How self-checkout is changing shopping

The hum of the supermarket is familiar — carts rolling, conversations floating through the air, and the beeps of items being scanned. But another sound has become just as common: the robotic chirps and prompts of self-checkout machines. They promise a quick, convenient shopping experience, but are they delivering on that promise?

Diana, a guest services representative at an Albertsons in Albuquerque who declined to give her last name, has seen the rise of self-checkout lanes firsthand.

“I think we have more cashiers than we do people that use the self-checkout, but I still think it’s pretty half-and-half,” she said. “Younger people tend to prefer self-checkout.”

She said the machines were introduced nearly a decade ago.

Maverik, a popular convenience store chain, introduced self-checkout registers across its stores in 2020. The response has been positive, with self-checkout transactions now making up close to 25% of total transactions in Maverik’s New Mexico locations, according to company officials.

“Self-checkout is fast, often a shorter line, easy and offers contactless payment options,” said Megan Valentine, a Maverik spokesperson.

The store emphasizes that the features support the goal of getting customers back to their “adventures” as quickly as possible.

Despite these benefits, the self-checkout system is not without its challenges. For one, the technology isn’t always foolproof.

“We do have staff to help out when the self-checkout machines have issues, but it can slow things down,” said Diana.

Another challenge is the possibility for theft.

To stop this, stores are starting to take preventative measures. At Smith’s and Walmart, for example, store associates stand watch in the self-checkout area. At Target, the number of items a customer can take into self-checkout has been limited to 10.

Despite the challenges, self-checkout offer stores a way to streamline operations and reduce wait times. For customers, they provide a quicker and more convenient way to shop.

“They’ve been here for almost ten years now, and they’re not going anywhere,” said Diana.