It looks like more and more grocery stores across the US are pulling out their self check out machines (AKA – USCANs) Big-Y groceries stores are the newest on the list it looks like as customer struggle with scanning their own products. I am not sure how hard it is to scan your own groceries, but then again I am used to doing it myself.

I tend to personally like USCAN machines for when I want to get in and out quickly without messing with standing in long lines or getting chatty with the cashiers (everyone has those days right?) However I have never found them to be great for using coupons, most USCAN’s changed how they process coupons a couple of years ago in my neck of the woods and require the cashier to enter the coupons, so really it is no faster to use the self check out lanes when you have coupons and in fact can take longer.

On the other hand some worry that self check outs take away jobs from real people and I hope that if stores remove shelf check-out lanes that means that they will hire more cashiers!

News article:

Grocery Store Chain Ditches Self-Service Lanes

A Massachusetts-based supermarket chain is the latest grocery to get rid of self-service checkout lanes.

Big Y, which has 61 Massachusetts and Connecticut stores, opened self-serve lanes in 2003 to speed up the checkout process and save money. But a study found that the opposite has happened.

Click Here To Read The Rest Of Article!

Tags: Albertsons, Big Y, Kroger, Self Check Out, Self Checkout
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Extreme Couponing On TLC

In just a few weeks TLC will start airing the new series Extreme Couponing. The pilot episode first aired in December and has aired a few times since. While I was really hoping that this wouldn’t become a weekly series it appears that it is.

Here are the details on the shows airing on April 6^th

8:00 PM – Extreme Couponing profiles four shopaholics who use coupons to save thousands of dollars and amass huge stockpiles of goods. These shoppers go to the extremes, dumpster diving for coupons and spending hours a day searching the internet for great deals.

9:00 PM – Maryland based J’aime plans to use her coupons to get nearly $2000 worth of groceries for around her $100 budget. In Texas, Tiffany and her husband must rethink their couponing strategy when she finds out her grocery store couponing policy has changed.

9:30 PM – St. Louis couponer Rebecca will plan to fit all her food needs for her huge party into her monthly food budget of $50. Idaho super-mom Jessica will attempt to pull off 18 separate transactions to get over $600 worth of groceries.

And if you miss these show times the whole thing starts all over again at 11:00 PM.

Watch the Extreme Couponing Trailer

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I personally think that is all a bit too much, but I will be watching it. It is sort of like a train wreck in that I don’t want to look but I feel compelled to do it anyways. Plus as the owner of Hotcouponworld I feel that I need to know what is being said and shown so I can do damage control if needed.

Further Reading

Article: Extreme Couponing Versus Hardcore Couponing

Discuss TLC Extreme Couponing in our That’s Entertainment Forum

Tags: Extreme Couponing, Hardcore Couponing, Smart Couponing, Television Shows, The Learning Channel, TLC, TLC Extreme Couponing, TLC's Extreme Couponing
Posted in Extreme Couponing, Industry News | 25 Comments »

You can buy soda pop, DVDs, ice cream sandwiches, even cigarettes out of a vending machine.
Why not bottles of wine?

That’s what Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board officials are thinking as they prepare to place automated wine kiosks at Harrisburg-area grocery stores this fall.

“If the technology works, we hope to expand statewide with up to 100 kiosks,” PLCB Press Secretary Nick Hays said.

How soon — or even if — they’d be in northwestern Pennsylvania is not known yet.

“No other locations have yet been identified,” Hays said.

Each kiosk would be about 25 feet long, 10 feet high and can contain a couple hundred bottles of wine.

Customers would purchase wine at one of the kiosks by inserting their driver’s license into the machine. A video camera placed on the kiosk would allow PLCB employees in Harrisburg to see if the customer is, in fact, the person whose picture is on the license. The customer would also be required to blow into a device to ensure they are not intoxicated at the time of purchase.

The kiosks would have limited hours. They would only be open when PLCB employees were working to identify customers.

“We foresee these machines being placed in supermarkets,” Hays said. “We will work with the kiosk’s manufacturer, Simple Brands LLC., to identify possible locations. … Obviously, a grocery store would need to be interested in having the kiosk.”

At least one local supermarket isn’t interested in hosting a wine kiosk.

Wegmans, 6143 Peach St., already sells beer and a couple varieties of wine at its on-site cafe. A kiosk doesn’t fit in with the company’s philosophy, said Hallie Johnston, store manager.

“We stress customer service and sharing knowledge with our customers about things like pairing the right kind of beer with a meal,” Johnston said. “A wine kiosk could affect our customer service.”

A local winery owner also expressed doubts about how wine kiosks could benefit the state’s smaller wine makers.

“The bottles in the kiosk would probably be from the larger wineries, not ones like ours,” said Doug Moorhead, co-owner of Presque Isle Wine Cellars. “So, having these kiosks wouldn’t make a whole lot of difference to us.”

The kiosks and an effort to sell higher-priced wine at “boutique” stores located inside gourmet grocery stores are two ways the PLCB is trying to improve customer convenience, Hays said.

Pennsylvania is known for having some of the strictest alcohol-buying laws in the country. Wine is generally sold only in state stores.

Go Erie

Tags: Alcohol, Kiosk, Pennsylvania, Wine
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Walgreens’ foray into Alaska becomes official on July 12 with the grand opening of its new store in Wasilla. The event also marks the company’s presence in all 50 states.

The Wasilla store, along with two Anchorage locations that will open in August, includes products from local vendors, ranging from coffee and moose nuggets to ulus and fishing supplies, according to a company press release. All three Walgreens Alaska stores opening this summer will offer drive-through pharmacies, as well as heated sidewalks, heated parking spaces for people with disabilities and heated aprons around the front doors.

“With an aging population and baby boomers in their 60s, Alaska’s demand for pharmacy services is growing every year,” said Bruce Philipp, Walgreens district manager for Alaska. “We’ll help meet that need with services that aren’t currently offered in the state, such as 24-hour prescription service and drive-through pharmacies that are especially helpful to the elderly, parents of small children and people who have their pet in the car with them. We even can provide medications for your pets to make caring for them easier, too.”

Retailing Today

Tags: Alaska, Pharmacy, Walgreens
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Michigan-based independent grocer Hiller’s Markets will host a gluten-free food fair Aug. 15 and Aug. 16 at its West Bloomfield, Mich., store, preceded earlier that week by a demo by the company’s executive chef, Peter Julian, featuring Hiller’s exclusive gluten-free recipes.

One in 133 Americans has celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes the intestine to attack itself in response to wheat, rye and barley. Many more people can’t tolerate gluten, the substance that gives bread its crumbly texture. For these people, eating gluten-containing foods can result in stomach pains, skin outbreaks, bone loss or headaches.

Renowned for providing an extensive variety of gluten-free products, Hiller’s regularly hosts gluten-free food fairs at its stores. The two-day event at its West Bloomfield store will feature vendor exhibits, representatives from a celiac support group, product demos and information, gluten-free recipe handouts, and more.

As part of CEO Jim Hiller’s mission “to give my customers everything they need, all in one place,” Southfield, Mich.-based Hiller’s offers the most extensive selection of gluten-free items in metro Detroit, all of which are marked by gluten-free shelf tags to make them stand out in every aisle. “It’s hard enough to find good quality foods,” said Hiller. “No one wants to drive to five stores. At Hiller’s, you can find everything on your list and walk away happy.”

In addition to gluten-free products, the seven-store independent also stocks a large array of foods for customers with nut, dairy and wheat allergies, as well as those who follow a kosher diet. With stores in Ann Arbor, Berkley, West Bloomfield, Northville, Plymouth, Commerce Township and a new 52,000 square-foot store in Union Lake, Hiller’s also carries an impressive amount of British and Japanese food sections.

Progressive Grocer

Tags: Gluten Free, Hiller's Market, Michigan
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Food Lion has stepped its sustainability efforts by breaking ground on its first and South Carolina’s first green grocery store.

The store, located in northeast Columbia, will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certified. The store, located behind The Summit neighborhood at 4730 Hard Scrabble Road, will feature a number of environmentally-friendly construction and energy-efficient services, including an on-site recycling center, skylights for natural lighting, educational kiosks and preferred parking for low-emitting vehicles.

“Food Lion has a long-standing commitment to serving as a caring neighbor and is committed to being a strong corporate citizen in the communities in which we operate,” said Kyle Mitchell, VP store development. “We are committed to protecting the environment and reducing energy consumption through green building construction. We are pleased to show our commitment to the citizens of South Carolina by being the state’s first ‘green’ grocery store.”

Food Lion’s first green store is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2009. The store will employ approximately 50 associates.

Retailing Today

Tags: Columbia, Food Lion, Green, South Carolina
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