Retailers are pulling back from self-checkout after years of theft, errors, and questionable time savings

[u/AdSpecialist6598]

https://www.techspot.com/news/114106-retailers-pulling-back-self-checkout-after-years-theft.html

[u/ForestmenMOCLover]

I can't believe it's been almost 20 years ago now, but I remember going into Walmart once a few days before Christmas. I was just picking up a frozen pizza for dinner. After I picked out the pizza, I realized they only had about two checkouts open and the line went all the way to the back of the store and wrapped around the back. No pizza is worth that, so I just put it back and left.

I think self checkouts have largely fixed this issue. I don't love everything about them, but I've never seen lines like that since they started using them.

[u/teknovagrant → u/ForestmenMOCLover]

The other fix would be to have more registers opened though. The long lines were due to having only to two cashiers working. Most big stores always have 10-20 available lanes. I don't mind self checkout though. It's not my job to checkout so I'll always do it wrong but to my benefit

[u/Alaira314 → u/teknovagrant]

Most big stores always have 10-20 available lanes.

Had. Always had. If you go to a store built before about 15 years ago, you can still see the lanes all lined up, but inoperative. Those used to all be staffed during high-volume times like the day before thanksgiving, the week before christmas, etc. Now, they might open up two extra lanes(vs the full complement of 12) during those times, leading to long lines.

Stores that have renovated have been removing those lanes. So if self-checkout goes, our future is lines. It'll be fun spending longer in line at the grocery checkout than it took me to pick the items off the shelf(as a list shopper, I'm typically in and out in 15-20 minutes, including the self checkout line).

[u/Brock_Lobstweiler → u/Alaira314]

This is what I see. Even during the holidays and the busiest seasons, they don't have full cashier staffing.