Walmart is following in Target’s footsteps by adding limitations to self-checkout lanes at some of its stores across the country, according to a new report from Business Insider.
Users on Reddit have spotted that some Walmart locations are starting to reserve self-checkout lanes for either Walmart+ subscribers or Spark delivery drivers.
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“At my store we have 10 self check outs and 6 are dedicated for spark drivers/walmart plus members – 4 for spark and 2 for plus,” wrote one Walmart employee in a Reddit post.
Another Walmart employee on Reddit even claimed that their store has started limiting the amount of items that customers can check out at self checkout lanes.
“My store is doing 20 items or less at the SCO,” wrote the employee.
Even though Walmart did not immediately respond to TheStreet’s request for comment, the retailer confirmed with Insider that some store locations are “temporarily testing different checkout staffing options,” and that store managers are experimenting with various strategies that are based on customers’ shopping habits, feedback and business needs.
The move from Walmart comes after Target appeared to make a similar move with its self-checkout lanes at some locations. Last month, users on social media started noticing that some Target stores have been shrinking their self-checkout operation hours.
“We’re open 8-10 normally but I just got told that our SCO will now only be operating 10-6:30,” wrote the Reddit user.
The change at some Target stores has caused backlash as some customers blasted the retailer on social media for long lines at cashier checkout lanes.
In response to the reports, Target told TheStreet on Feb.16 that it was “piloting a number of tests to determine their impact on the overall guest experience” in select stores.
Last year, Costco even revised its self-checkout operations by adding more staff to monitor and scan ID cards at lanes after it found that nonmembers were using self-checkout to sneak in and use membership cards that didn’t belong to them.
Retailers have been narrowing down on self-checkout lanes after industries faced $112.1 billion in losses due to shoplifting in 2022. According to a recent survey by LendingTree, 69% of Americans who use self-checkout machines at stores believe that the technology contributes to shoplifting.
The survey also found that 15% of consumers have purposely stolen an item at self-checkout, and only 33% were caught. Also, 21% of respondents say they’ve taken an item accidentally while using self-checkout, and 69% kept the item anyway instead of returning it.
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