Walmart removes self-checkout from select stores (2024)

FAQs

Walmart removes self-checkout from select stores? ›

Walmart removes some self-checkout lanes from its branches. The list of locations where self-checkout lanes are being removed now includes Shrewsbury, Missouri, Cleveland, Ohio and Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to a Daily Express U.S. report.

According to the report, many retailers are reducing the number of self-checkouts as a response to an increase in shoplifting. The news outlet claims that self-checkout thefts are five times more likely than traditional cashier checkout theft.

The decisions come amid retailers' ongoing efforts to tamp down on “shrink,” an industry term for all the ways inventory can get lost, including through error or theft by shoppers or employees. Some of the companies shifting gears on self-checkout have blamed theft for their moves.

Walmart has come up with an imaginative way to crack down on shoplifting at its self-checkouts. The retailer has introduced a feature that lets shoppers simply move an item over the self-checkout scanner, which will register the item without needing to scan a visible bar code.

No TikTok, Walmart isn't charging $98 to use self-checkout.

"As part of our announced plans for additional investments and improvements to stores across the country, we're converting the self-checkout lanes at our 7437 Watson Road store in Shrewsbury, MO., to traditional checkout lanes," a Walmart spokesperson emailed CBS MoneyWatch.

Dollar General's crackdown is part of its plan to reduce inventory losses, including from shoplifting. "Shrink continues to be the most significant headwind in our business," Vasos said on the latest earnings call.

Exiting the Store: Generally, shoplifting charges apply if you exit the store without paying for the items you're suspected of stealing. However, intent to steal can still be proven if you were caught concealing items but hadn't yet exited the store.

But retailers' self-checkout strategies have also contributed to their shrink problems. One study of retailers in the United States, Britain and other European countries found that companies with self-checkout lanes and apps had a loss rate of about 4%, more than double the industry average.

Self-checkout, on the other hand, shifts the work to customers, making them feel less rewarded, the study found. “Extra effort required to checkout and bag purchases and the expectation of being served by the store were negative consequences of self-checkout and decreased loyalty to the store,” according to the study.

Does Walmart know if you don't scan something at self-checkout? ›

The technology uses cameras to monitor registers for items that have not been scanned and notifies employees of the missed item. Employees overseeing the self-checkout stations can monitor the registers from mobile phones and, in the case of issues, pause the machines to prevent customers from checking out.

No, Walmart is not charging a fee for self-checkout. However, during times of limited self-checkout access, some Walmart locations are reserving self-checkout for their Spark delivery service drivers and for those with a Walmart+ subscription, Bohl said.

But the decision to close or change the do-it-yourself method of checking out may also be in part because, while convenient and often speedy, self-checkouts have been a seemingly easy target for shoplifters, with many stores including Walmart reporting thefts because the system does not require products to be scanned ...

It is challenging to provide an accurate count of how many people steal at Walmart self-checkouts, as highlighted by a security guard's perspective on Quora. Reuters reported that Walmart may lose as much as $3 billion annually due to shoplifting, particularly at self-checkout.

All self-checkout registers accept cash, but they also accept Walmart gift cards, most major credit cards, debit cards, and EBT cards. If using a check, go through a regular checkout lane, since there is no option for check payment at the self-checkout. Check the screen to ensure that your payment method is available.

April 2024

“As part of our announced plans for additional investments and improvements to facilities across the country, we've decided to remove self-checkout lanes and replace them with staffed lanes at select locations,” Brian K.

Walmart is opting to stop operating stores focused solely on fulfilling online orders for now even as other businesses are investing in the concept.

Walmart (WMT)

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) suffered losses from retail theft of an estimated $3 billion in 2021, $6.1 billion in 2022 and $6.5 billion in 2023. A significant portion of these numbers—up to 50% of the overall stolen losses—come from self-checkout theft.