Target testing 10-item limit for self-checkout
Target is considering changes to one of the most controversial parts of modern shopping – the self-checkout line.
The retailer is restricting self-checkout to customers buying 10 or fewer items, CNN is reporting. Customers with more than 10 items will be required to use the full-service lanes with cashiers.
A Target spokesperson told the company the test at a handful of stores is designed to shorten wait times and get a better understanding of customer preferences.
“Our guests tell us they enjoy interacting with our team,” Target Chief Operating Officer John Mulligan said on a call last week, the report noted.
Theft, or what’s known as shrink in the retail industry, wasn’t part of the decision to change procedures, Target said, but the company has previously pointed out increases in organized shoplifting rings and theft.
Customers ringing up their own items is contributing to those losses, according to a recent poll by Lending Tree. Fifteen percent of consumers admitted to stealing from self-checkout kiosks with that number growing to 31% for Gen-Z consumers or those ages 11-26. And while 79% of self-checkout users said they diligently ensure each item scans, 21% admit to accidentally taking an item.
“While self-checkout is convenient, it certainly poses a risk for shoplifting,” LendingTree chief credit analyst Matt Schulz said. “Ultimately, retailers need to decide whether the self-checkout terminals are worth the risk. Sure, they can help the store save money because fewer people are needed to check out customers. The question, however, is whether that savings outweighs the potential uptick in theft. That’s a question lots of retailers are likely wrestling with.”