Some Retailers are Rethinking Self Checkout

In the U.S., Walmart, Costco, Wegmans and other chains have also revised their self-checkout strategies.

If you’re not a fan of self-checkout at the grocery store, you’re not alone and it’s not just customers who don’t like it. Some major companies are rethinking their use of the technology. Booths, a British supermarket chain, said it’s removing self-checkout stations in all but two of its 28 stores. In the U.S., Walmart, Costco, Wegmans and other chains have also revised their self-checkout strategies. Booths’ managing director says customers have long complained that the machines are slow, unreliable, and impersonal. Customers also sometimes have difficulty identifying fruits and vegetables and there are delays for products like alcohol that require age verification. Other retailers have found that self-checkout leads to higher merchandise losses from customer errors and shoplifting than having human cashiers.