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.
(Score: 4, Informative) by davester666 on Sunday September 18 2016, @06:45PM
You also have to evaluate the people in line. Is there an old lady with a large purse who is more likely to be a coupon clipper, but have to spend several minutes finding all the coupons (and thank goodness we're past the "How much is it again, I'm paying by check")? Mother with 3 infants all running in different directions? Person on phone more interested in the conversation than buying the groceries?