Recently I visited my Costco and went through the self-checkout line. Usually you scan items on the table scanner but if there is a karge and/or heavy item, then the associate will scan the item.
Now they said 10 items or less I can scan all items with the scanner. As always if you have items that have no barcode, you can do a lookup on the screen.
Your Costco may differ.
Why would an item not have a barcode?
For example, there are sweet rolls (from the bakery) which are two for the single price. If there is a code on each one, people would scan each one and get double charged.
Oftentimes there are mellons whose barcode falls off because they are not smooth and are moist.
I can’t think of the other few items at the moment.
Here, Safeway has a self-checkout and has a lookup for many of the loose vegetables and items. For example, they sometimes have a special with ears of corn which are sold be the each (is that a term?). Costco of course has corn on a styrofoam plate and cello wrapped and rarely sells items loose except watermellons, mellons and those special buy two items.
Ceratin items (at many self-checkouts and Costco) will trigger someone to verify you are old enough. Liquor at Costco is an obvious one. Liquor and caffeine pills at Walmart are others.
Personally I use the self-checkouts whenever possible. If I have an item that I know will trigger an approval request, I scan that first to give the associate time to get there. I can scan pretty fast.
If having to go through a Costco regular checkout line, I have all my barcodes facing up as sometimes the secondary person there will use the handheld scanner and I don’t have to remove any items. It is my understanding that some cashiers enjoy that, but others may wish you to put things on the belt.
Oh, of course. That’s like single bananas. Item code 4011!
I never understood why Costco doesn’t let you use a handheld scanner while going through self-checkout. For example, scanning the Toilet Paper package is kind of a pain on the table scanner.
And heavy things like a case of beer. I do find more and more stores are getting scanners. There’s still one grocery where I live with no gun. You have to haul that case of beer up to the scan table. I guess they’re learning.
As I understand it, Costco Associates say 20 items at a self-checkout (or large items like TV’s) should be using regular checouts.
At self-checkout, our Costco Associates generally come to you to scan large items while still in your cart.
If this differs from your Costco experience, it may be because we are a big tourist location and it is not unusual for visitors to buy cases of beer, surf boards and so on.
The busiest Costcos are in Hawaii, perhaps because prices are generally capped at Costcos profit amount. Many but not all prices are the same, but not all. Also, the Salt Lake City Business Center is also the largest Costco in the US at 235,000 sq ft, roughly 1.5 times the size of a regular Costco.
Does that explain why Clark loves Hawaii?