A TARGET shopper issued a warning to the popular retailer after encountering a less-than-ideal checkout experience just days before Christmas.
The customer was less than impressed despite spending $600 in-store.
She had boycotted the retailer for a year but decided to give the chain a second chance, according to a post on X.
The shopper was less than impressed that only two checkout lanes were open.
And her rage intensified when she realized that the 10-item limit was in effect.
“Absolutely ridiculous,” she said.
She issued an ultimatum to the retailer, urging them to ditch the checkout policy or hire more cashiers.
And the shopper revealed where she would go to next.
“I will be going back to Walmart immediately,” she vowed.
Target is just one retailer that has rolled out policies that ban customers from scanning a specific number of items.
The policy is part of the company’s efforts to ensure self-service machines remain as efficient as possible.
It was tested at a select number of stores last fall, and chiefs were impressed with the results.
Chiefs claimed self-checkout was twice as fast in the 200 stores the measure was tested, according to a statement.
The company also said shoppers’ experience was better.
Bosses revealed they prided themselves on listening to customers’ feedback.
The self-checkout shakeup is now a feature across thousands of the chain’s stores in the US.
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.
It came into force on a widespread basis on March 17 this year.
But, despite chiefs being impressed with the results, shoppers have not shared the same level of enthusiasm.
Customers have fumed that they’ve been forced to stand in regular checkout lanes but moaned that few registers were in use.
Shoppers have complained they’ve been unable to pay for items as a consequence.
The policy has even left some people dreading going to Target and doing their shopping.
Schnucks’ chiefs also created a self-checkout shakeup when announcing a similar policy would come into force earlier this year.
They imposed a policy that banned shoppers from scanning a maximum of 10 items, but this has been loosened to 15.
Such policies have also been rolled out at certain Walmart locations but not across the board.
