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posted by martyb on Sunday September 18 2016, @04:56PM   Printer-friendly
from the slowest-line-is-the-one-I'm-in dept.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports on a former math teacher who claims to solved the question "Which checkout line up will be fastest?"

In a nutshell he has concluded that the number of people in the lineup is more important than the number of items a person has in their cart.

The critical factor, he says, is the average of 41 seconds that it takes a shopper to pay the cashier and engage in idle chit chat.

So a long line of people in the Express line, with two or three items each, will actual move slower than the checkout with one guy with a full shopping cart.

YMMV.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 18 2016, @05:04PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 18 2016, @05:04PM (#403436)

    Immigrant clerks are much more businesslike with only a quick smile when the bag is handed over. That's one of the reasons why shopkeepers like them.

    Housewives and retirees are much chattier. For example, the clerks at TJ's with their Hawaiian shirts - there better be at least four checkout lines or you'll be waiting what seems like forever.