escargot

ascii said:

At my local supermarket, there is often a big queue for the automated checkouts, while the human staffed checkouts have no one wanting to use them, they literally have to go on the PA system and ask (beg it sounds like sometimes) people to please use the human cashiers. 

Online shopping vs staffed stores ("human business") is actually a false alternative. There is a third option: physical-but-automated stores. Best of both worlds?

Wow, I'm shocked to hear you say this.  In what country is this?  In Canada, literally the opposite is true.  Everyone absolutely hates those self-serve checkouts, and complaining about them is as popular as complaining about the weather.  Even though there is literally NO LINE at all for the self-serve kiosks, and MASSIVE lines for the few human-run checkout lines, most people would gladly wait much longer rather than get out right away and have to deal with those things.  They have staff literally begging the people in line to come to the self-serve checkouts, proclaiming that it will be much much faster and they won't have to wait.  Sometimes there are even promotions where they can get discounts or free stuff, gift cards etc.  Hardly anyone will budge though.  Those self-serve kiosks are truly despised here.