Walmart shoppers are confused after speaking with store managers about why all self-checkouts have been eliminated.
Charlie Hibdon of Irving, Texas, shared on Facebook his shopping experience gone awry at his local Walmart Supercenter and the strange conversation that ensued afterwards.
Shoppers explained how the Las Colinas store removed almost all of its traditional cash registers several years ago to make room for self-checkouts.
But over the weekend, “literally overnight, they removed them all,” Hibdon explained in the post.
That forced shoppers to revert to traditional payment methods, but it meant Hibdon and other Walmart customers had to wait in line for about 30 minutes.
“Early on a Sunday morning, there were only a handful of registers open and long lines with wait times of 20 to 30 minutes,” he explained.
The situation was so bad that he decided to abandon the cart and leave the store, but informed the manager before leaving.
“It's getting worse”
She then allegedly revealed to him why the changes had been made in the store, reasons that left Mr Hibdon perplexed.
“The change was made by head office and the store suffered huge losses due to theft last year, making the situation worse,” the shopper explained.
“On the way home I couldn't help but scratch my head and wonder how it is possible that so much theft occurs at self-checkout registers and then they close them all down.”
He explained the few times he's had to use self-checkouts at stores, but how he was “quickly able to figure out the situation.”
Hibdon even said the officer's reaction when he searched his bag “made me feel like a criminal.”
“Not only that, but a video was shown on the screen showing that I had not properly scanned my luggage,” he added.
“All I can say is that self-checkout thieves are way smarter than me!”
An analysis conducted last year by software company Grabango found that self-checkouts cause 16 times more losses than cashier-assisted checkouts, according to CSP Daily News.
Latest changes to self-checkout
Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategies to speed up checkout times and reduce theft.
Walmart shoppers were shocked to find that self-checkout lanes at various locations were now only available to Walmart+ members.
Other customers reported that self-checkouts were closed during certain hours and extra cashiers were deployed instead.
Shoppers expressed concern that shoplifting was the cause of the update, but a Walmart spokesman said store managers were simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.
One odd experiment was an RFID-equipped self-checkout kiosk that would eliminate the hotly contested receipt verification.
But that test run has been phased out.
Target is limiting products at self-checkouts.
Last fall, the brand investigated new express self-checkout lanes in 200 stores carrying 10 or fewer items to improve convenience.
As of March 2024, the policy has been expanded to 2,000 stores across the United States.
Shoppers also noticed that their local Walmart stores were limiting customers to 15 items or less at self-checkout machines.
The data shows that self-service registers have a loss rate of 3.5%, compared to just 0.21% for manned registers.
Meanwhile, retail theft currently costs the industry more than $100 billion a year and is projected to rise to $140 billion by 2025, according to Capital One Shopping.
Repulsion
Walmart stores across the US have implemented product limits and other changes to self-checkout, but some shoppers are refusing to use the machines.
The company recently increased the item limit at self-checkouts in some stores to 15 items, forcing customers with more items to use manned registers.
This is not only to improve efficiency but also to address the issue of theft.
But many argue that major retailers don't have enough staffing to handle the volume of shoppers who traditionally use self-checkout machines.
The change has resulted in long queues snaking around stores, with some customers outraged, saying it felt like “Black Friday” and causing them to reassess their shopping habits.
“Shop online and pick up is the best option for Walmart!” one shopper said in the comments on Hibdon's post.
Meanwhile, another shopper followed Hibdon's lead and left a cart full of $300 worth of groceries at the register.
As major chains like Walmart pivot by either eliminating self-checkout altogether or reducing the service, one grocer is making a surprising change to its checkout process.
What is Walmart Scan & Go?
Walmart's Scan and Go was designed to save shoppers time.
Walmart's scan-and-go system was developed to allow customers to shop, pay, and scan their items as they leave the store without having to wait in long checkout lines.
The retailer explains that the new system can be implemented in a few simple steps.
- Customers must first download the Walmart app, with location access enabled, onto their phones.
- On the Store mode landing page, shoppers[スキャン アンド ゴー]You need to click on the option.
- As customers shop, they can scan each item and add it to their cart.
- Finally, you'll be asked to view your cart to verify that the quantities on the app match the quantities in your cart.
- Shoppers press “check out” and proceed to the self-checkout kiosk.
- You will be asked to scan a QR code provided to you at the register and confirm your payment method.
- Once the transaction is complete, shoppers can leave the store without worry.