Customers waiting to checkout at Trader Joe's.

Why Trader Joe's Doesn't Have Self-Checkout Lines

NEWS

By EMMY SCHNEIDER-GREEN

The exterior of Trader Joe's.
Trader Joe's differentiates itself from other stores by bucking norms for the sake of a focus on community, and an example of this is the lack of self-checkout lanes.
Customers shopping at Trader Joe's.
The decision to nix the presence of this modern convention at Trader Joe's is rooted in the store's intention to be people and community-focused in everything it does.
A display at Trader Joe's.
In an era where so much is being dehumanized, Trader Joe's goes the opposite route — keeping cashiers front and center with no plans to replace them with a self-checkout option.
An aisle at Trader Joe's.
On the Inside Trader Joe's podcast, CEO Jon Basalone explained, "We believe in people ... we're not trying to get rid of our crew members for efficiency's sake."