If it works for grocery stores, why not try it at a department store? JCPenney is doing away with human checkout clerks and turning to self-service stands instead. You never know, perhaps the lure of a new experience will bring in customers to the struggling retail chain, since doing away with sales didn’t quite pan out.

JCPenney’s new CEO, Ron Johnson, formerly the retail chief at Apple, is attempting to think outside the box and finally lead the company to the plus side of the ledger.

And while some customers might balk at the change, the company is assuring shoppers that there will still be plenty of staff elsewhere in the store to help out. In an email to CBS Pittsburgh, a company spokesman would not say how many jobs would be lost, saying instead, this will free up more people to serve customers in other ways.

Johnson says the store will switch the traditional bar codes on price tags to RFID’s – adio frequency identification chips – and use self-service checkout machines. The changes will take place in 2014.

 JCPenney’s to Eliminate Check-Out clerks [CBS Pittsburgh]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.