- Schnucks implements item limit of 10 items or fewer at self-checkout lanes to improve customer service and prevent theft.
- Retailers, including Walmart and Costco, are also addressing theft concerns and other issues related to self-checkouts.
- The reliance on self-checkouts has increased, prompting retailers like Dollar General to increase staff at checkout areas for better customer service.
Additional Coverage:
- A grocery store chain is limiting how many items you can buy at its self-checkouts as concerns over theft mount (businessinsider.com)
Retailers across the US are reevaluating their self-checkout strategies, including Midwest grocery store chain Schnucks. Schnucks is implementing a cap on the number of items customers can purchase at its self-checkout lanes. Starting Thursday, customers will only be able to buy 10 items or fewer using self-checkout. Those with more than 10 items will have to use the staffed checkout lanes. Schnucks believes that this item limit will not only improve customer service and efficiency but also help prevent theft. The company operates 115 stores in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, each equipped with self-checkouts.
Schnucks explained that self-checkouts were originally meant for smaller orders but gradually started being used for larger purchases. By implementing an item limit, Schnucks hopes to address this issue. The retailer is concerned about theft, as self-checkouts are more vulnerable to it. By keeping the item limit, Schnucks believes it can maintain its costs and offer lower prices to customers. This move comes as other retailers across the US are also rethinking their self-checkout strategies due to theft concerns.
In addition to theft, retailers are looking into other issues related to self-checkouts. Some customers intentionally don’t scan or mislabel items, resulting in shrinkage. Walmart is combatting theft by using technology to detect problems like unscanned items, but this has led to uncomfortable confrontations between staff and customers. Costco is cracking down on membership card-sharing at self-checkouts by having staff verify customers’ cards. Research also suggests that self-checkouts can be alienating for some customers. Dollar General is addressing this by increasing staff at its checkout areas to provide more customer service. CEO Todd Vasos stated that self-checkouts should only be used as a secondary checkout option, as the reliance on them has increased too much.
Overall, retailers are reevaluating self-checkout strategies to tackle theft concerns and provide better customer service.