Additional Coverage:
- Walmart’s drastic self-checkout decision in stores leads to ‘huge change’ for shoppers (irishstar.com)
Shrewsbury Walmart Ditches Self-Checkout, Sees Dramatic Drop in Police Calls
A Shrewsbury, Missouri, Walmart has seen a significant decrease in theft and police calls after removing its self-checkout kiosks. The store made the decision last year after a staggering 509 calls to police the previous year. Since removing the kiosks, calls have plummeted to just 183 in the past twelve months.
Shrewsbury Police Chief Lisa Vargas praised the move, stating, “That’s a huge change. We really appreciate Walmart taking initiative and removing those self-checkers.”
The decision reflects a growing awareness of the shortcomings of self-checkout technology. Author Christopher Andrews, who wrote “The Overworked Consumer: Self-Checkouts, Supermarkets, and the Do-It-Yourself Economy,” noted that self-service kiosks, once touted as the future of retail, have largely failed to live up to expectations.
According to Andrews, “Stores saw this as the next frontier… If they could get the consumer to think that [self-checkout] was a preferable way to shop, then they could cut labor costs.
But they’re finding that people need help doing it, or that they’ll steal stuff. They ended up realizing that they’re not saving money, they’re losing money.”
Walmart has been implementing various theft-prevention measures across its stores, including the use of handheld scanners at exits to verify purchases. A Walmart spokesperson stated that the company is “always looking for ways to innovate in our stores, including the checkout experience,” and that any changes are based on “feedback from associates and customers, shopping patterns and business needs in the area.”
A few other stores in Ohio and New Mexico have also eliminated self-checkout to combat shoplifting. However, Walmart currently has no plans to remove self-checkout chain-wide.
Looking ahead, Walmart is exploring alternative checkout technologies. Select Sam’s Club locations, owned by Walmart, are testing a “Scan and Go” app that allows shoppers to scan items as they shop, utilizing QR codes and AI to ensure accuracy and eliminate the need for receipt checks at the exit.