No cashiers, please: Futuristic supermarket opens in Mideast

AP ^ | Sep 6 | By ISABEL DEBRE

[cgbg]

soon they will impose a tax on each machine.

Future machine revolt--"No taxation without representation"--and the Democrats will give the machines the vote.

Oh wait, that already happened in 2020!

[aquila48]

I prefer that too. I wasn’t being critical.

My point was that the cashier job is still there, but that you’re now doing it.

I also pointed out that in a sense you’re getting paid with lower prices.

And as you also point out it’s faster and more convenient.

[bdfromlv]

no shoplifting in a society that removes the hands of thieves.

[GaryCrow]

This is what happens when you make labor expensive through regulations, taxes and of course the minimum wage.

The incentive is for tech/automation to eliminate jobs especially unskilled work...

Except Dubai has no minimum wage and labor is generally very cheap. Emiratis generally don't work, the only place you'll see one working is at the immigration counter when you enter Dubai. All low level work like cashiering will be done by imported workers, usually Filipinos or Indonesians will be doing cashier and server work. Manual labor is usually done by Indians and Pakistanis. In many respects it's like the illegal immigrant workers in the U.S., except in Dubai it's actually legal. They still work for pennies though.

I posted on another thread that minimum wage doesn't really matter when it comes to automation, a machine is always going to be cheaper no matter the wage and jobs will be automated if they can be. Several posters disagreed with me but they're wrong, it will happen no matter the wage. This is a good example, workers in Dubai cost very little yet they're still getting replaced with machines.

[Don W]

A good cashier is VERY skilled.

[Chickensoup]

fat. Have MarketBasket grocers here. Jega stores with the friendliest staff. One smiles as one shops there prices are good too. Sort of the chick fil a of shopping experiences. Love them!

[Chickensoup]

I like the relationships I build with every day interactions. I have a bank and a credit union. As the bank becomes more automated and as they have eliminated positions I find my credit union gets the bulk of my business.

[Irish Eyes]

Bookmark.

[ASA Vet]

the CommiecRATs will give the machines the vote.

They aleady did. It's called Dominion.