IN BUSINESS AS CHECKOUT LINES GROW MORE CUSTOMERS BUY ONLINE amazon amaze Worawee Meepian/Shutterstock Have you ever walked into a large retail store and noticed that only three or four of the dozens of check-out lanes are open? To make matters worse, each check-out lane that is open has numerous customers standing in line waiting to pay for their purchases. In essence, these check-out lanes represent a constraint that does not exist at online retailers, such as Amazon.com. A survey conducted by Ayden estimates that 86% of shoppers have walked out of a retail store location in the last 12 months due to long check-out lines, thereby costing bricks-and-mortar retailers $37.7 billion in lost sales. As retailers such as Macy's, J.C. Penny, Kohl's, Target, and Nordstrom seek to cut costs by reducing headcount, they are losing sales to customers who would rather stay home, save time, avoid the hassles, and shop online. Source: Suzanne Kapner, "Stores Slash Staffs And Watch Lines Grow." The Wall Street Journal, May 1, 2018, pp. B1 and B2.