Although the use of self-checkout system in retail chains, supermarkets, etc. was also innovative at first It has greatly facilitated long queues at cash registersIn recent years, retail chains have realized that this lends itself to theft.
For this reason, both Costco and Walmart decided to make a major change in their stores due to the ongoing thefts. “Theft is a problem. It is larger than it has been historically.said Walmart CEO Doug McMillion.
According to a report by the Journal of Applied Psychology, the rate of self-checkout theft in recent months has risen to four times what was previously seen at cash registers.
McMillion highlighted that due to this situation, some Walmart stores have had to close in certain locations This also led to an increase in the prices of some products.
Major retailers like Costco and Walmart have aggressively reconsidered these self-checkout lines, and it has been proven that users are prone to making errors when using these devices, such as; Incorrectly scanning or writing barcodes or even placing items in the bag area Which has not been properly checked.
On the other hand, membership policies are another aspect that should be discussed according to a Costco spokesperson “Our membership policy states that our membership cards are non-transferable, and since we have expanded our self-service checkout system, We have noticed that non-member buyers are using membership cards that do not belong to them“, highlighted.
For a representative of the chain, “We don’t think it’s right for non-members to get the same benefits and prices as our members. We also do require a membership card at the time of checkout“We now ask to see your photo membership card at our self-service checkout registers,” he said.
The new changes are for example; Costco is increasing security at its self-checkout lines Now members may notice that upon exiting there are additional staff guarding the area.
But not only Walmart and Costco have taken these measures, Target has also set limits on purchases of 10 or fewer products, and major supermarket chains such as ShopRite and Giant have also joined the measures.
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