Are self-checkout lanes coming to Trader Joe's?

An employee is seen through a window working a register in a patch of sunlight at Trader Joe's. (Credit: Alexi Rosenfeld—Getty Images)

Ring the bell: Cashiers aren’t going anywhere at Trader Joe’s. Joe Basalone, president and vice CEO of the grocery chain, addressed rumors of incoming self-checkout lanes on a recent company podcast. “That’s as false as false can be, because we believe in people and we're not trying to get rid of our crew members for efficiency’s sake or whatever the, I don't know what the reasons are people put self-checkout in,” said Basalone. Basalone noted that despite his long background in the grocery industry, even he has struggled to use the self-checkout devices that are becoming increasingly popular at retail establishments. “I was in a store, and I couldn't get the thing to scan,” he said. “Then the person came over and was trying to explain to me. I'm like, I do this for a living, and I can't get this thing to work.” CEO Bryan Palbaum, who was also on the podcast, piled on to the self-checkout frustrations, saying, “Self-checkout is work. I don't want that.” While shoppers might be glad to hear they’ll still have some human interaction at the chain, they may be more disappointed at other rumors of Trader Joe's developments the executives shot down. Heard whispers that the stores will be offering drive-through sample cups of coffee? Nope. In-store restaurants? Not happening. Instead, the executive said, they plan to keep running Trader Joe’s as they have for many years, since, for many new customers, the store already marks a radical shift from other grocers. “What might feel old to us is brand-new to all those new customers, wherever they may be, even in our existing stores,” said Palbaum. “For a new customer walking in, one of the most exciting products I think they could see are peanut butter pretzels. And how long have we had peanut butter pretzels? Thirty, 40 years? Yeah, many decades. But if you've never had peanut butter pretzels, it's unbelievable. It's a whole new experience. It's exciting. And that's new.”