Grocery stores taking check use off shoppers' lists

[isilzha]

Grocery stores taking check use off shoppers' lists
In a cost-cutting move, Whole Foods may emulate Fresh & Easy in accepting only cash and credit and debit cards at checkout.

By Jerry Hirsch
September 21, 2009

Long before banks started locating branches inside supermarkets, grocery stores acted as informal financial establishments, cashing payroll checks and personal checks to provide ready cash for their customers. That's starting to change.

Whole Foods Market Inc. is considering banning the use of personal checks at its stores and this month stopped accepting checks at two stores in Los Angeles County and one in Arizona as a test.

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the California division of British retailing giant Tesco, won't take personal checks at any of the 70 stores it operates in California.

"Supermarkets used to be a repository of checking, cashing payroll and personal checks, but in an age of direct deposit and debit cards, that's not something that is relevant to their customers anymore," said Mac Brand, a Chicago food industry consultant.

The heads of these chains see check processing as a time-consuming and expensive service at a time when the industry is looking to drive down business costs, he said. But such a move carries risk.

"Every time you take something away, you run the risk of severing your relationship with a customer," Brand said.

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[Food Network Fan]

I think most people use debit cards now. I rarely ever write a check these days.

[BerryBaby]

Can't even remember the last time I wrote a check at any store.

[bakerman]

I find that it is usually the elderly that write checks. It seems like they write a check, balance their checkbook, and finally tear it out only to have to search their purse for a driver's licence, ahhhh!

In the day of instant approval on checks, and often they are debited immediately, people can't as easily write checks for money that isn't there yet, I know that from working in a convenience store in my younger days, this was something that many would do.

Plastic just makes everything easier and faster.

[ibcheft]

They use to call it floating checks, that was when there was a 3 day turn around. Our stores have went to the instant draw, you write the check, the funds best be there other wise you get it right back. This should help stop most of the hot checks.

[Pluff Mudder]

I can't even begin to tell y'all the last time I wrote a check. It's either plastic or cash. In fact... I don't even have a check book.

[MiseEnPlace]

I rarely write a check or carry cash. Every now and then I run into a place that doesn't take credit cards. I was at a little restaurant over the weekend that didn't take plastic, I had to find an ATM!