CINCINNATI — More and more Kroger shoppers use the self-scan checkout lanes to save time, especially when many of the regular lanes are closed, and the few open ones have a line.
But one of the biggest complaints about those self-checkout lanes is the lack of space for all your items.
Many people struggle to get their purchases into the bags on the little carousel, sometimes dropping a glass jar, leading to that embarrassing "cleanup in aisle 13" page over the P.A. system.
So Kroger has just begun adding new larger self-scan lanes to stores throughout the Cincinnati area, and other regions.
It is already in place in the Oakley Kroger Marketplace, where Kroger invited us to see the new lanes in action.
How the new lanes are different
Kroger's Jenifer Moore said that the new lanes have a belt, just like the clerk lanes, to move your purchase down to a large loading area, where a bagger will bag your groceries in most cases.
It's essentially a full service checkout lane without the full service, because you will do your own scanning.
"Last week, we launched belted self-checkout lanes in over 40 stores in the Cincinnati/Dayton division," Moore said. These stores will continue to have traditional checkout lanes with cashiers and courtesy clerks to assist customers and will also keep their existing self-checkout lanes."
So if you are someone who likes a clerk to do the scanning for you, Kroger will still offer that.
But with staffing shortages keeping many lanes closed these days, it will be nice to have another option, and not have to fumble with a cartload of groceries at the tiny self scan checkout.
After all, none of us want to trigger the shameful "cleanup in aisle 13" announcement.
As always, don't waste your money.
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