Posted on 03/18/2024 8:17:28 PM PDT by Morgana
They were introduced as a way to cut lines, boost efficiency in store and reduce staffing numbers - and boomed in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic.
But is the self checkout falling out of favor with big-name retailers?
In recent weeks, Dollar General, Target and Walmart have all announced sweeping changes to automated registers in stores across the US.
Experts say the rollback is linked, mostly, to fears around theft - as it is much easier for customers to shoplift items at the self checkout rather than a checkout with a cashier.
But retailers say they are also trying to provide a better shopping experience for customers by imposing limits on self checkout, making the process quicker and easier.
ast week, Dollar General announced it was pulling self checkout stands entirely from 300 of its stores with the highest level of shoplifting and mis-scanned items.
In 9,000 other locations it said it is converting some of its self checkout registers to regular cashier checkouts, and limiting self checkout purchases to five items or less in a further 4,500 stores.
The company said the changes would help reduce 'shrink'. This is the retail industry jargon for merchandise losses due to theft, damaged items and administrative errors.
'We believe these actions have the potential to have a material and positive impact on shrink,' Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos said on a call with analysts Thursday.
According to a study of retailers in the US, UK and other European countries, stores that had self checkouts had a loss rate of about 4 percent more than the industry average.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
HEB has their own nightmare system they don't monitor very well, or they refuse to deal with the thieves. They have a pre-scan system that allows customers to take their carts to a kiosk in self-checkout, scan their phones, and make a payment. This is based on the theory that every item in their cart has been scanned into their smartphones. On more than one occasion I've seen carts filled with multi-packs of prime grade steaks and meats, and I know damn well they didn't scan all of those items. Maybe one for every three or four packages.
An anecdote that contradicts the story does not make it ‘Fake News’.
Then there are the sophisticated thieves who supply their own bar codes. It’s not difficult with a computer and a laser printer. Watching them, you don’t see anything, because they scan every item.
The correct word is shrinkage. Not only are the kids illiterate, so are their parents.
I envision a checkout system based on pneumatic tubes. Still working out the details but I’m pretty sure it would work.
They don’t allow alcohol at self checkout so I barely get to use them. Maybe I should just pay for my food and steal the beer.
“it’s getting bad enough trying to shop at walmart anyway: half the cans are dented, over half of the egg cartons have broken eggs, and they’re always out of gallons of 2% organic milk ... and a couple of weeks ago, only one out of five items on my list was in stock ..”
You must have DEI stockers or something. Never seen a broken egg in carton here, rarely see a dent, and don’t know about organic milk but the dairy fridges seem full. We do have too many bare spots on shelves in the pharmacy / OTC area, though.
Before the Plandemic, the nearby huuuuge, mega Walmart had about 30 check stands that required a human, with just a few self checkout machines. Today, there are 3, three check stands that require humans.
I suggested to the guy running the register at Walmart that they should put a big sign on the front of their store reading:
“Enjoying the long lines and no more self checkout? Thank those lovely shoplifters!!”
Being a person who Virtue Signals for a living, I would never get caught dead in Walmart, but I know what you mean.
“The design of self-checkout is pathetic.”
I agree 100%. There are multiple screens, multiple terminals, confusing as hell screens, confusing steps, different places to insert your card or swipe your phone, different locations to get your receipt.
None of it feels harmonious or cohesive and certainly not developed by one designer. It’s been that way for years and years and I’ve not seen any improvement. If anything, they lard on more complexity.
I’ve noticed that when a shelf space goes bare for a couple of weeks it returns with 20% less content and a 30% price increase.
Why dont they just have a shoplifters express lane where they just roll the cart full of stuff right out the door and the guards/police wave at them as they go by?
*FEARS* of theft???
It's a given. It's happening.
They're doing it because of theft, not because of fear of it.
One more bad thing about self check-out?
Not Christmas bonus! ;-(
I’ll be honest. At the grocery store, I really like to do self checkout. I can see if an item has the right price when I scan it, and I like my groceries packed a certain way (dry goods together, produce together, frozen items together, bread on top). It doesn’t bother me one bit. Maybe that’s odd, but I’m happier. There’s usually a lane open, too, so I don’t have to wait in a long line just to have a cashier ring up my purchases.
In Porter Ranch, Calif, I was at Walmart and checked out at 4:10pm and they had the self check out lanes closed. I noticed a few people were still processing their items but the lanes had a tape across the entrance.
They had a 20 items or less lane opened and about 4 other lanes open which normally they have fewer to force you to use the self check out. The lanes only had a few people each.
Maybe they are tired of the shoplifting?....
Yeah. I’m sure they did this for a better shopping experience for customers and not so they didn’t have to pay for cashier salaries/sarc
We live in a very small town and other than gas stations, A lumber yard, A farm store, and local pharmacies and specialty shops, we have a Dollar General, A Family Dollar, and a regional grocery chain store. I rarely shop at the Dollar General, because they’re higher than the Family Dollar or grocery store, neither of which has self checkout. The Dollar General does, and the rare times I shop there, I use it because it’s quicker. I don’t think Family Dollar uses them. Ours is a great little store, and the clerks and manager have all been there for at least 9 years.
Our Walmart supercenter has turned what were checkout lanes into self checkout lanes, with MORE self checkout stations at both ends of the checkout lanes!! There is ONE checkout lane with a cashier for people who have alcohol purchases!! Can’t use self checkout for alcohol!! There are two people at each entrance checking receipts and contents of shopping carts!! I can’t see them pulling this entire remodel of store!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.