Checkers also build a rapport with many of their customers. I was a grocery check over 50 years ago, and we had repeat customers that would go to the check stand where they liked the checker.
IF I am buying $200-300 worth of groceries, I can tie up a self checkout stand for an hour while I scan & bag everything I have there. NO room for a conveyor belt for a cart FULL-—I have to try I stack scanned items to get bagged while
there is NO SPACE to do so. IF 4-6 SMALL items-—OK, but when I have a cart full-—that SMALL space doesn’t cut it.
All true.
Self-checkout is also forcing Americans to shop the European way. One or two small bags of groceries only at a time. (Most Europeans bike or walk to a local store, so they can only buy 2 to 3 days worth (for a single person) at a time), at least that’s what I remember.