Walmart recently made significant changes to its self-checkout system, but shoppers are unhappy. The retail giant has added nearly a $100 fee, catching many shoppers off guard. This has caused frustration among customers who weren’t expecting this extra cost.
Initially introduced for convenience and efficiency, self-checkout lanes have become a staple in supermarkets. However, retailers like Walmart are struggling with increased shoplifting incidents, making them rethink the accessibility of self-service options.
However, Walmart shoppers have now expressed worry after noticing a potential strategy the supermarket uses to address the problem. That is, by restricting access to self-checkout lanes. A social media user shared a photo on Reddit showing a sign at Walmart indicating that self-checkout lanes were reserved exclusively for Spark shoppers and Scan & Go users.
Scan & Go is a service available only to Walmart+ members, who pay a subscription fee of $98 annually. Specific customers met the decision with skepticism. Many shoppers said they preferred self-checkout during shopping trips. While some mentioned they would be open to shifting to staffed checkout lines if required, others have expressed unease, suggesting they might consider shopping elsewhere.
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Marshe Lovee told WBRC Fox 6, “I’d rather use self-checkout. Standing in long lines? I have no patience for that. I’d rather go somewhere where I can just keep it going, scan my items, and keep going.”
“Why would I need to pay just to use the self-checkout?” said Nika Amerson to Telemundo affiliate WBRC. “I’ll just stand in a regular line at that point.”
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Merson disclosed that inflation had affected her finances. For this reason, she could not afford the additional expense of a membership for a quicker checkout experience. “I used to buy groceries for $200 a month,” she said, adding, “Now, as a single person, I’m spending $300 a month to have that extra price of paying for self-checkout. That’s just insane to me!”
“With the economy right now and with prices of groceries and everything, I think that would be ridiculous to add on another expense,” shared Maddie Bowman. Another customer wrote, “I wouldn’t pay for self-checkout. Anybody who’s crazy enough to pay for self-checkout needs to be in a mental institute. I’m sorry.”
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Nevertheless, Walmart clarified that it was not moving towards a subscription-based self-checkout system. Company representative Joe Pennington explained, “During times of limited self-checkout access, some stores are designating select self-checkout stations for Walmart+ customers using our Scan and Go service and Spark drivers for quicker access and delivery services. This decision is intended to better manage checkout availability.”
Pennington disclosed that certain stores are changing their approach to managing customer traffic. “Our managers look for ways to innovate within their stores and pay close attention to customer feedback on where they can better meet their needs,” he said in a statement to The US Sun.
“Occasionally, our stores adjust the use of staffed and self-checkouts. As the number of shoppers and associate staffing increases, these stores open self-checkout registers to manage the increased customer flow,” he added.
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