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JCPenney to cut out staff
STRUGGLING US retailer JCPenney is phasing out check-out counters in a bid to cut staff and boost profits.
Chief executive Ron Johnson said the store aims to remove the counters by 2014, replacing them with self check-out machines.
The beleaguered shop is also planning to replace traditional bar codes on price tags with high-tech radio frequency identification – or RFID – chips.
The chain said recently it will end month-long sales of certain items and cut some everyday prices to simplify pricing.