8 hous at $15 an hour is $120
Two security cameras. At most $2000
Assuming the register is basically the same price
Do you want to pay a person to stand and scan groceries for 2 weeks for $1200?
Or do you want to spend $1200 on cameras that will last years?
30k+ a year vs. $1200 once
People could steal 29k worth of stuff, and the company would still makes the same profit.
The cameras are basically security theater anyways. No one is ever going to watch the footage unless needed.
The efficiency is definitely there
Would you rather have 2-3 lines with cashiers or 6+ self checkouts?
I would say I would get out of the store way faster doing self checkout. I call that efficient.
Places like Sam’s Club with their Scan and Go checkout. I can scan all my groceries with my phone as I put them into my cart. Then I just walk under an arch with cameras that scans what barcodes it can. Then I walk out the door. I don’t even have to wait in line or go to a self checkout.
Cashiers aren’t efficient
If the company had to pay cashiers, then the prices of goods are just going to go up. Corporate execs and board members want the money.
So, do you let the Corporate execs and board members save money and hope not to raise prices (maybe lower them), or make them pay a cashier so they are going to raise prices.
Even though I hate the “please place the item in the bag!” “Unscaned item in bagging area!”. Self checkouts are efficient, and the future.