Do you know how many days it will take for self-checkout lanes to open at your favorite retailer?
News site Business Insider reports that some Walmart stores are restricting the use of self-checkout lanes and reserving some of them for Walmart Plus members and Spark delivery service drivers. .
Business Insider reports that Spark drivers have reported seeing their own self-checkout lanes and Walmart+ members showing up at the stores where they work in recent days. At the same time, social media posts also pointed out how self-checkout is being limited at some Walmart stores.
Self-checkout has been a hot topic on Reddit for months, with Walmart employees saying some managers are restricting self-checkout lanes due to concerns about food theft and losses due to incorrect input. He points out that he is choosing to do so.
Similarly, consumers who were accustomed to using self-checkout systems became confused when they found most or all self-checkout lanes closed and sales piling up in lines waiting for cashiers.
“All the checkout lines were closed and I had to wait in line for 40 minutes,” one person posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Target circle: Target launches Circle 360, a paid membership program offering free and unlimited same-day delivery
I'm sure some people don't like self-checkout, but I prefer it. It's usually faster, especially if it's a small trip, and you don't have to make small talk with the cashier. I went to Walmart today to pick up about 6 errands and thought I would be in and out in about 15 minutes.However, 1/2 is all
— Ask me everything (@Questio72522836) March 5, 2024
A Target shopper posted a photo to X showing the self-checkout lanes closed. “SMH, why?” they asked.
Self-checkout shifts at Target, Walmart, and Costco
These reports come as other retailers have pivoted their self-checkout strategies in recent months.
Spokesperson Brian Harper Tybbald told USA TODAY in October that Target was limiting some stores to fewer than 10 items “to reduce wait times and better understand guest preferences.” He said that he has started experimenting with self-checkout lanes.
Around the same time, Walmart eliminated self-checkout in some stores, and some stores began placing employees in self-checkout lanes to monitor potential checkout errors.
In the summer of 2023, Costco began asking employees to crack down on checking membership cards in self-checkout lines. One reason is the rise in 'shrinkage' due to theft or products being sold for less than their actual value.
The impact of self-checkout on profits is nothing new.
The 2022 Global Self-Checkout Survey found that two-thirds (66%) of the 93 retailers surveyed (29 in North America) said self-checkout losses are a major factor in their business. They answered that they think it is becoming more of a problem. .
“There is no doubt that retailers that have invested heavily in[self-checkout]SCOs will need to develop different ways to limit the associated losses,” said report author and emeritus professor of criminology. Adrian Beck said. A study at the University of Leicester in the UK told USA TODAY. “Typically these are a combination of technology, custodianship, design and store process changes.”
Will Walmart abolish self-checkout?
necessarily. Wal-Mart has not issued a company-wide directive regarding self-checkout, but is letting store managers experiment with what works in their stores, Wal-Mart spokesperson Joe Pennington told BI. “Based on several factors, including customer and employee feedback, shopping patterns and business needs, some stores are temporarily testing different cashier staffing options,” he said. Ta.
He said none of the changes will increase the adoption of Walmart Plus memberships ($98 per year), which offer customers free delivery, free shipping, mobile scanning and shopping in-store with their smartphones, and more. provide benefits.
USA TODAY has reached out to Walmart and Target for comment on their self-checkout strategies.
After Walmart removed self-checkout lanes at some of those stores, Pennington told USA TODAY in October that there are “no plans at this time to remove self-checkout lanes nationally.”
But retailers are rethinking the role of self-checkout in the retail process. They must balance the use of expensive self-checkout lanes, staffing issues, and lost revenue due to theft and mis-sales.
“Personally, I don't think self-checkout is going away, but we're seeing big changes in this sector of grocery stores,” Supermarket News senior editor Bill Wilson wrote in a column this week.
Recent developments include Schnucks limiting self-checkouts to 10 items or fewer, and Dollar General planning to reduce self-checkouts in 2024.
“Why? Inventory shrinkage has been a troubling pest over the past year, and some of that theft appears to be occurring when shoppers 'forget' to scan items,” Wilson said. said. “Late last year, Kroger began relying on AI to ensure that items in the cart passed through the scanner and into the bag.”
Is self-checkout better?Maybe it depends on your age
Another balancing issue for retailers is that while some shoppers prefer self-checkout, others don't.
A survey of 1,133 U.S. consumers by NCR Voyix released in January found that more than 4 in 10 consumers (43%) preferred self-checkout when purchasing groceries.
But Gen Z and Millennial shoppers aged 18 to 44 were more likely to prefer it, compared to 40% of those aged 45 to 60 and 26% of those aged 60 and older.
“The reality is that shoppers want more control over their checkout experience, and self-checkout provides that flexibility,” said David Wilkinson, CEO of NCR Voyix, in the report. said in a statement accompanying the. We are struggling to retain staff and battling unprecedented levels of attrition. ”
Contributor: Bailey Schultz.
Follow Mike Snyder on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mike snyder.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Walmart: Stores testing self-checkout, not eliminating it