Walmart alters course: Drops self-checkout expansion amidst customer concerns

The advance of technology helps facilitate our lives a great deal, but do we pay a high price when it comes to relying on the machines way more than we should?

In order to speed up the process of running errands and shopping for groceries, Walmart introduced self-checkouts. What they didn’t expect, however, is to face backlash because of this decision that many of the customers consider controversial.

The self-service machines aren’t something new. In fact, they were first introduced in the 1980s to lower labor expenses.

But this service faced plenty of obstacles and customers complain to the added responsibilities.

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For example, certain items may have multiple barcodes, whereas the produce, including the meat, fruit, and vegetable, typically needs to be weighed and manually entered into the system using a code, which might be time consuming for the ordinary shoppers. Other times shoppers won’t hear the “beep” confirming an item has been scanned properly.

Another issue is the increase of theft. Walmart announced that thefts at its stores has reached an all-time high.

The machines not only fall short at their purpose of making shopping easier at times, but they also make it harder for the employees they were meant to help.

Christopher Andrews, a sociologist and author of The Overworked Consumer: Self-Checkouts, Supermarkets, and the Do-It-Yourself Economy, says the system “doesn’t work well for anyone.”

He continued: “Everyone feels like they have to have it. Companies are thinking: ‘If we can just get more people on this, maybe we can start reducing some overheads.’”

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What’s most, most of the customers have reported that they miss the human interaction while shopping.

Randy Parraz from Making Change at Walmart perfectly summed up customer sentiments by saying, “You can’t convince customers to do the job of a cashier just because you don’t want to pay for the work.”

Walmart decided to listen to what their customers had to say and instead of further expanding automation, the retail giant will hire additional cashiers to provide their customers with a pleasant shopping experience and service.

What Walmart and the rest of the retailers, among which Costco and Wegmans, learned is that efficiency is important but maintaining a balance with positive experiences remains crucial.

‘Top Chef’ star Naomi Pomeroy found dead at 49 in river, days after going missing

The search for missing Top Chef star Naomi Pomeroy has come to its tragic conclusion after she was found dead in a river.

As per reports, the Portland chef’s body was discovered on July 17, several days after she had gone missing following a tubing accident.

Benton County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a heartbreaking statement that Naomi had drowned. Its investigation found that three adults – Pomeroy, her husband Kyle Linden Webster and a friend — became entangled while on tubes and a paddleboard that were connected.

Tragic details in their report go on to say that Naomi was pulled underwater after the group encountered an “exposed snag in the water” and was thereafter unable to free herself due to the “paddleboard leash”.

According to sources, Corvallis Fire Department members were able to recover Webster and the friend at the shore, but Pomeroy’s body was not immediately located.

A search was initiated, with the sheriff’s office offering an update on July 17 to say that Pomeroy’s body had been found on the Willamette River about a half mile upstream of Hyak Park between the towns of Corvallis and Albany.

LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 22: Chef/Owner of Beast and Expatriate Naomi Pomeroy attends the All-Star Chef Classic at LA Live on March 22, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images)

The office detailed how people canoeing the river had spotted a body which later turned out to be Naomi’s.

The 49-year-old was a self-trained chef who became popular within her industry after opening the acclaimed Portland restaurant beast in 2007.

Pomeroy appeared on Iron Chef as well as Top Chef Masters, while she also served as guest judge on Top Chef in seasons 10, 15, and 18.

The show and its network, Bravo, made a statement following Pomeroy’s death, writing on X:

“The Bravo and Top Chef family send our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Chef Naomi Pomeroy. Naomi was a powerhouse chef who made an indelible mark on the culinary industry.”

Rest in peace, Naomi Pomeroy.

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