Key Food new self-checkouts month in review (plus first look at the new dessert signage)

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

On May 15, Key Food officially unveiled its new self-checkout stations — seven brand-new Toshiba SCO Traveler machines have been in service these past two-plus weeks. 

Here's a recap of what has happened here this month. As we've noted, the grocery at Avenue A and Fourth Street retired a row of its self-checkout terminals. In its place: a staffed register, which will make four for Key.  

And I happened to be there when the new machines got the hook-up...

Because dreams do really come true, I had the great honor of being the first customer to scan an item (a banana, no less — and yes, there was drama).

 
According to a high-level, highly anonymous Key source, the new machines are "smaller, faster, and more efficient" and come equipped with cameras that recognize produce by sight. The future has arrived — and it knows your tomatoes.

Two of the seven scanners accept cash and offer cash back, and all are topped with light-up signs that indicate availability or flash for assistance. And yes, that familiar, no-nonsense voice still demands that you "place the last scanned item on the scale." Some things never change. 

There is a new option to select the number of paper bags you need, although you will still need to obtain the bags from a staff member.

Around the same time, the store's floor got a much-needed patch-up, smoothing the path for carts and casual striders alike.

Meanwhile, a new price-check scanner was installed near the Pringles (still on sale), ready to resolve all your label-induced uncertainties.

Speaking of labels — fresh signage is underway. The iconic "CAKES FOR ALL OCCASIONS" sign is being retired in favor of the more inclusive and dessert-forward "Desserts For Every Occasion," a nod to the rise of puddings and parfaits in the section. (Yes, "occassions" was misspelled on the prototype. Yes, they're fixing it.)

We also got a sneak peek at some of the rejected signage options — including one dismissed as "too bubblegum" — and learned that a classic serif font ultimately won the vote. No Comic Sans here. 

The sushi case is also due for a typographic refresh, and store manager Richie was spotted mid-P-Touch session, labeling the new self-checkout lanes with the concentration of a seasoned typesetter.

Meanwhile, the new cash drawers were filled with ones, fives, and an aesthetically pleasing coin assortment.

If you're wondering what beats carried us through this transformation: Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love," followed by Europe's "The Final Countdown," capped off with the Eurythmics' "Would I Lie to You?" A fitting trio for a store that's balancing nostalgia with a leap into the checkout future.