My local Michaels Store location went self-checkout on May 8, 2024. One register is for cash and refunds, and the other four are now in self-checkout mode. Our local stitch group met the evening after them, running them for a day.
I have seen that most people use plastic money, so cash isn't a big deal.
I decided to try this without the assistance of the nice Michaels Associate to lend me assistance. I want to see if someone like me can use the machine without jumping through hoops.
I was shocked at how easy it was to use.
Jumping around the store picking up products, I needed to run a tutorial. When I hit the cash, a person was already using the self-checkout with the associate, helping them navigate the system for any questions they had.
You can run it past the window under the screen or use the scanner gun for more awkward or significant purchases. I found the scanning gun swift in picking up the bar codes without too much-pointing accuracy.
Of course, Michaels has security cameras throughout the store. The register is also recording you and your scanned items in two different cameras.
As a customer, I liked that it showed me the image of what I had scanned on screen. If I had a coupon, I could push it and scan my phone to pick it up.
My Michaels Location
My Michaels Store is an excellent small-format store. Being in a small community, the staff gets used to you walking in and greeting you with a personal touch. Of course, if you don't want to engage the associate, you can be quick and get on with your business.
My local store, New Minas, Nova Scotia, is immaculate and well-organized. It's common for a staff member to walk by and ask if you need help. If I cannot find anyone to ask questions, I go to the framing section, as it usually has employees helping others, and they can summon another staff member or help you themselves.
The Controversy
Self-checkout in different stores can be very controversial, depending on how people feel about it. My Michaels is so small that an associate helping one or more customers with self-checkouts can be a time saver. The staff take breaks, and the self-checkout can continue without disrupting the store operations.
Going in during May 2024 was smart as regulars like me will become used to it, and when the store gets busier in back-to-school or Christmas, the technology won't be so new.
I cannot help but think of things in our past where the technology change or option for customers to serve themselves has happened. From donuts to dollars, I bet at one point, there was no self-serve at the gas stations.
With Covid-19, I have increased my online purchases to almost 90%. I even use an app to order my tea at Tim Hortons. The app is time-saving and also allows the employees not to face a mountain of traffic staring them down waiting. I will say, though, that if the app isn't working, I won't go in and stand in line.
With Michaels being a craft store, very much like The Crochet Crowd, we go through waves of busy cycles. We are about a month away from our rock-bottom numbers. We will start picking up again mid-summer and then get super busy by the fall to winter season.
Michaels's associates were pretty open about how customers felt about it. The overwhelming majority do not mind it. The associate(s) are at the front and will continue to be to lend a helping hand. So the check-outs are not staff-less. The staff are no longer behind the counters but helping you like a friend.
They've had some pushback from a few people where the technology has people concerned about jobs and lack of personal experiences. At my local Michaels, I don't feel that, as the store has a steady stream of people but is not overwhelmingly busy like Walmart and grocery stores. Our local Value Village is precisely the same as what Michaels has done with six self-checkouts, with associate(s) helping customers if needed.
We are largely in a cashless society, and these machines offer the quick and convenient convenience of a busy lifestyle.
Advice to the Next Generation
If I were to advise the next generation. Don't be the person using the machine; be the person designing and understanding the technology to build the machine. That's where the future is going.
When I heard about Michael adding self-checkout options, I initially had negative thoughts. But then I thought, what is the difference between me using my Amazon to shop as much as I do and this? I thought there wasn't much and settled out my thought process to see the benefit.
The human condition needs 15 days to process life changes, including small things like this. One day in the future, we will say to the even younger generation that the front of the stores was loaded with cashiers but was replaced by automation for convenience. I think a lot of it comes down to a lack of patience when waiting in line. I know that I only go to Walmart before 8 a.m. to avoid people. So, I have adjusted my lifestyle to match what I prefer.
Welcome to the future, like it or not.
Please leave me your thoughts below. What do you think?
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Megan says
I also used the new self-checkout and it was an easy system to use. I didn’t have any problems and was even able to get an emailed receipt (bonus-no more lost receipts if I ever need to do a return!). Now, I am one of the people who likes self checkouts as long as they function well. This one did for me. And, Michael, you are right that gas stations were not self serve 50 years ago. As of mid 2023 when Oregon stopped it, New Jersey is now the only US state that prohibits self serve gas stations. Pretty sure all of Canada allows self serve.
Linda says
I agree with Karen! You aren’t paying me to work in your store and the prices keep going up, so, big no to self-checkouts at any store. I’ve tried them, don’t like them.
Karen says
I don’t get a paycheck from Michael’s, nor do I get one from Walmart, etc or any of the stores asking me to operate the register to complete my purchase. I’m able to use the technology perfectly well, I just don’t see why I have to—and prices are still increasing…