Although the modern age is associated with an inspired and faithful belief in the bright future of technological development, some people are concerned about the influence of these advances on their daily lives. As such, some technologies might cause job displacement due to their cheapness or effectiveness. According to new research by the World Economic Forum, a new generation of intelligent robots can potentially replace a significant chunk of present human occupations (Kelly, 2021). The number of job positions that are predicted to be taken by technology is extensive, yet, World Economic Forum emphasizes that the new market would create new jobs (Kelly, 2021). Although the future cannot be as dystopic as one may suggest, new technologies can still create difficulties for people. An example of displacing change is self-service technology in supermarkets.
Self-service technologies are pervasive in the daily lives of modern customers. They give retail service organizations new methods to connect and inform customers while saving money. Self-service checkout machines, portable self-scanning devices, digital payments, artificial intelligence, and computerized social presence via robots are examples of self-service technology used in retail businesses (Sharma et al., 2021). Stores all over the world are utilizing in-store technology to support quality of service, customer happiness, and loyalty, as well as to cut costs and optimize productivity improvements. Finally, supermarkets employ a computer system known as an electronic point of sale to monitor and control stock, undertake market research, and gather data about consumers via loyalty cards. Although the technology of self-service is helpful for consumers and owners of the stores, it might misbalance the labor market.
Cashiers are becoming one of the jobs that are increasingly being replaced by self-service technologies. The requirement for physical cashiers has begun to decline as a result of online buying (Wong, 2018). For example, Metro and retail titan Loblaw revealed plans to enhance self-checkouts in certain shops to assist in offsetting minimum wage rises in some regions (Harris, 2018). Customers, on the other hand, finish the procedure themselves. Self-service devices at physical stores allow customers to check out their own purchases. In most circumstances, a person is required to convince the machines that, indeed, the consumer has placed the item in the bagging area. Cashier positions will continue to decline as technology advances and checkout-less establishments become more practical. Thus, technology presents a particular threat to people whose only skills involve being cashiers in stores.
Hence, job displacement might affect the cashiers and their immediate family members. According to Hawk’s (n.d.) statistics on cashiers, these individuals are primarily females aged over thirty. This means that people working in supermarkets after losing their job due to automation could hardly find a new jobs. Frequently, they do not have additional education to present demanded skills to new employers. Moreover, they might not have time to receive these skills through training or graduation from a university. These people could be mothers with families who have to work to guarantee the well-being of their children and yet cannot provide all their time for new business. Therefore, self-serving technological employment can disrupt work-life balance for these individuals, whereas the lost source of profit might affect the condition of their families.
For other community members, the technology of self-service provides multiple advantages. These include quicker service, convenience, saving time and money, a more comprehensive range of service options, eliminating needless encounters with service workers, and better control over the service delivery process (Sharma et al., 2021). For example, online purchasing availability reduces the time spent shopping, which increases the free time of people involved in a variety of activities, such as parenting. Next, checkout-less establishments provide an opportunity to preserve the budget for people who tend to spend mindlessly. However, older adults might experience difficulties using the new technology, which causes supermarkets to preserve their cashiers or install mixed arrangements.
Safety and comfort issues existing in supermarkets are being addressed by self-service technology. Its pervasiveness has grown to the point that most stores are required to have some type of self-checkout or purchasing kiosk. As a result, the number of self-checkouts in major merchants’ establishments, and notable supermarkets, is constantly increasing (Sharma et al., 2021). Hence, job displacement is probably inevitable and will affect society. Namely, it would eliminate low-paying job positions with monotonous tasks and create a more demanding market in the future. Thus, jobs will be accessible to people, and technology will displace all humans, but it will change the level of specialty needed to receive an income.
To conclude, self-service has multiple advantages over similar jobs of cashiers in supermarkets. Checkout reduces waits, which enhances the customer experience and increases revenue. Self-service technology also enables merchants to add additional checkouts without raising labor expenses or taking up precious shop space. When a consumer scans their shop card or identification, it also allows smarter on-screen customization. As a result, technology displaces people from their jobs, which affects the well-being of these individuals and their families. However, these changes are short-term, and, in the end, society can benefit from self-service.
References
Harris, S. (2018). “They kill jobs”: Meet Canadians who refuse to use self-checkout. CBC. Web.
Hawk, T. (n.d.). Cashiers. Data USA. Web.
Kelly, J. (2021). The U.S. lost over 60 million Jobs—Now robots, tech and artificial intelligence will take millions more. Forbes. Web.
Sharma, P., Ueno, A., & Kingshott, R. (2021). Self-service technology in supermarkets – do frontline staff still matter?Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 59, 102356. Web.
Wong, J. C. (2018). End of the checkout line: The looming crisis for American cashiers. The Guardian. Web.