Customers In Canada Refrain More From Using Grocery Self-Checkout Machines, Say They're Killing Jobs

Mar 19, 2020

It's no secret that we're facing a massive job shortage. More and more people are struggling to find the entry-level jobs that used to be commonplace in our country. While some blame outsourcing for the problem, others are suggesting that automation might in fact be the real culprit.

In this intriguing 2018 story out of Canada, people are finding that human interaction is their preferred way to shop.

We don't think about automation a lot, but it's all around us. One of the biggest examples of automation is the rise of self-checkout machines at drugstores and supermarkets. Self-checkout machines allow customers to check themselves out as opposed to being checked out by a cashier.

While an employee will usually stand guard over the self-checkout area to guard against shoplifting and dishonesty, the proliferation of self-checkout machines means that stores don't need to hire as many workers, which in turn leads to fewer job opportunities.

However, some people are fighting back against automation by refusing to use self-checkout machines and kiosks. A study by the Canadian Dalhousie University has revealed that most shoppers prefer to pay for their goods the old-fashioned way.

While two-thirds of survey respondents said that they'd used self-checkout machines in the past, only 11% cited these machines as their preferred way to pay. Experts speculate that there might be myriad reasons behind this growing backlash to self-checkout kiosks.

Besides the fact that they eliminate jobs, many people prefer the face-to-face interaction that comes with the traditional method of paying for one's purchases. As automation continues to grow and expand, this debate is only going to get more heated.

Show your friends this story to see what they think and give us your thoughts in the comments. Do you think it's time to boycott self-serve kiosks in order to save jobs or do you think automation is a positive sign of progress?