The owners of about 1/3 of the nation’s Alberstons grocery stores are giving up on the notion of self-checkout lanes because store executives worry that shoppers aren’t getting enough human interaction during their Albertsons experience.

“We just want the opportunity to talk to customers more,” a rep for Albertsons LLC, which operates more than 200 of the 600 or so Albertsons in the U.S., tells MSNBC. “That’s the driving motivation.”

Thus, those self-checkout lanes will be replaced by your standard checkout lanes, complete with a human employee.

This decision doesn’t impact the 400+ Albertsons stores that are actually operated by SuperValu. Those stores are listed on this website while the Albertsons that are ditching self-checkout would be listed here.

There are other chains experimenting or toying with the idea of replacing self-checkout with actual humans. Kroger is reportedly trying it out at one store in Texas while Publix is mulling over the notion, according to reports.

We’ve generally found self-checkout to be a pretty speedy way to get through the grocery-purchasing process. That is, until you get behind someone who can’t figure it out.

Where do you come down on the self-checkout lanes?

Major grocer getting rid of self-checkout lanes [MSNBC]

Thanks to Steven for the tip!

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