America’s Largest Grocery Chain Is Making This Big Change to Checkout Lanes

Big things are coming to the Kroger checkout line. And by that, we mean to the conveyor belt.

Gone are the days of getting stuck behind a shopper with a large order at the self-checkout line. Kroger announced recently that it would be expanding its self-checkout conveyor belts at stores in the greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Dayton, Ohio areas.

A larger conveyor belt means that shoppers will be able to check out themselves even with large orders. People can stock up on their Kroger favorites and not have to worry about holding up the line for shoppers with fewer items.

The supermarket chain has been testing the new conveyor belts at several stores in the Columbus area. At the new registers, shoppers still scan their own purchases but it also moves the items to a bagging station. A clerk will be there waiting to bag your groceries.

As Kroger and other retailers grapple with a nationwide labor shortage, the checkout update may be just what the stores need to speed out the checkout process and give shoppers more room.

"We are excited to roll out this new enhancement to the customer shopping experience," Kroger spokeswoman Jenifer Moore told Cincinnati.com.

Only two stores in the nation were testing the lanes, both of which are in the Columbus area. This spring, 42 stores in the Cincinnati region will get two lanes each.

This is just one example of Kroger becoming more shopper-friendly. Despite this, recently, the chain had to enforce purchase limits on items such as baby formula, gas, and pet food due to ongoing shortages. Walmart and Costco also had to enforce these policies.

For more grocery news, check out Walmart Is Pulling This Popular Ice Cream From Its Freezers.