Editor,
Kudos to FreshCo/Sobeys for the expansion of their facility in 100 Mile House. It is great to see them utilize all their available space to provide the residents of our area with more variety and selection. Something I am sure that all their customers will appreciate. Hopefully, their plans will also include improvements to the front exterior of the old liquor store location as it has been an unfortunate eyesore for several years now after the rest of the the mall decided to upgrade.
Store expansion is good. Installation of self-serve checkouts sad. Using self-serve checkouts is a choice. One that each of us should consider carefully. The obvious first result of using the self-serve option is the fact that you will be taking paid employment away from others. Sobeys is a successful company with annual sales exceeding 30 billion.
It will be using various tactics to herd you to the self-serve option and get you to work for them for free. They will say that the self-serve option will aid them in lowering prices when in fact retailers that install self-serve have to increase their margins to cover the higher theft losses at self-serve. They may say that they are installing self-serve to better serve you. How are they serving you better if you are doing all the work.
Their staffed checkouts will become understaffed creating longer wait times at the check stand with their plan being that your frustration with the wait times will move you to the self-serve option in an attempt to get out quicker. If customers are lined up at the staffed checkouts and there are checkouts not staffed ask for a manager and ask why the staffed checkouts are not open. Retail is classified as a service industry. Keyword "Service".
If you find yourself a sheep flocking to the self-serve option make sure you add to your resume "Will work for Nothing".
Sincerely,
Craig Stecyk
108 Mile Ranch
