Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 6309
| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2003 9:33 pm Post subject: Federated Dept Stores To Use Technology | |
| "Forget "may I help you"-Federated Department Stores Bets That Greater Efficiency,Convenience Trumps Clerks-Wall Street Journal by Sally Branch-July 8,2003-Includes "studies" of customers behavior and surveys that say things like stuff difficult to find,department cash registers annoying and sales help not always there.Says technology such as roving cashiers who can check a customer out anywhere might be a solution. | |
Moderator
Joined: 01 Jul 2003
Posts: 113
Location: Cambridge, MA
| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2003 11:54 pm Post subject: | |
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*bump*
This was fascinating. I posted the full story over here, but I agree that the discussion should stay in this forum. |
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Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 933
Location: roaming...
| Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2003 1:03 am Post subject: | |
| Very interesting. Sears Canada will be introducing e-tablets supposedly soon, to replace registers. Each salesperson will "own" a tablet. This tablet is supposed to replace both the "passive" system, such as stock-check and such, as well as "active" systems such as current registers. I'll believe it when I see it. In any event, it's all moving towards a self-serve environment. | |
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 58
Location: Providence, RI
| Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2003 5:53 am Post subject: labor-saving devices | |
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It looks clear to me that in capitalism, all "labor saving" devices are used to beat us laborers into submission by cheapening our jobs and making the few who manage to stay employed work harder, not less.
I think the fact that the capitalist press has turned "luddite" into an insult should tell us that the luddites were on to something. Marx said in the Communist Manifesto that luddist sabotage was an early form of working class resistance. He said that unions were the next step because they were more mass-oriented. Considering the state of unions today, I'm in favor of some serious self-checkout-machine smashing. While we're at it, what about those stupid tracking computers a lot of us have to wear these days? BURN BABY, BURN!!!! 
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