The Self-Checkout Dilemma: Confusion and Reckoning at Walmart, Costco, and Kroger
Retailers such as Walmart, Costco, and Kroger are reevaluating their self-checkout strategies as they realize the limitations of the technology. Despite hopes of significant labor cost savings, these retailers are finding that they still need employees to combat theft, assist customers with purchases, review IDs, and check receipts. Costco has started asking staff to check membership cards in self-checkout lanes to crack down on improper sharing, while Walmart is removing self-checkout lanes from some stores and replacing them with traditional staffed registers. Kroger, on the other hand, is going all-in on self-checkout in one store but still has front-end staff to assist with scanning and bagging groceries. The retailers are realizing that self-checkout requires supervision, maintenance, and IT support, and that assigning employees to monitor and assist customers is necessary for a smooth process.
