Trader Joe’s Says NO To Self Checkout

Trader Joe's says "no way" to self checkout!

You love it, and you hate it -- but checking yourself out has pretty much become the norm at grocery stores in Las Vegas.

But Trader Joe's says, NOPE -- they're not doing it. Not even a little bit. They are avoiding the option altogether.

In the latest episode of "Inside Trader Joe's," Jon Basalone, the company's president and vice chief executive officer, was asked by a host about a rumor that Trader Joe's plans to add self-checkout lanes to its stores.

"That's as false as false can be," Basalone said. "We believe in people. We're not trying to get rid of our crew members for efficiency's sake."

Basalone talked about a time he couldn't get a self-checkout kiosk at another store to scan an item and had to get help from an employee. "I do this for a living, and I can't get this thing to work," he said.

"It's not fun," Bryan Palbaum, Trader Joe's CEO, said of self-checkout. "I have fun bagging groceries and working at the register. Self-checkout is work. I don't want that." Palbaum just became CEO at Trader Joe's in July.

In the beginning, I think it was a novelty for us. I mean how cool -- I can do it myself! But personally, I don't want to put anyone out of work, and self-checkout is an easy solution to cut salaries. You don't need to pay a living wage to a machine.

Stores from Target to Hudson News at Harry Reid International Airport have added self-checkout lanes to their stores. Many chains are even expanding the concept. Booooo!

Kroger converted one of its Tennessee stores into a self-checkout only location last month, and it's happening more and more.

Does this mean more theft and more mistakes? Yes. Some Safeway grocery stores in California have added gates at their self-checkout kiosks that require customers to scan their receipt as a theft-deterring measure.

By the way, Basalone and Palbaum debunk another rumor regarding Trader Joe's: That Trader Joe's employees are trained to flirt with customers.

The grocery chain's employees are known for being very friendly and chatty, but they say no -- they are never instructed to be flirtatious.

Personally -- I think it helps.

Las Vegas used to be the land of FREE PARKING! Well that has certainly changed, and locals are downright unhappy.

If there’s just one thing locals wish they could demand out of Strip, and downtown casinos, it would be free parking. Locals admit, they would do a lot more on the strip if they didn't have to pay for parking. It's not necessarily the price, but the principal.

Self-parking garage policies have changed dramatically over the years, and far ewer resorts offer complimentary parking in Las Vegas nowadays.

The latest to announce "no more free parking" is The Venetian and The Palazzo, whose management said paid parking will kick in at the resorts sometime later in August.

The policy change appears to be because of the anticipated opening of the Sphere – so I'm quite certain other parking garages will change their policies so they can also cash in on the new foot traffic we'll be seeing.

Here’s a breakdown of the free and sorta, kinda, free-ish parking garages that are still available as of the beginning of August 2023. How long it will last is anyone's guess, so grab it while you can!

The options of complimentary self-parking in Las Vegas are very limited. Several properties on the Strip offer free parking to locals for a specific number of hour, or on certain days. And a few downtown properties will validate for a few hours (some keep it pretty secret, so don't be afraid to ask.

Many resorts offer free self-parking for loyalty program members of a designated level, and local Nevada ID's can save you a little bit.

Horseshoe, Caesars Palace, Paris, The Linq, Flamingo and the Cromwell resorts all offer the first three hours free for locals with a valid Nevada driver’s license.

Bellagio, Aria, Vdara, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Park MGM, New York-New York, Luxor and Excalibur resorts, offer the first three hours free for locals with a valid Nevada driver’s license.

The Mirage offers the first three hours free for locals with a valid Nevada driver’s license. Locals who use their Nevada ID at the resort’s players club, and join Hard Rock’s Unity loyalty program will be upgraded to the second-tier and gain complimentary free parking access.

Resorts World offers complimentary parking for 'Genting Reward' members.

The Strat offers complimentary parking for locals with valid Nevada ID.  (Yay!!!!)