Walmart shoppers praised self-checkout after standing in line for nearly 30 minutes due to alternative options.
Frustrated customers took to social media to criticize retailers for allegedly long wait times to check out and exit at checkout lanes, with some customers frequently asking for the option to be reinstated.
![Walmart shoppers praised self-checkout after waiting in checkout line](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/01/im-okay-self-checkout-walmart-869954917.jpg)
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TikToker Jordan (@neatlyneurodivergent) wrote in the on-screen caption of a recent clip, “After going to Walmart with manual checkout, self-checkout is fine.”
The video shows Jordan placing his cart behind several other shoppers as they wait in a checkout lane at a Walmart store.
“We stood in line for 25 minutes,” she claimed.
The influencer directed viewers’ attention to her checkout line, where there appeared to be at least three people waiting to register in front of her.
It’s unclear exactly which Walmart store Jordan was shopping at, but he may have been at one of three New Mexico stores that have completely removed self-checkout.
Wal-Mart Press Office Director Joe Pennington told the US Sun that the retail giant reportedly took this action due to theft rates, but only in that area. It is said that there was not.
“At this time, there are no plans to eliminate self-checkout nationwide,” Pennington said.
“We are continually looking at ways to provide the best shopping experience for our customers, and that includes making adjustments to our store checkout areas.”
Walmart’s self-checkout system will come under increased scrutiny from customers in 2023.
Inside the controversy
Some have called for a return to strictly cashier checkout, but given Jordan’s experience, the situation appears to be a double-edged sword.
On the other hand, eliminating self-checkouts could reduce inventory shrinkage due to mis-scanned items or theft, making it easier for large shoppers to bag their groceries.
On the other hand, it can also lead to inefficiency, as Jordan experienced.
Despite these considerations, some Walmart customers are calling for an end to self-checkout.
As previously reported by US Sun, some Walmart employees have noted growing tension between customers and employees in self-checkout areas.
Anonymous staff members from across the country claimed they were upset that AI surveillance cameras would catch customers misscanning items at kiosks.
According to Business Insider, one person recalled an instance where Walmart shoppers resorted to “throwing items” at them.
receive rage
Considering the incidence of organized crime associated with kiosks and the various methods some thieves use to remove items from stores without paying, Walmart is installing surveillance cameras at self-checkout locations and increasing the number of We have taken measures to prevent theft.
A recent study conducted by Professors Matt Hopkins and Adrian Beck of the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom found that retailers in the United States and Europe are experiencing significant losses from self-checkout.
According to the New York Times, Hopkins and Beck found that the average shrinkage rate for self-checkouts remains at 4 percent.
According to the Corporate Finance Institute, shrinkage, also known as inventory shrinkage, refers to losses due to clerical errors, damaged, lost, mis-scanned goods, theft, etc.
A controversial anti-theft measure that Walmart employs at its self-checkouts is receipt checks.
Several customers have expressed strong opposition to the policy, which requires employees to wait near store exits and double-check receipts before customers leave.
Some threatened to boycott the store entirely over self-checkout and checks.
Some people try to cheat the system by using text receipts instead of printed receipts.
For more Walmart content, check out The US Sun’s coverage of why the retailer recently abandoned its $100 million plan.
The US Sun also published an article about an irate shopper who claimed he had “educated Walmart about the Constitution.”