PSA: The way I pick a grocery line changed at the Safeway on 5th Street

I was there last Tuesday, stuck behind a person with a full cart while I just had milk and bread. I always used to pick the shortest line, but this time I looked at what people were buying. The guy in line 4 had a basket full of stuff with barcodes, no produce to weigh. I switched to his line and was out in under a minute. Now I scan for simple carts instead of just counting heads. Anyone else have a weird checkout trick that actually works?

4 comments

4 Comments

hall.joel3mo ago

Scanning for simple carts is genius. My trick is picking the line with the most bored looking cashier, but I still always manage to pick the one where someone needs a price check.

jasonallen3mo ago

Saw a study once that said the line on the left moves faster, but that feels like a myth. Honestly hall.joel, I'm with you, the bored cashier plan never works out. Tbh I just accept my fate and scroll on my phone now.

spencer78218d ago

That "bored cashier trick" is basically folklore at this point. I read that same study and it said the line on the left is faster 60% of the time, but I'm pretty sure it's because people naturally go right when they enter a store. You're all complaining about check writers and expired coupons, but the real wild card is when someone whips out exact change and counts it out in pennies. I've started doing the opposite of what hall.joel does, I look for the cashier who looks like they just drank three cups of coffee. Those folks move quick and they don't tolerate anyone fumbling around for a payment method.

kelly.charlie3mo ago

The bored cashier trick is a classic move. Always backfires though. I swear I have a gift for finding the line with the expired coupons or the check writer. It's like a curse. My new plan is just to stare at the carts and guess which one has the least produce.