PCC stores drop self-checkouts to foster community
In a world where grocery stores are adding more technology to the aisles, one store has gone the opposite direction, at least some parts of it.
PCC Community Markets has started phasing out their self-checkout kiosks.
PCC’s Fremont store was the first to lose the self-checkout option. Heather Snavely, VP of marketing, said the kiosks might be convenient, but they don’t foster community.
“That’s one of the other things we’ve heard a lot since we took out the self-check out,” she said. “There’s the people who said, 'You know what, I love when I go into my PCC store and the staff know me, they know my kids, they ask questions.' That’s the type of experience we want to create and the connections we’re making every single day.”
By May, all 11 PCC stores will be kiosk-free.
Other grocery stores like Kroger are experimenting with digital shelf pricing and other ways to automate the shopping experience. And Amazon is ditching checkout lines altogether at Amazon Go.
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Ruby de Luna
Reporter
Ruby de Luna is a reporter with a focus on food and how it intersects with health, communities, and culture. She has also reported on health care, and immigrant communities.
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