Love it or hate it, self-checkout has become a staple at major retailers. For those of us who love it, this process offers the advantage of being able to quickly scan it and put it in your bag without having to interact with anyone else. But for those who “hate it” (which is increasingly the case), the process is tedious, and one missed scan can lead to charges of theft. Recently, stores have taken note of the anti-self-checkout movement and are now taking action following threats of boycotts and their own “downsizing” (loss of inventory that can lead to theft). See how major companies like Walmart, Costco, and Dollar General are eliminating self-checkout.
RELATED: Walmart Employee Warns Shoppers About Self-Checkout;
At the December 7th financial results conference, Dollar General CEO said: Todd Vasos The company said it began to “over-rely on self-checkout” in its stores this year.
“We should be using self-checkout as a secondary checkout method, not the primary checkout method,” Vasos said.
Dollar General won’t completely eliminate self-checkout, but it plans to use new strategies at its registers.
Related: Walmart and Costco rethink self-checkout, new report reveals.
More employees will be at the front of the store, Vasos said, explaining that self-checkout cannot replace in-person interaction.
“We plan to increase the number of employees on the front end of our stores, particularly in the checkout area,” he said on a conference call yesterday. “While self-checkout contributes to a convenient proposition for customers in certain stores, it reduces the importance of friendly and helpful employees who greet customers and assist while the checkout process takes place. It does not mean.”
Vasos also said that Dollar General has already begun “allocating more labor to front-end operations” and “clearly communicating expectations for a visible associate presence at the front of the store.” He also said that he is starting to do so.
The CEO also talked about shrink lines, noting that increasing the presence of employees near cash registers “helps shrink lines because there’s always someone on the front end of the store watching.”
Related: New study reveals how self-checkout increases spending.
Self-checkout was a headache for Costco over the summer, with some shoppers using self-service options as a workaround for Costco’s membership program.
As a Costco spokesperson previously said, best life, even though membership cards are non-transferable, it has been reported that non-members were “using membership cards that did not belong to them” at self-checkout registers. The company added that while members are always required to present their photo membership card at the register, this has not previously been the case at self-checkout, prompting Costco to strengthen its existing policy.
A spokesperson said, “We do not believe it is right for non-members to receive the same benefits and rates as members.” “We already require a membership card at checkout, and now we will require a photo membership card at the self-service register.”
Walmart is another retailer grappling with the self-checkout issue. Business Insider previously reported that the mega-store announced plans to add more staff to self-service areas and have customers scan entire orders. Going one step further, Walmart is completely eliminating self-checkout lanes at at least three stores in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this fall.
“We are continually evaluating ways to provide the best shopping experience for our customers, including making adjustments to our store checkout areas,” a Walmart spokesperson said. Josh Havens He told the same media in September.
According to Business Insider, the company did not provide details about the shoplifting or whether it influenced the decision, but Walmart shoppers and employees generally know how self-checkout lines deter shoplifters and thieves. It is reported that people have been raising their voices on whether this can be prevented.
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