‘Unexpected item’: how self-checkouts failed to live up to their promise (2024)

FAQs

What are common problems with self-checkout? ›

The retail industry is no stranger to theft, and self-checkout systems have only exacerbated the problem. According to a report by RMI, self-checkout theft is five times more likely than traditional cashier checkout theft. Retailers experience a 50% higher rate of loss when using these systems as well.

The staffer, known as Cam, showed off his handheld device that lets workers pause machines when they have suspicions. Walmart stores have dozens of security cameras that can help bosses monitor shoppers' movements.

Self-checkouts are here to stay and can deliver considerable benefits to retailers and shoppers alike – but retailers mustn't leave cash buyers behind in the pursuit of progress.

The machines are expensive to install, often break down and can lead to customers purchasing fewer items. Stores also incur higher losses and more shoplifting at self-checkouts than at traditional checkout lanes with human cashiers.

Rather than needing to cut labor costs, the bigger issue in retail is the labor shortage; this is where self-checkout creates even more flexibility. With face-to-face interactions still valued by consumers, self-checkout allows businesses to allocate labor to other parts of the business, including customer relations.

The omission of human interaction is also something many people are understandably wary of. The idea that people are losing their jobs because of self-checkout, however, is not necessarily true. While it has happened, most people who are replaced by self-checkout are offered a similar position instead.

So when you check out, you choose a self-scan lane and instead of scanning the porterhouse barcode, you enter the produce code for bananas, weigh your steak on the scanner, then slip it in your bag for a very lucrative, very illegal deal on dinner.

What other shoplifting techniques are common in self-checkout? The Banana Trick: Customers scan a low-priced item while placing a more expensive item on the scale or in their bags. This takes advantage of the machine's lack of knowledge about the actual items being scanned.

Shoplifting at Walmart

When you are caught, you will be approached by Loss Prevention Agents. They are not allowed to touch you or prevent you from leaving the store. They are also not allowed to chase you. However, they are told to call the police.

Does Walmart not care if you steal? ›

If you are stealing and caught, you have a chance to be banned from the store. In some cases, you will be banned for a day and other cases you can be banned for life. While Walmart is a large chain store, you are likely going to be able to enter another Walmart without a problem.

Even if you successfully shoplift and exit the store without being caught, you can still be arrested. When there is missing inventory or if something distinctive is gone from the shelves, businesses may review security footage.

Wegmans, the East Coast supermarket chain, said Monday that it would stop using its self-checkout app until the system could be improved because its stores were experiencing losses.

Citing losses, the supermarket chain Wegmans announced that it had halted the use of its self-checkout app in which customers scanned their groceries as they shopped.

Self-Checkouts are not new to the retail sector, and decades of innovation and implementation of technology has seen the usage increase year on year. In 2021 the industry saw a significant 11% growth, and yet this is low compared to the forecasted 13.3% compound annual growth rate predicted through to 2030[1].

Customers enjoy the convenience of being able to shop without waiting in line, which leads to better customer satisfaction levels. In addition, self-checkouts are intuitive and easy to use, making them perfect for those who want a quick and hassle-free shopping experience.

According to Walmart, the retail behemoth will be going fully self-checkout and/or “Scan & Go” by the end of 2021.

What percentage of shoppers prefer using self-checkout over traditional cashier-assisted checkout? Approximately 73% of shoppers prefer using self-checkout.

Walmart rolled out self-checkout to streamline operations and reduce labor needs — but employees and customers say it's causing a surge in theft. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said stores could close if the rising tide of theft wasn't stemmed.

Eliminating cashiers is really about rationalizing store labor; those jobs won't likely be reassigned elsewhere in stores. This major variable expense, when cut, goes right to bottom line improvement. A grocery store typically budgets about 12-15% of their sales for labor, and lower for mass merchants and discounters.

Will cashiers become obsolete? ›

Cashiers

With more than 3.3 million people working in this capacity, the job of cashier isn't going to disappear anytime soon. However, the number of people with this job is projected to drop by 10% through 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Automation is a big reason for the projected decline.

Retailers and restaurants are looking to robots and other technology to keep up with demand in a tight labor market and to better adapt to buying habits. Sam's Club uses robots to scrub store floors and scan inventory and cupcake chain Sprinkles has replaced traditional cashiers with self-checkout kiosks.

One of the biggest benefits of self-checkout kiosks is that they save you money on labor costs. With a self-checkout option, one cashier can oversee six transactions at once. You don't need as many cashiers to fully staff your checkout lanes — but you don't have to sacrifice efficient customer service, either.

"The name 'Walmart,' expressed as one word and without punctuation, is a trademark of the company and is used analogously to describe the company and its stores.

The former Walmart employee said the point of her video is to teach people not to even try stealing from the self-checkout kiosks. She said: “They can see everything that you're purchasing, everything that you're scanning. “You will get caught and they will pause a transaction on you.”

But earlier this year, Walmart (WMT) showed how times have changed. It tested a system that scanned the face of everyone entering several of its stores, identified suspected shoplifters, and instantly alerted store security on their mobile devices.

Stores can make bananas a profit-worthy product by touting value and other attributes. “In the past, bananas have been considered a loss leader, but that is changing,” says Anthony Serafino, executive vice president at Exp Group in North Bergen, NJ. “Stores can make money on bananas.”

This liner is punctured during ripening to allow ethylene gas to progress ripening from green to yellow. In cool weather, the warm bananas continue to respire (and exude moisture) in the bag and condensation forms on the fruit when the liner is opened in the supermarket.

Push the needle in the banana at a well-concealed spot and wiggle it up and down inside the banana. This will create a cut across the banana. Keep the hole as small as possible where the needle is inserted. Repeat the process down the side of the banana to create as many slices as you'd like.

Code 20 - dry spill. Code 50 - shopping carts are needed from the parking lot. Code 1 - shoplifter. Code C - customer needs assistance.

Can Walmart legally detain you? ›

Walmart store employees can only detain someone in-store: if there is reasonable suspicion they stole something. until the police arrive (a reasonable amount of time)

In 2021, The Verge reported that Walmart had employed facial recognition software and a special AI to detect unscanned items in the self-checkout lane. As of 2019, this AI detection software is used in over 1,000 stores, per Insider.

You may have a claim for false imprisonment and defamation against Walmart if you can prove that the store detained you and made false accusations of theft without a reasonable belief that you were actually committing a crime.

What happens if you get caught shoplifting at Walmart? Per their company policy, Walmart will not detain or press charges against someone who is caught shoplifting less than $25 worth of goods. Instead, they'll urge you to leave the item with them.

Yes. It's a high theft area and cameras are usually focused on the area outside (but not in) the fitting rooms. Who watches the security cameras at Walmart? Any manager and mainly AP associates.

A representative for a food worker union in Washington said most of the employees they represent are told to not stop shoplifters. The reason is simple, there's the chance of injury to the employee, the thief, and other shoppers. That can also lead to lawsuits.

Due to the extensive surveillance at the Wal-Mart stores, if you attempt to steal merchandise, it is very likely that you will be caught and detained by a Wal-Mart loss prevention officer or sometimes a police officer working an extra shift at Wal-Mart.

11 answers

No the company will not rehired you.

The most notorious issue with self-checkouts is an increased risk of theft. This is specific to retail stores and has become a problem in large grocery stores and general merchandise retailers like Target and Walmart.

That's what happens when retailers add self-checkout. "Theft accounts for nearly 4% of inventory for retailers with self-checkout, compared to just 1.5% for traditional checkout," according to a report from the U.K.'s University of Leicester.

Does Target use self-checkout? ›

Now available in most Target stores, our updated self-checkout experience includes the ability to find produce by categories with accompanying emojis (a heart for popular items, a carrot for vegetables, a cry-face emoji for onions and so much more!) to help streamline the process and save guests time.

In 2018 Walmart announced it was suspending its Scan & Go effort due to poor feedback and low customer participation. It was a long and expensive experiment for the world's largest retailer.

Store employees might interpret a customer's honest mistake as an attempt to steal property. As a result, someone who accidentally forgot to scan an item could end up facing arrest for shoplifting. In some cases, especially those involving repeated thefts, shoplifters may receive felony charges.

The machines are expensive to install, often break down and can lead to customers purchasing fewer items. Stores also incur higher losses and more shoplifting at self-checkouts than at traditional checkout lanes with human cashiers.

Theft risk

The most notorious issue with self-checkouts is an increased risk of theft. This is specific to retail stores and has become a problem in large grocery stores and general merchandise retailers like Target and Walmart.

Since self-checkout is typically faster than registers, there is typically one queue per several checkout counters, which saves additional space. However, compared to other self-checkout options, counters are at a disadvantage – they are one of the least optimal options when it comes to cost of space.

"If you somehow didn't scan something appropriately or the machine didn't pick it up accidentally when you scanned it, you could potentially be charged with misdemeanor larceny or felony larceny, depending on how big the item was," Granados warned.

The so-called “banana trick” is a technique used to steal in self-pay that involves charging an expensive item like shrimp, which sells for more than $20, at the price of an inexpensive item like a banana, which averages around $0.49 per pound.

Lack of understanding:

The most obvious disadvantage of using a self service kiosk is if a customer does not understand how to use the kiosk. The benefit of you not having a staff for the kiosk will be for naught as your staff will need to guide the customer to avoid a negative review.

Do customers like self-checkout? ›

Customer preference for self checkout systems is based on speed, privacy when paying, and seamless customer experience. In addition to this, customers tend to feel in control of their shopping experience when using self-checkout compared to standing in line with a store clerk.

Customers like it

Likewise, the NCR states that the main reason customers like self-checkout is the convenience. Other reasons include faster checkouts, privacy, control over their purchase, and not having to chat with their cashier. For many customers, checking out their own products is ideal.

The omission of human interaction is also something many people are understandably wary of. The idea that people are losing their jobs because of self-checkout, however, is not necessarily true. While it has happened, most people who are replaced by self-checkout are offered a similar position instead.

A cashier might forget to scan an item that was sitting in front of them on a table but out of sight behind the register. They may think an item scanned, but it might not appear on the receipt. In all of these cases, the right thing to do, if you catch the error, is to let the cashier know.

The cameras are purely there for us to spot theft/fraud and if anyone had put money in the till and either the till had not recognised the money so then we can either confirm or deny if that money had gone in the till.

This new software would make it much more difficult to do the "banana trick." What is the "banana trick?" It is when a shoplifter replaces the UPC for a lower price item and scans that instead of the higher priced item.

Walmart has a policy that you won't be detained or charged if you steal less than $25 worth of merchandise. You'll be encouraged to leave the item with them instead.