*Target has recently introduced a new policy limiting self-checkout lanes to customers with 10 items or fewer, a move it says is aimed at improving the shopping experience, not addressing theft. However, retail analysts and critics suggest otherwise.
According to a Target spokesperson, the change follows more than a year of internal testing designed to streamline the checkout process and boost customer satisfaction. “This is about getting shoppers in and out faster,” the company told Fox News Digital. But industry experts remain skeptical. Neil Saunders, a retail analyst with GlobalData, told CBS News that self-checkout zones are “an area of the store people can steal things,” and believes that the restriction is likely part of a broader effort to curb theft.
Target has certainly felt the sting of “shrink”– a retail term that includes theft, fraud, and inventory discrepancies. In 2023, the company reported nearly $500 million in shrink-related losses compared to the previous year. One high-profile case involved a California woman who stole more than $60,000 worth of merchandise during over 100 visits to Target self-checkouts, according to ABC7 News.
Target is not alone in dialing back self-checkout. Walmart, Dollar General, and Five Below have all implemented similar rollbacks. Five Below CEO Joel Anderson noted during a 2024 earnings call that the company would pivot to employee-assisted checkouts at stores facing high theft, while Dollar General has started limiting self-checkout to five items at select locations.
With U.S. retailers losing $112.1 billion to “shrink” in 2022, many are now rethinking the self-service model that boomed during the pandemic. As retail theft becomes more organized and pervasive, the era of unlimited self-checkout may be drawing to a close.
Scroll to continue reading
MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Al Sharpton Met with Target CEO Amid DEI Backlash and Boycott Pressure
We Publish Breaking News 24/7. Don’t Miss Out! Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
