One afternoon I found myself on post with time to spare. After I grabbed a coffee and checked out the thrift store I wondered over to the commissary to pick up a few items.
We live 45 miles from post so my trips to the commissary are usually scheduled and mapped out to make the greatest use of my time and money. On this day I just happened in, deciding I would stroll through the aisles until something piqued my interest.
As I walked up and down the isles I noticed a larger than normal number of shoppers but it wasn’t until I attempted to check out that I realized my mistake.
It was payday. And as all military spouses know a visit to the commissary on payday can carry the same frenzy as shopping on Black Friday or Christmas Eve.
To help alleviate some of the frenzy DeCA is considering innovative technology that could put an end to long checkout lines.
DeCA Considers No-Cashier Store Technology
Recently Amazon launched, a first of its kind, no-cashier store in Seattle. Amazon Go allows customers with the app to select items and simply walk out.
The technology used can tell when items are removed from shelves and placed in your basket.The store uses cameras, the app and barcodes to monitor shoppers, charge accordingly and automate payment upon the shopper exit from the store.
Shortly after leaving the store, the app charges the customer’s Amazon account and emails the shopper his or her receipt.
DeCA is considering implementing similar technology in commissaries.
This concept could be a valuable time-saver for service members during the post-PT breakfast hour and lunchtime rush. Patrons can quickly select items and head back to work without waiting in long lines.
Busy parents would also benefit from a no-cashier shopping experience. They could quickly purchase last-minute dinner items, after-game snacks or cupcakes for a birthday party.
The no-cashier option is a wonderful alternative to traditional checkout lanes.
Instead of No-Cashier Stores, I Want Grocery Delivery Services
In my opinion, in addition to the no-cashier option, the commissary should consider grocery pickup and delivery services.
If they truly want to eliminate long checkout lines, eliminate the need for patrons to physically visit the store.
In my area, the big box stores offer grocery pick-up. This system allows shoppers to order weekly, monthly or daily supplies online, schedule a pick-up time and pay for items all from the comfort of their homes.
One downfall with this method (in my experience) is the pick-up times are never convenient.
They usually do not have pick-up times available the same day, so shoppers must order groceries a day or two in advance. This would be OK, except for those times when you need milk, bread and eggs in an hour and can’t make a trip to the store.
Related: Dear DeCA, Please Expand the Click2Go Program
My favorite option is grocery delivery. This is an amazing time-saver. I order groceries from the delivery app, select a delivery time, usually within an hour or two and pay for my purchase. Groceries arrive on time and I use my time to take care of more important things like catching up on work or relaxing with a good book.
Oh, did I mention, most services deliver wine too!
There is a fee associated with these delivery services, which I happily pay, considering it a convenience fee.
One downside to grocery delivery service is sometimes store sales and loyalty cards apply to the purchase. If you are an extreme couponer or on a tight budget this may not be best the option for you.
Time will tell if DeCA will decide to implement this technology and/or alternative processes to improve the shopping experience, but I believe they are moving in a positive direction by acknowledging issues and seeking alternative solutions.
Less likely!
I’m with Joe ! I prefer to use cash or a check. I also prefer to pick out my own groceries. I do not have nor do I want a “smart” phone. I can live with or without coupons.
I would still shop there because I need the savings the commissary gives me but I would not like it.. Would we have to bag out own groceries as well?
That would have been my childhood dream. As a little kid I would’ve exited the store with junk food and candy bars stuffed in my shirt or pants and my parents would have been forced to pay for it as I left. Also, with no cashier an underaged teen can exit a store with alcoholic beverages, medications and Tide Pods without a cashier stopping them. All this is a real worry since many military members have children and teens. Also, a considerable number of military members themselves are between ages 18 and 21 and it is illegal for them in the USA to be drinking alcohol.
It would be every teens and kids fantasy to walk out with unhealthy snacks and candy under their coat while mom or dad involuntarily pays for it on the spot. At the same time older teens up to around age 21 can walk out with beer, booze, medications and Tide Pods and there is no cashier to card them and serve as the law and prevent them from leaving the store with stuff that can make drunk, high and sick. If kids and teens under age 21 weren’t allowed in the Commissary this system would be ideal and people could do a quick shopping. With kids and the existence of items they cannot legally purchase or what mommy and daddy say no to this is an impossibility. Anyway, many members of the military are between ages 18 and 21. Creating laws saying they cannot shop at this commissary would alienate them. The kid-teen factor is something that needs to be taken into account when considering this new cashierless system.
It would be every teens and kids fantasy to walk out with unhealthy snacks and candy under their coat while mom or dad involuntarily pays for it on the spot. At the same time older teens up to around age 21 can walk out with beer, booze, medications and Tide Pods and there is no cashier to card them and serve as the law and prevent them from leaving the store with stuff that can make drunk, high and sick. If kids and teens under age 21 weren’t allowed in the Commissary this system would be ideal and people could do a quick shopping. With kids and the existence of items they cannot legally purchase or what mommy and daddy say no to this is an impossibility. Anyway, many members of the military are between ages 18 and 21. Creating laws saying they cannot shop at this commissary would alienate them. The kid-teen factor is something that needs to be taken into account when considering this new cashierless system.
OMG ! STOP THE MADNESS !! Do away with stateside commissaries, Focus on a DEBIT CARD program that can be used at any store ( SAVING HUGE AMOUNTS MONEY MINUS THAT PESKY SURCHARGE aka a TAX) No cashiers?, BUT whose picking out your groceries and delivering them to your home for a fee? I LIKE SEEING WHAT I’M BUYING FIRST TY…… Once WW and some Korean War Vets are gone, Young troops won’t shop there unless quick items before going home. .
The relatively new NAS Jax store can’t even keep the self serve price checking devices operational. How would they even install real high tech systems?
No! I don’t even like the self serve checkouts (imagine trying to get then to work when you have cataracts or other vision impairments) .. much less not even being able to pick your own groceries in person in the first place.
I will have to also agree with the one who pointed out the horror of parents having a higher bill because the child went and did something parent wouldn’t ever get them in the first place (like stuffing junk food, gum, candy in their jacket or pockets).
Given that Commissary is now going to sell alcohol, how will you verify age in order to keep liquor license .. i can see here an instance with teens using their parent’s ID card .. who will do that visual check? (And more horrifying .. being a divorced Military Retiree … what will prevent my ex from using the ID cards of the dependents that he’s stolen?
If you fear your ex husband stealing and using the military dependents ID cards to shop with you need to realize that most military bases post 9-11 have a guard at their gate who would make it hard to enter the base with a stolen dependent ID to shop at the commissary to begin with. He with his five o’clock shadow and crows feet could hardly pass himself off as his own teen or tween son and even less likely as his daughter. Most normal dependents’ only get ID cards when they are between ages 10 and 18 or up to 23 if in college full-time. A life-time dependent would be a disabled child. In most cases a guard at the gate might stop your husband if he is not employed on base. If you are worried you should collect all the ID cards’ before the court ordered visits your children have with their dad so the chance to steal them will be non-existent. I am sure your children will understand if you explain the reason for it.
I could never shop in a no cashier store. I don’t have a smartphone. I us cash (Greenbacks) or a credit card.
Absolute not just going to take away more jobs. I see a lot of over charges.
I would much rather have click 2go grocery pick up service than having to scan and bag my own groceries.
I hope Scott AFB is considered, we have a large retired population here.
I would be less likely.
Too many things can go wrong with all the technological gadgets.
It’s hard to keep up with all the updates that you have to do and if something goes wrong the whole store would have to shut down.
Think of all the workers who would be Quiana job.
I’d be happy if they could just get the price scanners to work. Tired of getting to the checkout and finding that the “too good to be true” price posted was wrong.
I wouldn’t use the no cashier option. Can’t even imagine what kind of surprises I’d find on my receipt.
Keep the cashiers. The self-checkout system is lousy, I never use it.
When I go to the Commissary I buy between 600 to a 1000 dollars worth of food. I can just see me struggling with NO Cashier Technology. This is a nightmare in the making. Why can they not leave thing alone and let these people continue to have a job. Quit catering to the WAWA’s…
It wouldn’t change my trips to the commissary, As long as the new technology is “Optional” and NOT crammed down my throat.
This new system assumes that everyone is a techno junkie and has a smart phone with all the bells & whistles, believe it or not, there are still people out there that don’t have one, or a basic flip phone at most.
It also assumes that I wander around the store picking up items and simply walk out, WHO’s going to bag a basket full of groceries, NOT ME ( or is it I ), if I wanted to bag my own groceries, i’d get a job at the commissary.
I don’t use grocery delivery, because as George says, I want to see & touch the items i’m buying, NOT having some store employee pick me out a Rutabaga when they don’t even know what one is.
It’s easy to see what most shoppers think of new technology, simply go to your local WalMart and look at the huge lines at the 3 open checkout aisles, while the rows & rows of self checkout lanes are empty, because folks simply don’t want to use them.
I don’t see this happening. This technology is going to charge you via an App on your smart phone or is going to charge the person standing next to you or the person who steps in front of you before you put the item in your cart?
This may get rid of the need for cashiers, but they will need to hire more customer service personal to handle the complaints and make adjustments.
The commissaries are dying because of bad management and the fact that the kids today can’t see the value in shopping at the commissary.
Less likely. No smart phone.
nope .less likely !! So you gonna take the job away too ?! People needs job too!! Electronics really hurting bec its taking away the jobs for people. I know that most company is trying to be most efficient for other shoppers but it’s not helping other people.
I would not shop at the commissary if they dob this. I don’t want some to pick out my meat or veg. Just wait and see what a mess it will be when the customers bring back half of the stuff they got. It will be a mad house.And i don’t have a smart phone and don’t want one. A person don’t need them. So i hope our commissary keep’s the cashier’s.
I live about 35 miles away so it makes a 70 mile trip. This means less frequent trips to commissary than if I lived close so our orders are usually fairly large. We like to see what we are getting ahead of time. If my wife is alone it would be a problem. She is not high tech and has some difficulty with larger items. I personally don’t like the self-check out at some stores. Always seems to be a problem of some kind or another. Self check out is fine for small orders for some people.
Self checkout lines can be riddled with fraud. For example, produce items can be under counted or incorrect choices picked for less expensive items such as inputting codes for Red Delicious Apples when you are actually buying Honey Crisp Apples (which are very good but much higher in price). Self check out lines will eliminate jobs & remove the personal interface between cashiers & customers. Additionally many retired personnel and military spouses are baggers who work hard for tips only. They carry the groceries to their vehicles and load the bags in their vehicles. They do this in all kinds of weather conditions.
I DO NOT WANT ANY OF THAT AT MY COMMISSARY !!! I prefer to deal with a few crowds which are never long at my commissary! If you want to do both, then that is the option people have. we already have the option to checking out ourselves. I pick my own groceries and I use a check most of the time and I prefer it that way.
After you pay baggers and surcharge and if you don’t have a smartphone and don’t live within 10 miles or so Walmart, etc. is the place to shop. The government wants a cashless society ( you would think politicians would desire cash!). Always bring a second person when you shop – makes checking out so much faster.
I have been reading the replies sent in. They have already said everything I would say. Just read them. But most importantly, PLEASE DON’T ELIMINATE ANYMORE CASHIER AND BAGGER JOBS! When you add up all these people in all the commissaries, you’re talking about hundreds and hundreds of people on the lower end of the earning spectrum that can least afford to lose their job. Are there robots already running management? Does no one have a heart anymore?! Come on people, have a heart!
I have trouble already with the self checkouts. If I buy a marked down item without a bar code, I still have to have to ‘cashier’ come over to ring it up. Sometimes the ‘cashier’ is looking around and not paying attention to the self check out lanes, the blinking lights or is talking to another employee. One has to call over to them for help. I use paper bags and sometimes it is a problem when the weight doesn’t register or if I put the bag on the platform too soon. I have never exited the store without some kind of problem with the self check out. I usually shop right after the store opens and one hour before the cashiers start work therefor I am forced to use the self checkout. It is a terrible inconvenience.
less likely to shop
Whatever next?. There must be some lame brain from higher up trying to see how confusing they can make it for commissary patrons.. No, it’s not convenient, read all the comments above.
I am over 80 years old and I’ll be damned if I will scan my groceries (which typically could be anywhere from $100 t0 $150), bag them. and put in cart. Well actually I cannot physically do it, so what now?
If some check-outs still have a cashier, it’s going to make those lines longer for the patrons who don’t care to use the self check out..
Get reasonable.
No. I would not use that kind of service. Sometimes I change my mind about an item and take it out of my basket. How would that be effected. I would probably get charged for it correct? My husband recently passed away. I just shop for myself, I would run up to store closest to me instead of Commissary if they changed to no cashier checkout.
I know what you mean. I sometimes do the same with groceries. I might change my mind and decide a certain thing might not be the best thing for my diet or too expensive. A cart that actually charges for items could cause chaos. I can imagine a family with young children who would add unhealthy snacks, candy and soda while the parents’ are distracted. It would add a burden on the grocery bills for young families who cannot afford that added burden.