Apple's Retail Self-Checkout Doing Well, Strong Promotion Coming at Grand Central

[WalkingSnake]

...and you know who ends up paying for stolen merchandise?

Yeah. Keep in mind what I posted above wasn't the entire policy, obviously, but our store loss numbers (at a clothing store in a shopping mall) was 94 units a day. And that's about average.

It's sad that people choose to do it - but face it, if they're going to, they're going to. You can either take strong security measures that make honest shoppers feel uncomfortable, or you can just cater as much as possible to those who are honest.

 

[Trauma1]

It's sad that people choose to do it - but face it, if they're going to, they're going to. You can either take strong security measures that make honest shoppers feel uncomfortable, or you can just cater as much as possible to those who are honest.

This is exactly what these retail stores are doing. This is a company that prides itself on having its own, unique customer experience. They will not compromise that unless their is a compelling reason to.

There have been several Front Page News threads about this EasyPay feature. There are always people that suggest extra staff, more security, tangible proof of purchase, RFID tags, etc. These cost money, and most likely will cost more than the cost of inventory loss. There's no point in installing, implementing, and maintaining these systems if it isn't cost effective; not to mention the fact that there really is no increased risk exposure than before the feature debuted.

 

[Kaibelf]

I want some confirmation when I buy something in a store. Is there a way they email you a receipt kind of like how the app store / iTunes is? How do they confirm you paid for it if you return for support? I like the idea because I went to buy a case for my wife and waited around forever before someone got to me but i also want to have confirmation its mine.

They have had the option of emailed receipts for in-store purchases for years. I still have mine from my ORIGINAL iPhone.

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Seriously Apple, just hire more employees.

Store pickup makes sense. Self-checkout doesn't.

And put them where? The magical hidden floor?

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but as I was about to purchase some "cute" case for my wife's 4S I had the opportunity during "checkout" to read reviews of the product. I discovered it was mostly a POS and not worth my $35. So we actually left the store without a case. I thought it was pretty ironic that the self-checkout experience actually led to a lost sale. I'm happy about it, but thought it was ironic.

The other thing about theft, is that reality is, anyone that would actually steal would do it one way or another. So a system that appears as though it is super lax isn't likely to change the theft rate.

Before this I've left the store with an emailed receipt and no bag many times. Really no difference. Paid at the back of the store. Waded through the people to get out. Either way, could look like I was just walking out without paying.

I think better for Apple to lose a sale now than end up with a lost sale later because you regretted your purchase.

 

[ipedro]

Used it for my Power Support For my iPhone 4s, I almost got tackled by security!

Also, I was kidding, I didn't get tackled but the employees were clueless to what the system was when I showed them a receipt! They asked how I got into their system!

So what you're saying is that you lied. And we're supposed to believe your second claim?

 

[writingdevil]

Nope. Stores in the US have no legal right to do random receipt checks. It was a Supreme Court decision that one must have "specific and atriculable facts". Sam's Club/Costco type places do receipt checks, but they are membership clubs and part of the membership stipulates voluntary receipt checks.


Home Depot and Frys Electronics, for two, check everybody who leaves the cashier lines and the store.

 

[Number 41]

I work in a fairly large court system that has a Apple Store in-jurisdiction. During my time working, I've yet to see a single charge filed alleging shoplifting at the Apple Store.

If they have a loss-prevention program, they aren't using the court system to prosecute.

 

[swordfish5736]

I used this last week to pick up a new iphone case for myself and the wife. One flaw I noticed is you can only buy one item at a time.

I went to the express checkout table to get a bag and they asked for my receipts

 

[ChristianVirtual]

If they have a loss-prevention program, they aren't using the court system to prosecute.

[bad joke]Ah, now I understand: the new DC plans are for a detention center instead of data center; makes sense. [/bad joke]

 

[aluren]

The stuff that you can buy without interacting with an employee are mostly accessories anyways. The most expensive stuff are probably higher end headphones around $200-300. The ease of use with the self checkout at anytime helps with impulse buys since there is now nothing that's stopping you from making the purchase other than yourself. You don't have to line up to pay or find an Apple employee, which are definitely a turn off. I know of many instances where I held off on a purchase because the line was too long (stores in general). This absolutely outweighs the amount of stuff that gets stolen.

 

[daxomni]

No matter how many times I shop at an Apple store it still feels weird to walk out with no bags and no physical receipts. Doesn't matter if I'm walking out with a $100 power adapter or a $2,000 laptop. Either way it feels "wrong" to just walk out. That whole bag and receipt dance has been burned into my head for a very long time. There was a time when being searched at Fry's or Costco felt equally wrong but over time I got used to it. Which probably isn't a good thing to be perfectly honest. I'd hate to become just another sheep too clueless to notice my rights are being trampled on.

 

[bretm]

Nope. Stores in the US have no legal right to do random receipt checks. It was a Supreme Court decision that one must have "specific and atriculable facts". Sam's Club/Costco type places do receipt checks, but they are membership clubs and part of the membership stipulates voluntary receipt checks.


Home Depot and Frys Electronics, for two, check everybody who leaves the cashier lines and the store.

Home Depot does not. At least not in the 30 or so stores I've been in. and I've rolled out the door with a boxed microwave or vinyl windows.

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Seriously Apple, just hire more employees.

Store pickup makes sense. Self-checkout doesn't.

Seriously Apple just put a register at the front of the store like you originally had. No nonsense checkout and it serves as a security measure.

 

[meistervu]

For those who were concern about thefts

Don't worry, be happy; I am sure Apple could take care of itself

As some posts pointed out, most people are honest. If it turns out that the store is losing unacceptable amount of merchandise, it would be rather simple to implement an rfid tagging system that uniquely identify each item and make sure only paid items make it past the door.

On the other hand, theft prevention can go too far. I recall a recent story about a couple with a young child who went into a Safeway in Hawaii, picked up 2 sandwiches for under $6 while shopping and ate them, saving the label to pay later, and forgot to pay for the sandwiches. They did however paid for about $60 of groceries. They were caught and the child was sent to child protective service and the couple thrown in jail. All that for $6 worth of food which they claimed was a honest mistake, and the circumstances seemed to indicate so. I am a rational person, and I think the problem might be specific to that one Safeway, but I can't help but dislike the idea of shopping at Safeways.

It's just materials. In the end we are all going to die and the stuff you accumulate won't matter. If a person is so desperate that he or she had to shoplift despite reasonable security measures, and their shoplifting is not making a dent in Apple's profit, then Apple's approach of providing great customer service and not treating everyone of their customers with suspicion is the right way I think. It's the sort of behavior that I want to support with my money.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

I know Apple has always been very loose with security compared to other big electronic stores... Like with no alarm at the doors and their products not having alarms on them (except the display models) but this takes things to a whole new level of trust in the customer. I just don't see how you can prevent theft to an acceptable level with people just being able to walk out of the store with a product in their hand? especially in NYC... The Apple stores are always full of kids that dont look like model citizens so to speak. I can see this working or being contained in a small suburban town but a big city is a different story.

a little more loose but look at the high dollar items. They require you to talk to a sells staff to get them.
The Apple stores have a VERY limited selection of non high dollar items you can just walk out with. Plus many of those items you could not easily fit in your pocket.

 

[AmpSkillz]

Nope. Stores in the US have no legal right to do random receipt checks. It was a Supreme Court decision that one must have "specific and atriculable facts". Sam's Club/Costco type places do receipt checks, but they are membership clubs and part of the membership stipulates voluntary receipt checks.
http://www.thelegality.com/2008/03/...-the-legality-of-compulsory-receipt-checking/

I love how nothing you claimed above was mentioned in the link you gave (except the Sam's/Costco part)

the "specific and atriculable facts" quote refers to police and apprehension and had nothing to do with store employees asking for a receipt

and if anything the link actually made me think that stores have more of a right to ask for a receipt or even detain suspected shoplifters than I had previously thought

 

[Bchagey]

such a good idea. the Apple store near me (KOP) is always packed and its hard to find a sales rep to check you out.

 

[AmpSkillz]

Bet Buy checks receipts for most large box purchases.
i guess i could deny them now?

or is this they check every large box item so it isn't completely random?

What about Frye's electronics? They aren't a membership club but they check everyone's receipts before you leave. That store creeps me out and the employees look like degenerates, but I have been there a few times when I lived in TX.

Trauma1 is poorly informed

the store has the right to ask you anything they want and you have the right to refuse

however, most states recognize a shopkeeper's privilege law that may allow them to detain you and or search you for a reasonable amount of time if they suspect you of shoplifting

Of course, in most cases refusing to show a receipt simply results in the employee looking at you like you're an ass and leaving you alone

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shopkeeper's_privilege

http://www.swlearning.com/blaw/cases/reasonable_detention.html

 

[mingoglia]

I love how nothing you claimed above was mentioned in the link you gave (except the Sam's/Costco part)

the "specific and atriculable facts" quote refers to police and apprehension and had nothing to do with store employees asking for a receipt

and if anything the link actually made me think that stores have more of a right to ask for a receipt or even detain suspected shoplifters than I had previously thought

I have to disagree. I believe that link clearly spells it out, especially the last paragraph. I suppose you see what you want though, as do I. I'm a receipt refuser so I'm a bit biased as that article just confirms what I've already experienced. I have yet to be physically stopped when leaving a store. I walk by without making eye contact. When someone asks me for the receipt I turn to them and say, "no thanks, I don't need help out", then look away from them and keep walking. As far as I'm concerned the moment I purchase something (money changes hands) in a store other than Costco/sams club/etc it's my personal property to do with as I wish. The shopkeeper's law requires them to have some proof that I physically stole something without paying (such as a camera in the store seeing me stick it down my pants). Checking every customer (as the article says) is the damning evidence against them that they're not checking because they're suspicious...they're checking just to check.

 

[hobo.hopkins]

I think it's a good idea overall; it's not like theft doesn't exist now anyway. At least with this option some people might be more inclined to pay for an item than to give up and steal it if they can't find a store employee quickly.

 

[AmpSkillz]

I have to disagree. I believe that link clearly spells it out, especially the last paragraph. I suppose you see what you want though, as do I. I'm a receipt refuser so I'm a bit biased as that article just confirms what I've already experienced. I have yet to be physically stopped when leaving a store. I walk by without making eye contact. When someone asks me for the receipt I turn to them and say, "no thanks, I don't need help out", then look away from them and keep walking. As far as I'm concerned the moment I purchase something (money changes hands) in a store other than Costco/sams club/etc it's my personal property to do with as I wish. The shopkeeper's law requires them to have some proof that I physically stole something without paying (such as a camera in the store seeing me stick it down my pants). Checking every customer (as the article says) is the damning evidence against them that they're not checking because they're suspicious...they're checking just to check.

You disagree?.. with what part?

Fact: Trauma1 quoted a law that referred to law enforcement and apprehension as being about stores simply asking for receipts.

Fact: The link he gave did not prove what he said.

Fact: They have freedom of speech just like you and can ask you anything they want and there is no law/ruling that prevents them simply from asking you for a receipt, nor is there a law preventing you from refusing to show one.

Fact: They are not checking every customer, they are "asking" almost everyone for receipts and they are then checking the ones who willingly give them the receipt and allow them to look. (a technicality in their favor)

Fact: Shopkeepers privilege only requires suspicion for detainment, not simply asking for receipts. Once you stop and give them the receipt and let them look in your bags, you are willfully allowing them to do it and they are not detaining you.

Technically they can claim you were suspicious if you act very strange or refuse to show a receipt in an overly dramatic manner and at that point even detain you for a reasonable amount of time but they typically will not go that far.

I was not at all saying I agree with the practice of asking for receipts, in fact I am completely against it and find it completely annoying and insulting. In my personal opinion, I feel that I have just paid for everything and it is my property now and after that they have no right to demand that I stop or show them anything.

I also refuse (or simply ignore them) all the time and you are 100% correct, they never do anything other than give me a dirty look, but then again I probably don't seem very suspicious otherwise.

 

[Virgo]

Cool I should steal more accessories

 

[Silverfist]

Home Depot and Frys Electronics, for two, check everybody who leaves the cashier lines and the store.

Nope -- technically they just ask to see the receipt, not demand it... I always politely say "no thank you" and keep walking.

.

 

[scott523]

All of the accessories are at the back where there's adequate coverage of Apple employees. There's even a Philadelphia police officer standing by the door at the Walnut Street store. Whether or not that would be effective, I don't know.

 

[weave]

One way to check on customers

All they need to do is have every self-checkout purchase sent to each employee's iOS device. They can keep a cursory eye on what was recently purchased. If someone is walking out with a Time Capsule and one wasn't self-checked out recently, that is a red flag for possible theft.

 

[maranellotech]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

I used this last week to pick up a new iphone case for myself and the wife. One flaw I noticed is you can only buy one item at a time.

I went to the express checkout table to get a bag and they asked for my receipts

I noticed the same thing. I used it the day that they launched the program because the store was slammed and I didn't want to wait in line to checkout. I had 2 small items, I scanned them both assuming it added them together, and finished the checkout (which was extremely easy). As I was walking through the mall, it hit me that the total didn't seem right. I pulled up my email receipt and realized that it only had one of my items on it. I went back to the store, explained what happened to one of the employees and asked him how he wanted me to handle it. He had no clue about the self checkout option and said "oh yeah, let me watch you ring up the other item, I haven't seen what the interface looks like".

 

[Tofaha]

I just used easypay a couple of weeks ago and i loved it! i was a little worried that might think im shoplifting so i asked for a bag