About this episode
Grocery stores have turned shoppers into cashiers. Zachary Crockett runs two bags of chips and a Gatorade over the scanner. SOURCES: Sara Alloy , experience retail lead for North America at Publicis Sapient. Christopher Andrews , professor of sociology at Drew University. Phil Lempert , founder and C.E.O. of SupermarketGuru. RESOURCES: " Feeling Rewarded and Entitled to Be Served: Understanding the Influence of Self- Versus Regular Checkout on Customer Loyalty ," by Farhana Nusrat and Yanliu Huang ( Journal of Business Research, 2024). " It’s Not Just You: Self-Checkout Is Awful. These Retailers Finally Agree ," by Sarah Bregel ( Fast Company, 2023). " 'I'm Banned From Walmart Over a Bag of Reese's,' Houston-Area Woman Says After Self-Checkout 'issue ,'" by Matthew Seedorff ( Fox26, 2023). " Self-Checkout Is a Failed Experiment ," by Amanda Mull ( The Atlantic, 2023). The Overworked Consumer: Self-Checkouts, Supermarkets, and the Do-It-Yourself Economy , by Christopher Andrews (2018). " The Banana Trick and Other Acts of Self-Checkout Thievery ," by Rene Chun ( The Atlantic, 2018). " Self-Service Checkouts Can Turn Customers Into Shoplifters, Study Says ," by Christopher Mele ( The New York Times, 2016). " Check This Out: A Revolution in the Supermarket ," by Daniel P. Puzo ( Los Angeles Times, 1987). EXTRAS: " How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War ," by Freakonomics Radio (2019). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.