A WALMART employee has revealed that their store will soon undergo a major transformation.
The big change follows the removal of self-checkout kiosks at the Virginia Walmart, which now commits itself to more personal service.
Walmart shoppers have mixed opinions on the company’s reliance on self-checkout[/caption]
One Walmart store in Virginia has made the decision to remove its self-service kiosks[/caption]
Self-checkout has been a major point of contention among shoppers, with endless complaints surfacing online about long lines, machine errors, and the lack of a human touch.
A Walmart store on Frederick Boulevard in Portsmouth, Virginia – around 20 miles from Virginia Beach – has officially called it quits with the kiosks.
The decision is due to an increasing number of self-checkout theft incidents, according to local outlet 10 On Your Side.
Portable surveillance cameras and a patrol car have been spotted outside the Portsmouth Walmart, as well as a police officer right inside the front doors.
Many shoppers are excited to see the self-checkout kiosks leave the Virginia Walmart.
“I personally prefer a human being to check me out,” said shopper Jonathon Berkley. “Also, the self-checkout areas tend to be too small. So I end up being like, awkwardly not being able to figure out what to do.”
Walmart customer Aaron Lawrence agreed, citing the self-service machines as a form of free labor.
“I talked to a manager one day and I said, ‘Hey, who’s going to check my stuff out?’ So he told me, ‘Well, you can use the self-checkout. I told him, ‘I don’t work here,’” said Lawrence.
Although fans of the kiosks will certainly be disappointed about their removal, Walmart has a positive outlook on the change.
“We believe the changes will improve the in-store shopping experience and give our associates the chance to provide more personalized and efficient service,” a Walmart spokesperson shared in a statement.
Not only is the Virginia store working to improve the customer experience, but also the location’s physical appearance.
The location is preparing for a big renovation in April, a store employee told 10 On Your Side.
RAMPANT THEFT
The Portsmouth location isn’t the first Walmart store to pull the plug on its self-checkout machines.
Locations in Shrewsbury, Missouri, and Cleveland, Ohio similarly pulled self-checkout lanes last year.
All three stores made the tough decision to remove the kiosks in part because of shoplifting.
Billions of dollars in merchandise have been lost to the machines, and the statistics aren’t promising for retailers who still rely on self-checkout.
Fifteen percent of shoppers have admitted to stealing while using self-checkout, according to a LendingTree survey.
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.
Although 60% of consumers who have stolen felt guilty and 33% admitted to getting caught, a whopping 44% said they would likely steal again.
The dismal numbers have many major retailers scaling back on self-checkout.
Dollar General, for example, made the decision to remove the machines from the majority of stores last year.
Target also announced last year its plans to remove self-checkout at certain stores.
Alongside Walmart, retail giants such as Dollar General and Target have pulled back on self-checkout use[/caption]
