The trend of removing self-checkout from stores entirely continues at two more Walmart locations that have faced serious theft problems.
After announcing a series of self-checkout removals in recent months, Walmart has added two more stores to the list.
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A Walmart in St. Louis, Missouri, and one in Cleveland, Ohio, will remove the problematic kiosks from stores along the next a few weeks, representatives said Business Insider.
“We believe the change will improve the in-store shopping experience and give our associates the opportunity to provide more personalized and efficient service,” Walmart spokesperson Brian Little told Insider.
Several other major retailers have also announced the removal of self-checkout options or changes to rules regarding self-checkout in recent months, including Target, Dollar General and FiveBelow.
The move comes as retailers try to crack down on rising rates of shoplifting, which many believe is directly linked to the proliferation of self-checkout machines.
A study carried out by purchasing analysts from Grabango found that customers were 21 times more likely to steal when using self-checkout than when checking out at the register.
And much of the theft may be unintentional.
Another research carried out by Loan Tree found that 20% of people admitted to accidentally taking something home without paying for it when using self-checkout.
JOINING A TREND
Several other national chains have announced changes to their self-checkout policies within a few years of rolling them out in stores across the country.
Target made headlines last month when it announced it would begin limiting self-checkout to 10 items or fewer and replace many of its machines with cashier-driven checkouts.
Store representatives said the update was tested in dozens of stores during a pilot program that saw the change lead to a significant drop in “shrinkage” – loss of items due to theft.
Dollar General leaders also announced this year that they would close a large portion of their self-checkout machines due to theft concerns.
Buyers have already started to notice.
“Wow, Dollar General shut down ALL of their self-checkout because of theft,” said shopper Patricia Wright he said on Facebook.
IT HAS NOT BEEN YET
Walmart has started to completely remove its self-checkout options at some stores in New York. Mexico last year, according Time.
The company is the largest in-person retailer in the US, along with the country’s largest employer.
Other locations have also tried to reduce reliance on self-checkout machines.
A Walmart in Los Angeles, California, has reportedly cordoned off its self-checkout machines to discourage customers from using them after they were linked to an increase in thefts.
With more than 4,700 locations in the U.S. alone, Walmart representatives said there were no plans yet to remove self-checkout kiosks from all stores.
In a statement to The US Sun, Walmart’s director of press relations, Joe Pennington, confirmed the chain’s position last year.
“We continually look for ways to provide our customers with the best shopping experience and this includes adjusting the checkout area in stores,” said Pennington.
“There are no current plans for self-checkout removals all over the country.”
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 more cashiers were offered in its place.
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
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