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Had a very disheartening experience yesterday at a grocery store. Hy-Vee is a chain based in Iowa that has been around for several decades and always had an image and reputation for being employee-owned and humane to its employees, even known for hiring disabled and mentally-challenged people. Looks that all that philosophy is gone now. The store is in an upscale area of my suburb with lots of new development. I noticed that they had got rid of their express checkout lanes and replaced them with scan and go machines just like Walmart did about a year ago.

I mentioned this to a couple customers and they replied that they had no problem with the change, saying that they assumed the store was having problems hiring people for the express lanes. I told them that people need jobs and that I doubt that hiring issues were the case. Typical upper-middle class attitude, blame the worker and not the greedy management. I will do my best to boycott the scan and go machines, just like I do when I have to shop at Walmart. But it disgusts me how many people don't care about the elimination of jobs for more profit, at least not until it happens to them or someone close to them. They prefer convenience over standing up for other workers. I hope that the store gets burned by people using the scan machines and cheating the store by not ringing up everything on it, as I've heard it's possible to do that and game the system by doing that and also ringing up one of an item and then carrying out several more of the same item without ringing up the rest. But I doubt the upscale shoppers there would take the risk of stealing and getting caught. They have too much to lose.....

TomMcGiverin 8 Feb 7
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Hy Vee originated in my home town, Chariton IA. Luckily we don't have those self check outs here and they still hire disabled workers to bring in carts and what not. They did move all their corporate offices to West Des Moines because I guess we don't offer enough amusements for guests flying in from other locations.

Right about that too. Moving the corporate offices to WDM was the beginning of the company no longer being so caring and connected to their employees and customers. They do still hire disabled people here too, but after seeing the scan machines, it's only a matter of time before they stop that practice too. Got to have those max profits, just like WalMart.....

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Update: I left a comment card yesterday at the store stating my complaint about the scan and go machines replacing the express lanes with the cashiers. He called me today and "assured " me that the scan and go machines had been requested by customers, so that's why they made the switch and that they "were not going to be losing any jobs or replacing any workers" with this move. Yeah, right.....

How many of you honestly think that's the truth??

...right.. If they only keep 2 of 8 cashier lanes ‘open,’ naturally 4 of those empty you-scan platforms might look appealing.. I’d say staff 4 or 5 of the 8 ‘check-stands’ ..then see what their customers request. Likely, nothing ~

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I agree completely, and do the same. Not familiar with that chain, as I’ve relocated from West to East, but it’s of course happening everywhere..

Entered one urban store near DC that had only ‘U-scan’ checkouts. Took my purchase to the ‘customer service desk,’ letting them know, I’d not go through those in order to put some cashire out of work. She appeared to understand..

It’s not only that my first job was in a grocery store, or that we’d actually gone on strike for workers rights … or - maybe it is ~

Varn Level 8 Feb 8, 2019
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Typical American business practices and dumb asses continue to accept as long as somebody shouts socialism loud enough because our education system, 47th in the world, is failing and the propagandists are winning.

They (meaning the public) are going to have to wake up eventually when automation and outsourcing get to where the real unemployment rate reaches 25% or more, but by then it will be too late....

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PS- I expect this kind of shit from Walmart, who we all know is evil, but it was sickening to see it done by this long-time, family-founded grocery chain.

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