of the time I carry my groceries home in my backpack, sometimes walking, sometimes on my EBike.

Then they passed the law banning single use plastic bags. This is a good thing, I'm all for that law. But the little handbaskets have become rare. Apparently, people forget to bring their own bags and rather than buy one, they just walk out with the little baskets and never bring them back. I do not like those people.

 

[Demon]

I don't need a shopping cart. Those little baskets supermarket have suit me fine. Most of the time I carry my groceries home in my backpack, sometimes walking, sometimes on my EBike.

Then they passed the law banning single use plastic bags. This is a good thing, I'm all for that law. But the little handbaskets have become rare. Apparently, people forget to bring their own bags and rather than buy one, they just walk out with the little baskets and never bring them back. I do not like those people.

I haven't noticed anyone doing that. I did see one poor woman that had a fairly full buggy. She had the buggy pulled up next to the car door and was loading thinks into very small bags. Really small bags - like they'd hold 2 or 3 cans of pop.

 

[Ug make hammer]

I don't need a shopping cart. Those little baskets supermarket have suit me fine. Most of the time I carry my groceries home in my backpack, sometimes walking, sometimes on my EBike.

Then they passed the law banning single use plastic bags. This is a good thing, I'm all for that law. But the little handbaskets have become rare. Apparently, people forget to bring their own bags and rather than buy one, they just walk out with the little baskets and never bring them back. I do not like those people.

Charge a deposit on the baskets I guess.

Unfortunately, the US is slow to adopt $1 and $2 coins, which would be ideal for a basket dispenser. Some people could be served by a basket app to handle the deposit.

 

[JMR]

I don't need a shopping cart. Those little baskets supermarket have suit me fine. Most of the time I carry my groceries home in my backpack, sometimes walking, sometimes on my EBike.

Then they passed the law banning single use plastic bags. This is a good thing, I'm all for that law. But the little handbaskets have become rare. Apparently, people forget to bring their own bags and rather than buy one, they just walk out with the little baskets and never bring them back. I do not like those people.

My local grocery has a sign on the door that the baskets are not to be taken out of the store...There is also an employee at the exit who oversees the self check area.

I haven't used a shopping cart in 10 years or more. They better have one of those baskets available!!!

 

[Lursa]

I haven't noticed anyone doing that. I did see one poor woman that had a fairly full buggy. She had the buggy pulled up next to the car door and was loading thinks into very small bags. Really small bags - like they'd hold 2 or 3 cans of pop.

I havent noticed that either.

 

[Cordelier]

I just throw it all in the cart and then bag it up when I get to the truck.

 

[Demon]

I just throw it all in the cart and then bag it up when I get to the truck.

That's probably just as easy. I bought 3 of those bags that have a bottom flap that folds down and makes a rectangular tote, and they're heavy just to carry in the store.

 

[Cordelier]

That's probably just as easy. I bought 3 of those bags that have a bottom flap that folds down and makes a rectangular tote, and they're heavy just to carry in the store.

I just find it a PITA to do at the till. You've got the people in front of you still bagging up their stuff, and the people behind you who are getting rung through and waiting to bag up their stuff, and you in the middle playing tetris with all of your stuff and trying to get it into the bag... by the time I get to the till, I just say screw it and throw it all into the cart - I'll bag it all out in the parking lot. I need my elbow room - that's why I live an hour and a half outside the city in the first place.

 

[Demon]

I just find it a PITA to do at the till. You've got the people in front of you still bagging up their stuff, and the people behind you who are getting rung through and waiting to bag up their stuff, and you in the middle playing tetris with all of your stuff and trying to get it into the bag... by the time I get to the till, I just say screw it and throw it all into the cart - I'll bag it all out in the parking lot. I need my elbow room - that's why I live an hour and a half outside the city in the first place.

We usually have baggers, thank goodness because I'm not very efficient at it. The totes would be really simple though

 

[Cordelier]

We usually have baggers, thank goodness because I'm not very efficient at it. The totes would be really simple though

Baggers? Heck, we're lucky we still have cashiers... you know they're itching to make it all those bizarro self check-outs things.

 

[Demon]

Baggers? Heck, we're lucky we still have cashiers... you know they're itching to make it all those bizarro self check-outs things.

I know. I refuse to use them unless the lines are very long and I only have a couple of things.

 

[Lursa]

I just find it a PITA to do at the till. You've got the people in front of you still bagging up their stuff, and the people behind you who are getting rung through and waiting to bag up their stuff, and you in the middle playing tetris with all of your stuff and trying to get it into the bag... by the time I get to the till, I just say screw it and throw it all into the cart - I'll bag it all out in the parking lot. I need my elbow room - that's why I live an hour and a half outside the city in the first place.

Really? Here the cashier and/or bagger still do it for you, just using your bags.

 

[Cordelier]

Really? Here the cashier and/or bagger still do it for you, just using your bags.

Here you're lucky to get a bagger maybe 1 time in 20, maybe? And whenever you do, it's usually because they just want to gab with whoever is running the till.

 

[Cordelier]

I know. I refuse to use them unless the lines are very long and I only have a couple of things.

They're going to be like ATMs replacing bank tellers.... they'll gradually take up more and more of the check-out space until there are probably only 2 tills running at any time and the lines are so long, they'll force you to go to the self-checkouts and then charge you a service fee for the "convenience".

 

[Demon]

They're going to be like ATMs replacing bank tellers.... they'll gradually take up more and more of the check-out space until there are probably only 2 tills running at any time and the lines are so long, they'll force you to go to the self-checkouts and then charge you a service fee for the "convenience".

Yep. My store is usually only running two staffed checkouts. But I usually go around noon, and that probably isn't the busiest time. I will holdout on using the self check as long as I can, to help keep people employed.

 

[Cordelier]

Yep. My store is usually only running two staffed checkouts. But I usually go around noon, and that probably isn't the busiest time. I will holdout on using the self check as long as I can, to help keep people employed.

Time isn't on their side... probably the sooner they realize that, the better. Same thing applies to truckers and heavy equipment operators.

 

[Lursa]

Here you're lucky to get a bagger maybe 1 time in 20, maybe? And whenever you do, it's usually because they just want to gab with whoever is running the till.

Wow. And I'm talking about a fairly rural Safeway.

 

[Lursa]

They're going to be like ATMs replacing bank tellers.... they'll gradually take up more and more of the check-out space until there are probably only 2 tills running at any time and the lines are so long, they'll force you to go to the self-checkouts and then charge you a service fee for the "convenience".

I'm impatient, unless I have a lot of produce I have to 'look up', the self-checkout is faster and I decide how to pack my bags. I often find a lack of common sense (or interest) with grocery store employees on this. And now they're even adding bar codes to a lot of produce too.

 

[Cordelier]

Wow. And I'm talking about a fairly rural Safeway.

So am I.

I guess they're all run differently.

 

[Cordelier]

I'm impatient, unless I have a lot of produce I have to 'look up', the self-checkout is faster and I decide how to pack my bags. I often find a lack of common sense (or interest) with grocery store employees on this. And now they're even adding bar codes to a lot of produce too.

Depends on the day and how fast the lineup is moving for me. I don't think I'm saving anyone's job by going through a regular check-out though... the chains are going to do whatever they decide to do as far as self-serve checkouts go.

 

[RF667799]

We sometimes go to Aldi. They've been "bring your own bags" since I've been aware of them. The checker scans your items and slides them right into the cart of the shopper that was ahead of you. When they're done, your now empty cart takes the place of your now full cart. They have a place to go bag your groceries, or you can wheel your cart out your vehicle and do whatever with them. There's a 25 cent deposit on the cart.

 

[Eriech]

For 2 years during Covid there was a sign at my local grocery store "for the safety of our employees no reusable shopping bags". Single use plastic bags were banned; a ban that took effect last year. A conundrum. We can use reusable bags now. I guess safety wasn't that important.

 

[Fearandloathing]

Yep. My store is usually only running two staffed checkouts. But I usually go around noon, and that probably isn't the busiest time. I will holdout on using the self check as long as I can, to help keep people employed.

I am friendly with the local discount grocery. They have 6 self check outs, and one dedicated staffer to supervise and assist. They have between three and five cashiers during the high points.

He has told me the increase in business by those five machines has forced him to hire additional staff to keep the shelves stocked etc. At first they thought it would reduce wage costs, but have found the increase surpasses the costs of hiring extra floor staff.

If you do consider it? Consider the learning curve. Another store a pharmacy, installed machines that are too complex and not as intuitive. They are losing money at the main store where they initiated the roll out. Get this, it appears seniors really like the easy to use ones as it make us feel "computer competent."

 

[Demon]

I am friendly with the local discount grocery. They have 6 self check outs, and one dedicated staffer to supervise and assist. They have between three and five cashiers during the high points.

He has told me the increase in business by those five machines has forced him to hire additional staff to keep the shelves stocked etc. At first they thought it would reduce wage costs, but have found the increase surpasses the costs of hiring extra floor staff.

If you do consider it? Consider the learning curve. Another store a pharmacy, installed machines that are too complex and not as intuitive. They are losing money at the main store where they initiated the roll out. Get this, it appears seniors really like the easy to use ones as it make us feel "computer competent."

Lol. I feel reasonably computer competent, but who doesn't like 'easy to use'? I've used them a couple of times when lines were long and I only had one or two things, but it's only been a couple of times. One thing I am glad about is that our store finally, a couple of months ago, installed the 'tap to pay' card readers. My debit card chip was always acting up when I would insert it.

 

[Fearandloathing]

I don't need a shopping cart. Those little baskets supermarket have suit me fine. Most of the time I carry my groceries home in my backpack, sometimes walking, sometimes on my EBike.

Then they passed the law banning single use plastic bags. This is a good thing, I'm all for that law. But the little handbaskets have become rare. Apparently, people forget to bring their own bags and rather than buy one, they just walk out with the little baskets and never bring them back. I do not like those people.

Hmmm

Some of the baskets here have an electronic tag that sets off an alarm when taken from the store.

Plastic bags were banned by the city of Vancouver several years ago. Now they have banned straws, plastic forks etc. and even some types of wrapping paper. We're moving to a carpet law banning everything that isn't excluded.

All of that and as generous as I can be we're ****ed. The recycling system we have implemented is a bust. No one understands it, no one bothers reading the labels on the recycling bins and almost everything still goes to landfill.

Years ago I was an avid SCUBA diver. One summer we took an excursion to a group of tiny "islands", rocks really, off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. Pristine, places where it is unlikely man has ever trod!

Except the bottom was littered with cash register receipts and junk food packaging..............from Japan.