Self-Checkout Lanes A Thing of the Past? Maybe at Walmart!

Is it possible that we will lose self-checkout at stores?

Currently I am seeing more and more self-checkout lanes in stores. Meijer, Spartan-Nash, Target, and Walmart stores, to name a few, have had them for a few years. And now I'm even seeing self-checkout in Walgreen's.

Self-checkout is many times more convenient, for sure when you only have a few items and the regular checkout lanes are busy with "full cart shoppers."

But, as easy as it has been, there are problems with self-checkout and Walmart is thinking maybe it's time to rethink this self-checkout thing.

Walmart is trying out a store without self-checkout in Shrewsbury, Missouri, to see how it goes. 

Walmart says the decision was based on several factors, including feedback from associates and customers, shopping patterns, and business needs in this area they have chosen to test this out.

I think probably the big thing left unsaid here is that self-checkout lanes are a shoplifter's paradise. So much product walks out the door undetected. Ouch! That is a huge hit on the bottom line!

Not everyone is happy about this, however. Results from their survey published on the Inc.com website, showed the Gen Z customer, born between 1997 and 2012, is probably the most unhappy.

The survey showed 67% of shoppers polled said they would prefer stores with self-checkout. This is even more true for the Gen Z shoppers polled, who said they would be likely to switch retailers for check-out free stores, or spend more money with a retailer that has a connected or automated checkout experience.

Honestly! Wouldn't you really deal with a real person than a robotic machine? I would!