If you've visited the South End Walmart store in Greater Sudbury lately, you may have noticed that the express checkouts run by cashiers have been replaced by an expanded area of self-checkout machines.
The store still has traditional checkouts run by cashiers, although less than it used to.
The New Sudbury Walmart still has its express checkout area, although it also has some self-checkout machines that have popped up in recent years, as they have at many larger stores.
We thought we'd ask Walmart Canada why they've moved toward more self-checkouts.
An email from Walmart Canada spokesperson Diane Medeiros said the machines make its customers' shopping experience “more convenient” and faster.
Associates who previously worked at the checkouts will be “re-assigned” within the stores to other tasks, she said.
Medeiros did not answer our question about whether or not we should expect the same type of restructuring at the New Sudbury Walmart store.
See her full response below:
“Like many retailers, Walmart Canada is adding self-checkout services in our stores to help make our customers’ shopping experience more convenient,” said the email from Medeiros.
“This service adds another choice for our customers and will make for a faster checkout experience.
“Associates are re-assigned within our stores to better serve our customers in new ways – helping customers find products, bringing groceries to customers’ cars and supporting our online business in-store.
“Our goal is to have a cashier option available at all times for our customers who prefer to checkout with an associate. Customers, at any given time, can request a cashier to ring in their purchase.
“We appreciate hearing our customers’ feedback and are always evaluating our processes to better serve our customers.”
