OK, everyone here has done a great job of dissecting this 'four-minute wait time' conundrum. Setting aside the self-checkout option for a moment, does it really matter if you wait 30 seconds or 5 minutes to reach the front of the line, only to be confronted by a disengaged, ill-informed and poorly mannered cashier? A great shopping experience in the store always comes to a crashing halt when cashiers aren't on the same page. Retailers can open all the checkout lanes they want to speed up checkout times, but until they do a better job training the true brand ambassadors (the cashiers), it probably won't help a single bit.

Kevin Graff, president, Graff Retail

Long wait times are acceptable when customers have found exciting merchandise, or when there are no reasonable alternatives to the store. But the rise of the Internet, and the sharp increase in the number of retail stores, frees customers to purchase wherever they want. If their local store cannot serve them quickly, they'll leave.

Petroleum companies insist on sub-second approval time on credit-card transactions, because they know that customers will drive away if approval takes too long. Retailers will be investing more effort in making the customer experience more satisfactory.

Cathy Hotka, principal, Cathy Hotka & Associates

Absolutely. I barely have time to write this response and do all of the other things I need to do in a day. If I know that I'm headed into a store that can't control wait times, chances are they're not getting my time or money. However, it's not only about time. It's also about experience. If I can get in and out quickly as well as have some backup service to avoid scanner problems and to answer real-life, human-to-human questions, then the time/value equation kicks in and a few more seconds won't feel like an eternity.

Rochelle Newman, CEO, Principal, Enlace Communications, Inc.

Maybe the ‘average’ customer will wait four minutes, but plenty others won't. What I find most remarkable is that during these peak times, retailers with multiple registers at their disposal rarely open more than 50 per cent of them.

Self-checkout can definitely ease congestion, but only if done right. This means being user-friendly, clean and functional. Although it isn't rocket science, customers need to be educated to best exploit the self-checkout system.

The alternative is the checkout of Aldi Germany. Their staff might lack friendliness and charm, but nobody rings up a bill faster. They are so quick that the onus is put back on the customer to hurry up and pay so as not to delay the customers behind them. Thereby, Aldi avoids being the bad guy because they cannot be blamed for any wait.

'jlmcnamara'

1. I do not expect to have to use self-checkout to speed my exit from the store. Also, lines are long there as well.

2. When a store has 8 checkouts and only 5 are working at peak times, with long lines and few baggers, I get the message that they do not respect me.

3. Additional delays are caused by such things as checker having to go somewhere to get cigarettes for the customer, pricing errors, credit card/check rejections, need to call someone of legal age to scan alcoholic beverages, etc. This is an operations problem as most need to be handled by a ‘supervisor’ – and one is seldom close at hand.

4. The lines at the customer service counter are so long that I call it the ‘disservice counter’.

All of the above describe the Kroger where I shop. Why do I go back? Because it is the only conveniently located supermarket. They will only wake up when some competition arrives. I find I am more often travelling another four miles to a Giant Eagle, even if it costs me an extra $1.50 in gas to get there and back.

'schindler'

I'll agree with Aldi being fast. Aldi checkouts are so fast that it is usually the customer that slows things down. Aldi typically staffs their stores with well-trained employees who are over-productive.

Long wait times are direct reflection of how well the overall store is run, and a symptom of a bigger problem. The best strategy is to simply put well-trained employees at the checkouts. The checkout is not the place to put your worst employees. Good retailers do put a strong emphasis on fast checkouts. I don't think I have ever heard of a retail chain known for fast checkouts that went out of business.

David Livingston, principal, DJL Research

Checkout times, and convenience in general, are a key point of differentiation for many mass retailers, second only to pricing. Self-checkout lines can make a big difference, but not every customer is ready to utilise them.

Speed and ease through checkout are a great indicator of a retailer's attitude toward customers. Those retailers that excel at getting their customers quickly through checkout usually excel at other customer service metrics, and are leaders in their category.

Ted Hurlbut, principal, Hurlbut & Associates

Four minutes probably isn't reasonable. I suspect that many shoppers will accept no more than X number of people in front of them (2? 3?). The key is staffing and scheduling to meet the traffic flow. Retailers who use good scheduling software do this more easily than retailers who schedule using Post-its. Excellent example of scheduling incompetence: my local post office is only busy weekdays from noon to 1:30. Guess when the cashiers take their lunch breaks?

Mark Lilien, consultant, Retail Technology Group

When you combine actual wait times (measured by mystery shops) with perceived wait times (measured with customer surveys), it's clear that consumers think they are waiting longer than they actually are. This fits nicely with many of the comments here about the importance of managing the perceptions of customers while waiting in line. In a recent study and subsequent white paper, Maritz Research found that simple actions by sales associates (like greeting, smiling and offering an apology for the long wait) can diffuse a frustrating situation as well as, or better than, operational changes can (like adding TVs and other distractions near the queue). It is also important to consider the negative impact long wait times have on employees.

Tom Krause, director of Strategic Consulting, Maritz Research - Retail Sector

Yes, convenience and speed at checkout are essential. And a friendly ‘thank you’ or short conversation from a cashier goes a long way as well to create a positive shopping experience. Speed at checkout leaves a lasting impression, either good or bad.

Innovative retailers are the ones who display a sense of urgency at the registers and open more checkouts as they are needed. Companies like Trader Joe's even ring a bell – which shows consumers the company is responding to their needs. It's actually kind of fun to hear. I think more retailers need to show this type of response as a sense of urgency often seems lacking, as if no one cares how long the customer waits.

Odonna Mathews, president, Odonna Mathews Consulting

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