Pittsburgh’s CBS News is reporting that JC Penney’s will eliminate cashiers by 2014, replacing them with self-checkout stations. The clothing tags will use RFID technology to scan at the self-checkers:
It’s been a hundred years since James Cash Penney opened his first store in Wyoming. But the store is getting a makeover – specialized boutiques within the store like a denim bar – and more.
The CEO of JCPenney is the former retail chief of Apple, and he wants to shake things up to restore the company to profitability.
But one of his ideas – replacing clerks with a self-check-out system – well, that doesn’t go over too well with some customers.
Penney’s CEO Ron Johnson says the store will switch the traditional bar codes on price tags to RFID’s – or radio frequency identification chips – and use self-service checkout machines found in many grocery stores.
Now, JCPenney will not be eliminating store clerks all together. Each of the proposed boutiques within the store will have its staff. But beginning in 2014, at check-out you’ll be on your own.
hwendt12 says
yesterday. What are they THINKING???!!! People are looking for MORE personalized service, not LESS!!! Wow-if Penney’s keeps making these IDIOTIC decisions, they will take their place alongside Montgomery Ward before they know what happened!
moredhead says
thanks Jill
i knew you could make a better post.
i didn’t even use a good subject line. lol
I don’t shop there anyway and i sure wouldn’t now.
I will not use self checkouts.
theresa1740 says
LOL might as well change everything at once since the business decisions are already taking a toll on the JCP business. What do you think will be next??? A drive up window.
christina23 says
The CEO is in crisis mode to save face but it may come at the expense of the company and the employees who will lose in the end. He will move on to another executive position and perhaps screw up that enterprise as well. I’m thinking this guy is a one trick pony who thinks he can use the same strategy that made him a success at Apple anywhere and it is obvious that it ca’t work just anywhere. He certanly hasn’t come up with any more brilliant ideas…
Flag1 says
Maybe they are pushing people to use their credit cards so they can tack on their extra charge. By then maybe even debit cards will have a charge. Cash is always a pain at the self-checkout. I haven’t purchased anything from them in quite awhile so won’t hurt my shopping experience. :)
dolrskolr says
at the rate they’re going. First, screwing with pricing and the ability to minimize total with coupons and now taking away some of the human element. Personally, I really hate those self checkouts. They never go right for me, I buy discounted items as much as possible, which means you have to wait for the rep to come over and key those in, then any coupons used have to be keyed in by the rep, and on and on.
Self checkouts are a major pain and I get in and out faster thru the other registers. Of course, buying a few items with no coupons or not discounted might be ok but I don’t typically shop that way for the most part. Plus, I’m not the swiftest at finding the barcode to scan, then have to bag appropriately. There’s something to be said for someone to scan and bag for you in addition to developing a relationship with them for your next trips thru the registers.
mymolly says
Last time I was in JCP could only stand it for a few minutes. Each area had their own music blaring. When I stood in some spots, I heard two different overhead speakers playing different music – LOUD. Good-bye JCP!
oscar9209 says
I hope that they have enough regular checkouts. I’ve tried self checkout at grocery stores, and Walmart. Every time that I used one there was a problem with one or several items, coupons, or something not working right. It then required the monitor to come and deal with the problem. I avoid using them now. It’s faster for me to just use regular checkout lines. Maybe for someone not using coupons, buying clearance, or only one or two items, it is faster. I would also wonder if an alarm might go off as I leave the store, if the tag didn’t register that I paid for a purchase.
llamalluv says
Not just eliminate cashiers. The references he’s been making to self-checkout is NOT self checkout STATIONS like you have at grocery stores where a cashier monitors 4-6 registers. He means, check out on your iPhone or on another mobile device. The plan is to eventually go to 100% mobile checkouts.
https://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2012/07/24/jcpenney-to-replace-cash-registers-with-mobile-checkout-devices-by-2013
Some stores already do this in a limited way (Costco employs a method called “line busting”) and it sounds like a total inconvenience for anyone that uses cash, rather than credit or debit.
https://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/story/2012-07-24/mobile-checkout-nordstrom-jcpenney-apple/56468084/1
If they are getting rid of cash wrap completely, does this mean that any time I go shopping, or think I *MIGHT* pop into a store to purchase something, I need to bring my own supply of bags to carry my purchases home?