A TARGET customer posted on X criticizing the store for major failures last year.
The angry customer threatened to start shopping at Walmart after posting about his frustration with Target taking away most of the store’s previous perks.
“@Target Disastrous last year,” the post began.
“Huge price increases… limits on self-checkout and withdrawal of employee family discounts. EVERYTHING Target has done is wrong.”
“Brian Cornell is a TOTAL FLOP and now I do 90% of my shopping in @Walmart.”
“Not as pretty, but a lot cheaper,” said the irritated publish it ended.
Target, along with all major retailers, has been under a lot of pressure lately from both rising in-store prices and increasing restrictions on self-checkout lanes.
The inflation rate in food products is expected to increase by 2.2% next year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
As prices continue to inflate globally, many stores are noticing customers buying less and cutting back on certain luxury items.
In its latest earnings report, Target announced that overall customer traffic was down about 1.9%, with spending falling by the same amount.
In an effort to maintain consumer spending, the national retailer recently announced that it will reduce prices on certain products.
Another major problem retailers face is the rising rate of store theft, leading stores to restrict self-checkout machines and increase other anti-theft measures.
Target recently announced that it will restrict the number of items shoppers can pick up at self-checkout.
The new limit: 10 items or less.
On social media, the running joke is that it’s almost impossible to leave Target, a store that sells almost everything you can imagine, with just a few items.
This new item limit has left shoppers outraged.
“Man, I really hate that Target self-checkout is now only for 10 items or less,” one customer he wrote on Facebook.
“A five-minute ride has now turned into 25 because there are only two lanes open and the lines are in the women’s lane,” another Target customer posted in X.
Target acknowledged the post on X, responding “We are prioritizing full-service checkout lanes to support our guests throughout the day and intend to open Express Self-Checkout to support busy times.”
In addition to limiting items at self-service kiosks, shoppers may now find deodorants and razors locked away and will need to wait for an employee to help them purchase their products.
Additionally, shoppers under the age of 18 will not even be able to shop in-store at select locations without an accompanying adult.
A sign outside a DC Target location read “All guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult at this Target store.”
Latest self-checkout changes
Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed checkout times and reduce theft.
Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at several locations were made available only to Walmart+ members.
Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed at specific times and they were offered more cashiers.
While shoppers feared that shoplifting would fuel the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.
One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would thwart fiercely contested receipt checks.
However, this test has been discontinued.
At Target, items are being limited in auto-checkout.
Last fall, the brand researched new express self-checkout lanes in 200 stores with 10 items or less for added convenience.
In March 2024, this policy was expanded to 2,000 stores in the US.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story