When Walmart first introduced self-checkout, it was advertised as a way to speed things up. The idea was simple: scan your items, bag them yourself, and avoid long lines.
- Shoppers wrestled with frozen screens and faulty scanners.
- Bagging areas felt cramped, especially when buying a cart full of groceries.
- The machines flagged false errors, requiring an employee to step in anyway.
- Many felt like they were doing the work of a cashier—without the paycheck.
And for older customers in particular, the technology felt less like a convenience and more like an obstacle. What was supposed to save time often left people more frustrated than before.
The Hidden Cost of Self-Checkout
The problems didn’t end with long lines and technical hiccups.
Retail theft skyrocketed. Industry studies revealed that self-checkout stations are far more vulnerable to shoplifting, whether intentional or accidental. An item not scanned properly, a barcode covered by a finger, or even a simple oversight could mean lost revenue. For a retail giant like Walmart, those “small mistakes” added up to billions in losses every year.
Meanwhile, thousands of cashier jobs were quietly eliminated. For a company that built its reputation on friendly service and everyday low prices, the balance had tipped too far toward automation.
