Express checkout lanes were designed to make your shopping trip a little faster by expediting the wait when you have 10 items or fewer. Nevertheless, you'll often spend more time in an express line than a standard one. Here's why.
Let's say you're in an express line with five people ahead of you and everyone has 10 items each (50 items total). In the standard line beside you, there are also five people but they all have 20 items each (100 items total). According to math teacher Dan Meyer, who took a scientific look at checkout times, each item takes approximately 2.8 seconds and each person adds 48 seconds to the total. With equal lines, presumably the checkout time will take 4:28 in the express line and 4:56 in the standard line. Despite the larger number of items, the difference is pretty minimal. That said, express checkout lines tend to be longer because they claim to save time and people think they can get through them quickly. We also cause a number of problems.
The Problem with Express Checkout
Express checkout fails because of us. It's designed to funnel more humans through the checkout process at a rapid pace and more increases the likelihood of the dreaded line stoppers. The term "line stoppers" describes people who have issues at checkout. Perhaps their credit card gets declined, a price or barcode sticker is missing from the product, they realize they forgot an item, or find out they're about to buy a package of broken eggs. The problems don't stop there. Simple things like signing up for a rewards card or purchasing items that require an ID (e.g. cigarettes, alcohol) take more time. All of these little things add up. Because express exist to service more people, you increase your likelihood of encountering a line stopper ahead of you.
But wait, there's more! The cashier in an express line is also more likely to experience problems because of the number of people he or she services. The receipt printer is more likely to run out of paper when more people are going through the line. Additionally, if the cashier require's a manager's authorization for a transaction then he or she will delay the purchase further.
Most of the examples described above can easily take a few minutes, negating the benefits of an express checkout line. All of this neglects to consider that some people bring more than the maximum number of items allowed.
How to Pick a Better Line
Just because the express checkout lane doesn't work as designed doesn't mean it won't be useful in some situations. When the number of people in every line is equal, or the express checkout lane is shorter, you're often more likely to save time by choosing it. When the decision isn't so clear, however, your best bet is to pick the shortest line with a lot of items. Meyer's math suggests that each person is worth about 17 items, so it's often better to get behind a few large shopping carts than a bunch of small baskets.
Other tricks work, too. People tend to avoid lane 13, so it's often a good place to look first when you're in a hurry. The Wall Street Journal also notes that single lines are most efficient, so if you can shop somewhere doesn't let you pick a line but simply funnels you into one you're going to benefit. They also mention an interesting statistic about men: they're more likely to give up on a line than women. If you find two long lines and one is predominantly male, choose that one. By the time you get to checkout, it might have fewer people than you originally counted.
Ultimately, it's just a line. Bring something to do while you wait and factor ten minutes into your trip for checkout. Hopefully it won't take that long, but then you'll be pleasantly surprised?especially if you avoid the express lane under most circumstances and take these tips into account.
Photo by Tyler Olson (Shutterstock).
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