Think back to the last time you went to Walmart or a major big box store. Did a cashier scan your items or did you have to use self-checkout?<\/p>\n
In recent years self-checkout lanes have become more and more popular; however, not everyone has embraced the advancement in technology leading to plenty of complaints from customers.<\/p>\n
Those who aren\u2019t a fan of self-checkout might be excited to learn that some major retailers are considering dialing back on the number of lanes dedicated to self-checkout.<\/p>\n
According to CNN, self-checkout lanes were introduced in the 1980s and grew in popularity during the 2000s before exploding during the pandemic.<\/p>\n
The initial idea was to cutback on labor expenses, and then during the pandemic self-checkout lanes helped minimize interactions between employees and customers.<\/p>\n
While many enjoy the convenience of scanning their own items, others express their frustration over having to do what used to be the job of a store employee.<\/p>\n
In addition to an increase in the number of complaints, retailers have also noticed a higher number of losses due to customer error or shoplifting.<\/p>\n
A 2016 study showed that retailers with self-checkout lanes and apps suffered a loss rate of about 4% which is more than double the industry standard.<\/p>\n
While stores have added additional measures to protect themselves from shrink, some plan to do away with self-checkout lanes entirely.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year some Walmarts in New Mexico removed their self-checkout lanes, while a ShopRite in Delaware pulled theirs after too many complaints.<\/p>\n
Wegmans used to allow customer to use an app to scan and pay as they shopped around their stores, but they\u2019ve since pulled the app.<\/p>\n
And Costco has added more employees near their self-checkout lanes to combat non-members using cards that don\u2019t belong to them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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