Self-Checkout Is Being Phased Out At A Major Michigan Retailer
A major retailer with 50 Michigan locations is scaling back its use of self-checkout — but says the change isn’t just about curbing theft.
Target says the move is about improving the overall shopping experience, and as it turns out, many customers are frustrated with the self-checkout process.
Target Makes More Changes to Its Self-Checkout Policy
While the retail giant is reducing the number of self-checkout kiosks in its stores, it’s also rolling out a new policy: self-checkout will now be limited to customers with 10 items or fewer.
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Why Is Target Making Changes to Self-Checkout?
Target reported $500 million in shrink-related losses in 2023 — a term that includes both theft and inventory errors — but says the real reason for cutting back on self-checkout is customer dissatisfaction. A spokesperson told Fox Business that the change is aimed at improving the overall shopping experience.
According to Newsweek, the use of self-checkout lanes contributes to a rise in "partial shrink," where customers pay for some — but not all — of their items.
Do Customers Like Self-Checkout?
A Newsweek-commissioned study found that nearly half of Americans support the idea of eliminating self-checkout kiosks.
Among the 43% who favor removing them, 23% said they strongly support doing away with the technology altogether.
Target in Michigan
According to Target’s website, there are 50 store locations in Michigan. Nationwide, the retailer operates more than 1,900 stores.
The impact of these changes will be felt across Michigan\, where many Target locations - including Flint, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Metro Detroit - are known for long lines. The shift to more staffed lanes will likely be a welcome change.
What do you think — are you glad to see self-checkout go? Let us know in the comments.
