My husband invented self-checkout but ‘didn’t make a penny’ from it – even he was frustrated at how it has changed

THE inventor of the self-checkout machine, which revolutionized the shopping experience, did not make any money from his creation, his wife has revealed.

The late David R Humble's wife, Karen, has exclusively told The U.S. Sun it was unfair that her husband never benefitted financially from his idea.

Humble first created the self-checkout machine in 1986 while working at Sensormatic Electronics, the first business to invent Alligator Tags placed on clothing to prevent shoplifting.

The inventor first came up with the idea while waiting in line at a grocery store.

He observed an elderly man becoming impatient after being ignored by the shop attendant and scanning an item himself.

It was a revolutionary concept for the time, Karen said, considering it was very early days for computers.

"Dave thought, 'Well why can't anyone check themselves out at the store,'" Karen told The U.S. Sun.

"No one was even pumping their own gas at the time."

Karen said her late husband was constantly inventing and often writing down ideas on paper napkins at restaurants while they were eating out.

She claimed he was driven by a desire to fix problems in the world.

HUMBLE PITCH

Humble pitched the idea to his employer, who initially refused the concept, but he persevered and convinced senior executives to back the prototype.

Since the invention of self-checkout machines, the technology has exploded, with Market Research Future projecting a surge in usage from $33 billion in 2022 to almost $74 billion by 2030.

According to the US Food Industry Association, the pandemic saw a huge increase in self-checkout usage when shoppers used the technology for 30% of transactions or almost doubling since 2018.

While Humble created the first iteration of the self-checkout machine, the technology has drastically changed over the past three decades.

Self-checkouts were originally designed to reduce labor costs and streamline the shopping experience, but the machines have sometimes made life harder for employees, businesses and consumers.

Major retailers including Target and Walmart have tried to blame self-checkout technology for their store closures, citing retail theft as a driving factor.

Self checkouts have evolved by installing cameras, weight sensors and other trackers to catch shoplifters, while businesses have also had to invest in costly technicians to maintain the machines.

Karen said her husband was often frustrated by the changes to the technology over the years, such as the removal of anti-shop lifting features.

"That sometimes made it a little difficult because it is like your baby," Karen said.

I don't think the wheels of his mind ever turned off. He was a quiet man, I think there was too much going on in his head!

SLOW TO TAKE-OFF

While Humble came up with the idea in 1986, it took a few years to really take off.

Karen reflected on a time when she was with her husband at Target and he noticed they had self-checkout machines.

"He was just amazed, he was so happy to see it," Karen said.

"It was great that he got to see a little bit of it, but he never really got to enjoy all the accolades."

Humble became financially successful later in life after he invented the first internet-based weight loss program, "e-diet."

The company was later acquired, but Humble kept a major financial stake in the business.

KAREN'S WARNING

Karen warned younger investors and entrepreneurs that they must put as much thought into the financials as they do the idea.

"Hopefully, there is a good lesson for entrepreneurs in this, and that's often the problem with anyone with good ideas who are professionals," Karen said.

"So many of them don't have any idea about business, and they don't realize the money and the idea needs to be of equal components."

The U.S. Sun covers all things money and retail, including some shoppers' frustration with automation at the checkout.

Walmart has been plagued with controversy in recent months after the retail giant implemented a 15-item or less policy at self-checkout kiosks in select stores.

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.