Some supermarket chains are phasing out self-checkout lanes because they are finding customers still don't like them after these 10 years or so they have been around.

This isn't all customers - some do prefer it, but others find it doesn't save them time when they have problems with coupons, marked down items, and other issues that require assistance. They also miss the interaction with the grocery clerks.

The stores have figured out that left to their own devices the customers will mis-identify produce and baked goods as the cheaper varieties to cheat the store. I'm sure the amount of these losses to theft are less than paying the wages of the cashiers, so that's probably not a major consideration.

One reason the stores are looking hard at whether self-checkout works for them is the technology is changing so cell phones can be used in the purchasing transaction, and that means a new style of bar code. Rather than spend the money on the new readers if the customers aren't using the self service lanes, some stores are thinking of phasing them out all together.

Home Depot says it works for them, so they will keep their self checkout.

I have slowly gotten used to self checkout at the grocery store, but would never use it for a full basket of groceries. It's okay for just a couple of items. I don't like it for produce or marked-down meats or when I have coupons.

The most irritating is when I have some item that weighs nothing so the bagging sensor doesn't detect it, and the computer keeps saying: 'Please bag the last item' over and over again.