Some businesses are removing self-checkout lanes; here’s why

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – You might soon notice that a few chain stores are getting rid of their self-checkout stations.

Dollar General says it has removed self-checkout stations at about 12,000 locations. Self-checkout machines were first used back in 1986, and became common around the mid 2000s but now, some stores are changing back to the original employee checkout service.

Many people 22News spoke to had their opinions about using self-checkout stations.

“It’s not that I like it, but it’s convenient when there is big long lines or they are short staffed,” said Javier Marrero of Springfield.

“I think I used to in the beginning when it was more of a novelty, I think these days I would much more prefer to stand in a line and talk to a real person,” said Ellen Moorhouse of Springfield.

“For me, it’s more about time. If I see an open spot there, I might go into a person checking out, but if I find a self checkout, it may be much easier and faster for me, so I use both,” said Raju Panta of Springfield.

Everybody has their opinions about self checkout, but whether they like it or not, they understood why some stores might be going away with it. Some stores are having problems with customers not scanning items, or to cut down on what the industry calls “shrink,” a term used for referring to lost inventory. While some unscanned items at self-checkout could be accidental, many stores have attributed loss to intentional stealing.

“That’s notorious, people are going to do what they are going to do. I think it is more about supporting the values you are going to see and if you don’t want checkout to go away or real customer service, then you have to support them.”

In years past, some stores were looking to change to fully self-checkout, but now they are changing their minds. Some of the stores changing their checkout options are Five Below, Target, and Amazon grocery stores.

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