Can you describe why there's a big push for self checkout? I suspect there's a bigggg difference between countries, so this all sounds very alien.

I love self-checkout as long as they give you the scanner to carry around (or mount on the shopping cart). The entire shopping process is just so much quicker, havent waited in a checkout line in years. The same amount of space for 3 cashiers can have 10+ self-checkout machines as least.

To me people pushing for self checkout sounds like somebody preferring self service over full service gas stations - I find it difficult to understand.

Might be cultural, but full-service gas stations sound bizarre. Why would you need an attendant to do something so basic? Like a lift operator to press buttons for you.