A recent study of self-service checkout technology in the U.S., Canada and some European countries, concluded that it turns law-abiding citizens into petty thieves by giving them "ready made excuses" to take merchandise without paying for it.
The use of self-service lanes and smart-phone apps caused a loss of 4%, more than double the average, given that the profit margin among European grocers is 3%, the technology is a non-profit venture.
What the report failed to mention is the money the companies save by not paying wages to the workers that the technology has made redundant.
One million shopping trips were audited, amounting to six million items checked. 850,000 were found not to have been scanned.
Proving intent and deciding whether to press charges can be a legal and Customer Relations minefield, the report noted.
Shoppers claimed the technology was faulty, there were problems with the bar codes, or they didn't know how to use the check out facilities. The behaviour is termed "neutralizing your guilt", but, there's one thing that ain't neutral buddy - the law itself. It is the capitalists' law that exists to protect their interests, which includes keeping the wealth they've stolen from the working class who created it.
As for workers, supposedly stealing in check-out lanes - we socialists hope you get away with it.
John Ayers.
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