PSA: Woolies Self Checkout - Overhead Trolley Cameras Now

It would seem that the self-service checkout stations at my local woolies (Sydney inner suburbs) have learned a new trick.

I have grown used to the camera in the scanner area checking - and sometimes even helping with - my selection for fruit and veg.

Now it would seem there's an overhead camera keeping an eye on your trolley contents. I'm not sure how I feel about this one… I can't help but suspect that it'll misfire much more often than it's right.

So here's how the encounter went… A small quick Sunday morning grocery run.. my mini-trolley had several fruit items, some bakery & dairy and not much else. The perfect quantity for a swift exit through the self-service bays.

First I scan the cold stuff then the fruit & veg, all packed into a single insulated woolies bag. That goes into the trolley, I scan the last few items packing them into a regular woolies bag

All done, I tap the pay button and BAM… an obnoxious little message asking me if I'd forgotten to scan something in my trolley.

Stuck, I had to call the attendant over to unlock the station… the console showed her a neat little overhead view highlighting my insulated bag. "Did you scan all of those?" A little bit taken aback, all I could say was "Ummm…. yeah, of course." The computer nerd in me manically trying to fathom how any system could be smart enough to tell the difference between un-scanned items & items that have been scanned and put back into the trolley for the trip back to the car.

Anyhow… that's the PSA. Watch out for these annoying new cameras.

(I'm not quite sure what I, or anyone else could do differently here. Are we meant to let all our stuff pile up on the station until we've paid?)

Related Stores

Woolworths
Woolworths

Comments

    • +77

      LOL… The mini trolleys and the kiosks are deliberately designed for exactly that purpose.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW8oUpO3Fp8

      • +7

        Yeah I still remember the first time I tried it and basically thought to myself: "Holy shit. This is genius. Anybody else see this genius move? I hope so."

        • Every time I use them I think "Holy shit. Why the f… have they blocked it with a rubbish bin or random boxes so it doesn't work as purposed?"

        • +3

          @munki Yeah, but I trip over the back wheels constantly. Not so with the bigger original trolleys - so a step backward in trolley design.

      • Love the crash sound into the back plate.

      • Wow - you've unlocked a whole new world for me - LOL!

    • +11

      What if you have 2 cases of water?
      Lift more?

      Also, OP didn't use express checkout

        • +8

          And when you shop at 8pm and its the only checkout open?

          There are also double wide self checkouts at woolies for full sized trolley loads.

        • +10

          I’m not allowed to buy water? Screw you buddy

        • +1

          Do you guys not have phones?!?!?

    • +15

      The height of the left hand side packing shelf next to the self serve checkout machine has been specifically designed to allow the base of the smaller trolleys to fit over the shelf so you can unload your items onto the scanner easily and without blocking the walkway.

      You are wrong.

        • +8

          And 4 hours after that video was posted you doubled down with this:

          Self serve is what I meant. Cheers.

          So you and Woolworths still disagree regarding the intent of their self serve checkouts. I'll continue to use them as Woolworths intended.

            • +2

              @Muzeeb: I knew you were talking about self serve checkouts and not express checkouts, I didn't realise you actually agree that Woolworths intends for their customers to use small trolleys at self serve checkouts, so fair enough.

              • -6

                @Dogsrule: Yes. There was some viral video on r/australia a while back.

                Is it an actual clever design or just lucky that someone discovered this works?

                It is annoying when there a multiple people waiting in line at the "self serve checkouts" with a handful of items and several people have decided to self process their weekly shop. The system is not designed for that.

                Edit: you edited your post while I was replying so it probably doesn't make sense now.

                • +6

                  @Muzeeb:

                  Is it an actual clever design or just lucky that someone discovered this works?

                  It is almost certainly specifically designed for this purpose, because about 18 months ago my local Woolies refurbished the self serve checkouts - before the refurbishment the packing shelf was too high to allow the trolley to be wheeled over it.

                  The system is not designed for that.

                  If Woolworths didn't intend small trolleys to be used with the self serve checkouts they wouldn't have changed the design to accomodate them, and they would use the same '15 items or less' sign they hang above the express checkouts.

      • The trolley will no longer fit due to the covid safe plastic screens limiting the width. You can get the tip in only

        • Mine still does, the screen just gets pushed over an inch or so.

    • +14

      Sure, just queue up for the one staffed checkout lane instead of going to 10 open self-serve checkouts, because they keep introducing shittier technical constraints on the self-serve.

      • +1

        I still havent used a self serve register, and nor will i.

        • +3

          That's fine, but you have to be willing to wait an extra 10 minutes to get to the checkout (at stores i frequent) - either that or order online.

    • +6

      The self serve checkout section is not express anymore. It's just the checkout section.

      I think only the boomers use the manned checkout bays.

      • +1

        I wish all the slow people who clog up the self-serve would use manned checkouts as well…

        • If only it was possible but nope, the shops cut the number of manned check outs down to one or two

      • I use manned check out bays as it's quicker. Even more so when I have my toddler in tow.

        I am not a boomer.

    • +11

      Which I'd love to, but my local woolies has only one regular manned check out working with a queue as a result.

      Same for local Coles.

      Thus they force me to do their job, not pay me, but also treat me as a criminal. All for their savings

    • +1

      If you need a trolley then don't use the express checkout

      Thanks for the PSA, but not relevant in OP's case

      • -2

        You didn't read the complete thread obviously.

        • your comment is a top level comment on the OPs post, so I fail to see why you keep saying this mate.

    • Self checkout is not express checkout?

      • -3

        You didn't read the complete thread obviously.

        • +1

          you don't know me

          • -1

            @Boioioioi: Correct. I don't know you but I do know that you didn't read the complete thread.

        • Maybe they did read the thread, but had the false perception that you might be competent enough to edit any mistakes that you made in your responses?

    • +1

      If you need a trolley then don't use the express checkout.

      what part of OPs post makes you think this is anything to do with an express checkout. I assume by express you mean "12 items or less" which is a manned checkout.

      Colesworth have both been phasing out manned checkouts in favour for the self serve (for obvious reasons) so it's almost a guarantee that you'll need to use it for your trolley shopping, you know this, unless you've not been to either of them for 3 years.

    • Sometimes you have to wait a while if waiting for a person checkout.

    • Crazy how this had so many upvotes and now it's in the negative.

  • +28

    Will they capture bald spots?
    Asking for a friend
    .

    • +7

      Nothing that a little bit of extra polish for the old noggin won't defeat. Bing on the lens flare :D

    • +1

      This was my biggest fear reading this.

    • +18

      It's when the machine starts serving ads for Regaine that you know it's all gone too far.

  • +35

    There's too much surveillance.

    • +8

      I understand its a public place, but being recorded from every angle is a bit much for just trying to shop there. They should be forced to delete it at the end of average shopping duration minimum.

    • -4

      Will be very hard to get around if the government decides to lock us down again now that all the facial recognition systems are up and running. These conspiracy theories are eerily accurate nowadays.

      • You could always leave Earth and be the first person on the moon.

        • How Sway?

        • Unless you can't leave when the government starts to implement individual carbon credits system, health code check via digital ID and CBDC 🙄

    • +1

      You can't leave your house anymore without being captured on a billion cameras. Add in facial recognition. Future totalitarian states will be much worse than anything the Soviets or Nazis could have come up with.

  • +52

    I have no issue with cameras being used for surveillance, but do they really deter shoplifters? I have seen people literally wheel an entire grocery shopping trolley full of stuff straight through and scan nothing.
    When this new system was initially introduced the checkout asked me if I had scanned my bakery goods. I don’t have any bakery goods. It also took a picture of my legit brown onions and took a photo and the attendant had to approve it before I could pay.
    I used to use self service checkouts because they were quicker and more convenient. Now, in between the ‘unexpected item in bagging area’, ‘please bag your item’, ‘did you scan your bakery items’ and several times where the register roll has been out of paper and not given me a receipt that I needed (whether for competition purposes, tax receipts of whatever) it now seems easier to go to a checkout with an operator.

    • +6

      there's been the occasion where the operator had no line so i figured id use them instead of self service. every darn time it feels like slow motion, especially when it comes to paying with egift card. they scan faster but everything else somehow takes longer

      • +12

        Wish the self-checkouts would stop defaulting to credit card payment though, then I have to cancel.. wait for system, select gift cards. That feels like slow motion.
        Also if I type in the wrong PIN for my gift card, just fail the payment and present again.. why the need to wait for attendant log in to tap ok so I can try again (maybe just do it after 3rd fail or something)…

        and would it hurt them to implement quantities like Bunnings? Scan once, tap quantity, dump em all on the scale, done. Not like I'm Indiana Jones, judging the weight of a few of bags of lollies before I switch em out for something else on the scale..

        • +4

          Everyday Pay is excellent for utilising gift cards.
          - Load all your GCs in to EP before shopping
          - Scan register QR code with EP app
          - Scan items at register
          - Hit pay and you're done. No prompts. Your GCs are charged via EP app.

          • @Murdrum: Haven't started using EP yet. Can you add GCs to multiple EP accounts and does it only use a linked Rewards card?

            • @bamzero: I've only tried gift cards in my own account/card.

        • I'm the opposite, and since most people are likely to be using an debit/credit card it should be the default.

          • @whatgift: Sure, I can see it from the other point of view, but it pops up the selection screen then auto selects credit card. Why not just stop at the prompt and let the user decide. It's not like it saves that much time reducing one tap, but it sure takes a lot longer to cancel and wait till you get back to that selection screen.

            • -1

              @bamzero: I think it's a case of having one less step for most people (and they would have metrics to support that) - it's actually one reason I prefer Woolies self checkouts over Coles (which does allow for a selection).

    • +12

      I've seen that, too. A young hippy looking woman and her 12? year old kid were packing heaps of crap into a big trolley (and getting in my way every 5 mins). When I was paying for my stuff at the register, the woman gave the trolley to her kid and and walked out of the shop. Then the kid asked me if she could get through as I was in her way. She asked very politely, so I just let her pass.
      She followed the mum outside, packed everything in the car and drove off. Me and the checkout chick were dumbfounded.
      I thought wow, what great parenting…

      • Kid stole the goods - not the mum, so no jail time.

    • +39

      UNEXPECTED ITEM IN THE BAGGING AREA

    • +11

      'Professional' shoplifters aren't deterred by anything. They understand the systems and have many ways around them.

      What most of these systems are designed to do is deter casual attempts to take advantage, creating an atmosphere where most generally honest people aren't tempted.

      Semi-frequent false positives are a feature of this kind of system, as they send the message that the store is 'keeping an eye out', even if the results are effectively random.

      It's the reason why you may occasionally hear an announcement like "camera scan isle 12". Seriously, if someone suspects you are shoplifting they sure ain't announcing the fact on the store PA system.

      • +13

        The annoyance may backfire though and turn generally honest people into "Professionals"..

        • +9

          Challenge accepted

        • I'm getting tempted to just walk out with my goods if they screw up the programming on the checkouts to the extent it complains more than twice in a session. Maybe toss down a $20 note as best guess and let them deal with their computer issues.

      • +1

        We used to say 'caroline 32, x' where X is the shop area where we noticed someone dodgy. It's a shame that we end up paying for shoplifters with higher prices

        • +1

          Heh. When I used to work at K-Mart "Caroline" on the PA meant that an alarmed emergency exit door had been triggered. So, if "Caroline 3" was called out everyone was supposed to rush to emergency exit 3 to chase whatever shoplifter had taken off out through that door.

          I doubt that shrinkage has much impact on prices. If it was a major deal K-Mart wouldn't have relocated checkouts to the middle of the store, with only a store greeter at the front to wave people through while not checking receipts.

          • @AngoraFish: Ohh wow, I worked at Coles when I was in high school many years ago and the Caroline calls were for whenever the alarm system triggered an alarm there too, although it was usually for refrigeration alarms. We had "Mr Steed" for the situations when shit was going down and everyone had to move quick… Actually heard it at a Coles not so long ago, so probably not just our store.

        • -1

          Do shoplifters really result in higher prices?

          Would the prices really be lower if there weren't shoplifters, or would the profits just be bigger?

          • @random12: Shrinkage is huge

          • -3

            @random12: Yes, it creates higher prices. It increases the costs of the store. Because the store is not a charity it passes these costs on to the customer by increasing all the prices of their items to cover this.

            Aren't you the "hey everyone I've got some hot takes on accounting/leave balances" person? Have you given up cosplaying as Mr Numbers?

        • Is that why Coles made $1b profit 21/22 while we also paid higher prices? Because shoplifters are destroying the company by stealing?

          Funny how Coles increasing prices for record profits while guilt tripping us into forking over more for the farmers they exploit is not considered stealing but good business.

    • and fix the damn weight of your 3L milk Woolies.. every time, unexpected item in bagging area, only product or not.
      "I'm using my own bag"

      • Did you weigh your bag at the beginning?

        • +2

          No bag. Just the bottle of milk, happens every time so I just say using my own bag to bypass.

    • +3

      Just remember - a lock is not meant for the thief, lock is to stop a gentleman or a lady from turning into a thief.

      Thief is gonna a steal in any case - video cameras present or not.

      I have seen junkies shoplifting in broad day light - while I was scared of the 6ft security guard of specific ethnic origin - who was staring at me!

      Sometimes I really question my life choices - specially when I look at my tax statements.

      • -3

        while I was scared of the 6ft security guard of specific ethnic origin

        Hol up. What the actual (profanity) is this?

        • -1

          Yeah, exactly. Cancel choopachups! Six feet is a perfectly cromulent height.

        • -1

          Get a life

          • -2

            @Champ888: What world do you live in where "specific ethnic origin" is regularly used?

            • @[Deactivated]: Every day pal. Get a life and grow up.

              • -2

                @Champ888: Well thats a blunt lie now, isnt it. Why are you like this?

    • +3

      Support the real checkout chicks
      We need to keep them employed to stop these crappy self serve check outs taking over all together
      And keep paying cash as well.
      Its very important for your privacy.
      Electronic payments are all tracked!
      You never know where all that captured information about you is going.
      Take for example Commbank tracking your expenditure now.

      Just keep paying cash!

      • Sounds like a Paul Kelly song.

        • +1

          Coles delivery…… to her door…….. to her door.

      • Commbank tracking your expenditure now.

        Yes, they are now showing carbon consumption in the smartphone App.

        Basically, carbon is entering the economy as a form of currency,
        (so much for memories of Tony Abbott crying "no carbon tax!"),

        And central bankers have already started securitizing and tokenizing nature,
        ie. put a price on trees, water, air….CARBON.

    • Haha I've accidentally done that,

      As I was changing isle, the corner of my eye see the deli outside the store that I need some ham from.

      So i just push my trolley to it.

      I don't recall when i realised what happened, but it was near the end of buying my ham

      When i realised I roll my full trolley back into coles and finish my shopping

  • +1

    Put bag on floor next to self checkout area when full? I do this anyway currently, depending on what's already in bags vs left in trolley.
    Seems it's just dumb ai trying to detect an empty trolley so should be easy to work around if you don't want to have to wait for someone to swipe their employee card :)

    • +3

      Yeah… sticking the bags on the floor might work, assuming the image recognition can tell a grocery item on the floor from one in the trolley. The grossness factor of putting food items on the floor makes me wanna say nah though. Some of the stuff I see happening in my local mall is just gross.

      • +1

        Aren't your items in a bag?
        If you think a food item in a bag on the floor is gross , you probably don't ever want to know what goes in the food supply chain then ;)

        • -1

          you probably don't ever want to know what goes in the food supply chain then ;)

          Haha… yeah. I worked in that space, so I saw first hand some of that too.

          And even then, there are some habits amongst certain members of my local community that really make you think twice before putting your bags down. I would have to burn my bags after use if I even suspected they'd come into contact with anything of that sort. 🤮🤢

        • +2

          I too don't like putting my bags on the ground when there's not enough room at the checkout or in the trolley yet.

          Sometimes the bags end up on our kitchen counter or table at home so having it off the ground in the shops seems cleaner, even though they also end up on the floor in our house.

    • +2

      Floor is filthy i wouldnt put shopping there personally

  • +22

    My fav is when the lady comes and stand right behind me when I'm the only one in the area. Not sure if this is their training, but I usually turn around and say "do you want to do this?"

    Some of them stand so close to you it's so uncomfortable. Should just start coughing loudly.

    • -4

      Pam?

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