Target is limiting customers to 10 items at self-checkout

Target is pulling backmost connected what's go a ubiquitous and often speedier measurement for customers to salary for their purchases successful stores. 

The retailer connected Thursday said it's making changes to a cardinal portion of nan buying process — nan checkout line. Customers who take self-checkout will beryllium constricted to 10 items, Target said. Otherwise, they'll person to acquisition their items via a quality cashier earlier leaving stores. 

Target's "Express Self-Checkout" lanes will deed stores connected Sunday astatine astir of its 2,000 locations. The alteration comes aft nan institution piloted nan programme astatine 200 stores past fall, pinch nan institution noting that self-checkout was doubly arsenic accelerated astatine those locations.

Target and different retailers invested heavy successful self-checkout options during nan pandemic to limit quality relationship and mitigate nan dispersed of nan microorganism arsenic good arsenic to prevention connected labour costs. However, immoderate studies person recovered that self-checkout enables much customer theft. 

For instance, a 2023 LendingTree survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers recovered that 15% of self-checkout users purposely stole goods. Forty-four percent of self-checkout thieves besides said they would do it again. 

Some customers are besides souring connected self-checkout, pinch a caller study from Drexel University uncovering that shoppers consciousness much loyal to a shop and are much apt to revisit if they cheque retired pinch a quality cashier. And self-checkout could airs a financial consequence to customers, pinch reports of in installments paper skimmers installed successful retailers' self-checkout lanes, specified arsenic at several supermarkets successful Massachusetts.

Why is Target limiting self-checkout to 10 items?

Target said its impetus for limiting nan number of items astatine self-checkout counters was to amended nan customer acquisition by speeding up nan process. 

The retailer will besides unfastened much employee-staffed checkout lanes for customers pinch much than 10 items to thief velocity up nan checkout process overall. Store managers will designate self-checkout lanes' hours based connected ft postulation patterns, Target added. 

Other retailers besides look to person cooled connected self-checkout aft doubling down connected it during nan pandemic. 

While Walmart hasn't made immoderate nationalist announcements, immoderate shoppers study connected social media that nan self-checkout lines astatine their section stores person been closed. 

A Walmart spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch that it is normal for immoderate of its stores to "adjust nan usage of staffed checkouts and self-checkouts" depending connected customer numbers and staffing levels. "This process isn't new," nan spokesperson said.

During these times of constricted access, immoderate stores are designating prime self-checkout stations for Walmart+ customers utilizing our Scan and Go work and Spark drivers for quicker entree and transportation services. This determination is intended to amended negociate checkout availability. 

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