Everyone raves about that new self-checkout system at Target but I had a totally different experience

I went to the Target on 3rd Street last Saturday around 2pm and tried their new scan-and-go thing with my phone... it kept glitching and double-scanning my bread. The error flag popped up so the machine locked up and I waited 12 minutes for a cashier to come fix it. She just shrugged and said it happens all the time. I ended up paying at a regular register anyway but I learned that fancy tech doesn't always beat the old way of just handing someone cash. Has anyone else had the self-checkout glitch ruin their shopping trip?

2 comments

2 Comments

phoenix_adams6027d ago

Target might not tell you this but those scan-and-go systems are basically elaborate data collection tools. Every time you scan something, it's tracking your movement patterns through the store and how long you look at each item. The glitches might be a feature too because they force you to interact with that same system more since you have to wait for the fix. My buddy who used to work at their corporate office told me they get better marketing data from those failed scans than from the successful ones. So maybe the real question is whether the convenience is worth being watched that closely.

the_alice27d ago

Oh man, you're so right! I actually had a creepy moment where I scanned a bag of chips and then got a coupon for salsa at the exact spot I stopped to look at it later in the store.