MAJOR grocery stores around the country have removed self-checkout machines due to an increase in theft.
Retailers like Walmart and Costco are moving away from self-checkout, as studies reveal that it has increased theft over the years.
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New data has found that companies that have self-checkout kiosks suffer a loss of 4% of their merchandise, according to a study reported by the New York Times.
The studies have shown that there are multiple factors that led to major losses including faulty barcodes or customers scanning items improperly.
Shoplifters were said to have taken advantage of self-checkout, employing their own techniques to steal from the store.
These people have been caught not scanning an item, using fake barcodes, or even ringing up everything in the cart and just not paying for it.
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Costco had revealed they had to include more employees in their self-checkout area after the company realized non-members were using self-checkout to get major deals.
“We don’t feel it’s right that nonmembers receive the same benefits and pricing as our members,” Costco said in a statement.
The company has revealed that self-checkout has led to an increase in loss when speaking with CNN.
Walmart has also made a bold move and completely removed its self-checkout kiosks from three stores in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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“While we don’t discuss details related to illegal activity in our stores, we’re continually exploring effective ways to protect merchandise, keep prices low, and provide a safe environment for the millions of customers we serve weekly,” a Walmart spokesperson told Insider.
The retailer has not revealed any plans for a widespread removal, however, a spokesperson had stated that they plan to assign more employees to self-checkout.
The goal is to give more hands-on assistance to customers if they need it during their shopping experiences.
And these are not the only retailers rejecting self-checkout.
Stores like Five Below and Shoprite are following the trend of adding more cashiers to its stores.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Walmart and Costco for comment.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/9619750/walmart-costco-stores-major-self-checkout-theft-figures-losses/
