Walmart shopper’s reply after being told he couldn’t use checkout as he stood with cart containing $300 worth of items

A FUMING shopper has slammed the retailer after they refused to let him check out.

The shopper claimed that he left behind $300 worth of items at Walmart because of their checkout policy.

"Express had 5 open checkouts and no line. There was one 1 open lane in the regular checkouts and that line went out to the clothing area," the shopper tweeted.

"Old lady told me I couldn't use the self checkout and I left a cart of $300 and told her to put it back," they added.

This comes after big retailers like Walmart are making massive changes to their checkout policies.

Walmart has an entire page dedicated to questions about their checkout process.

"Over the past few years, we have rolled out new Hosted Checkouts in a number of our stores," the website said.

"Our associates working in the Customer Host role can show customers to available registers, help them through the checkout process and answer any questions they may have."

Walmart claims that the new checkout process is designed to help consumers complete their shopping even faster.

For customers who prefer checking out with a cashier, Walmart said it will continue to have that option available.

However, after noticing an increase in retail theft, Walmart is one of many big stores to scale back on self-checkout.

Consumers have been - intentionally or not - missing items when they're self-scanning at the self-checkout kiosks.

In April, two Walmart stores removed their self-checkout machines, according to a statement shared with Business Insider.

"We believe the change will improve the in-store shopping experience and give our associates the chance to provide more personalized and efficient service," Walmart spokesperson Brian Little told Insider.

Other retailers, including Target, Dollar General, and Five Below have also said that they are scaling back on self-checkout services.

Many consumers have complained about Target's new express self-checkout rule that only allows shoppers to use self-checkout if they are purchasing 10 items or less.

Latest self-checkout changes

Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed up checkout times and reduce theft.

Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various locations were made available only for Walmart+ members.

Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed during specific hours, and more cashiers were offered instead.

While shoppers feared that shoplifting fueled the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.

One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would stop the fiercely contested receipt checks.

However, that test run has been phased out.

At Target, items are being limited at self-checkout.

Last fall, the brand surveyed new express self-checkout lanes across 200 stores with 10 items or less for more convenience.

As of March 2024, this policy has been expanded across 2,000 stores in the US.

Shoppers have also spotted their local Walmart stores restricting customers to 15 items or less to use self-checkout machines.

Some Walmart stores seem to be adopting this policy, although no official statement was released.

Self-checkout became popular among retailers and customers during the pandemic because it allowed shoppers to limit their contact with others.

In recent months, many shoppers said the new self-checkout policies have made their in-person shopping experience worse.

Meanwhile, shoppers are divided over Walmart adding popular hoagie restaurants inside 14 locations.

And another shopper raged against the store for its controversial receipt check measure.