Trader Joe's Addresses Rumors of Checkout Lane Changes
After rumors circulated that Trader Joe's would be introducing self-checkout lines, the grocery chain's CEO is setting the record straight.
During an appearance on the podcast Inside Trader Joe's, hosted by Tara Miller and Matt Sloan, CEO Bryan Palbaum noted, "That's as false as false can be, because we believe in people and we're not trying to get rid of our crew members for efficiency's sake."
"It's not fun," Sloan added. "Self-checkout is work. I don't want that."
Palbaum agreed, sharing an anecdote of trying to use self-checkout at another store and failing on getting the scanner to register his items. He joked, "I do this for a living and I couldn't get this thing to work."
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On the podcast, the co-hosts and Palbaum also addressed the question that everyone who's ever shopped at Trader Joe's has probably wondered: why is every cashier so nice?
They explained that employees are encouraged to be themselves and express their personalities, but are not told what to say. "The last thing we're going to do is provide scripts for people. 'Here, say these things as customers walk up.' It works so much better to be yourself," said the CEO.
Miller also decided to put another rumor to rest, asking Palbaum if crew members are told to flirt with customers. The CEO responded, "Definitively, no." He added, "We have such a unique environment in our stores. You go into a Trader Joe's store and feel that everyone is genuinely interested in whether or not you are having a good day, compared to other retailers. I can see how that might be misinterpreted."
Next: Trader Joe's Recalls Yet Another Product As It May Contain Metal