Walmart ditches self-checkout at two more stores and brings back staff in huge backtrack as it blames ‘several factors’

IN a surprising reversal of strategy, Walmart has opted to eliminate self-checkout options from two more stores.

Walmart locations in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, called Shrewsbury, and at a Cleveland, Ohio, location referred to as Steelyard are ditching self-checkout.

The removal comes from customer feedback and specific needs for the area.

Walmart announced it would remove self-checkout at the Shrewsbury store last week and the Steelyard location earlier this month.

"As part of our announced plans for additional investments and improvements to facilities across the country,” Walmart told Fox Business.

“We’ve decided to remove self-checkout lanes and replace them with staffed lanes at select locations including at our Shrewsbury, Missouri, store.”

Walmart is confident that removing self-checkout will create a better shopping experience for customers at the two stores.

However, Walmart did originally add self-checkout to improve shopping as well but it's working to customize this.

"These decisions were based on several factors, including feedback from associates and customers, shopping patterns, and business needs in the area,” Walmart said.

“We believe the changes will improve the in-store shopping experience and give our associates the chance to provide more personalized and efficient service.”

SELF-CHECKOUT'S GOODBYE

People have already shared positive responses about saying goodbye to self-checkouts.

Shoppers from the Steelyard store said they were not shocked that self-checkout was going to be removed.

“As they should,” one user replied to a Facebook post from Fox News affiliate WJW in Cleveland.

“Go figure,” another user said.

The response was similar for the Shrewsbury store on another Facebook post from a local radio station in St. Louis, HOT 104.1.

“Thank God tired of shopping for my groceries having to check them out and then go home to put them up I felt like I worked for Walmart,” a user said.

This user replied, “Yes love it hated self check out.”

Walmart said in 2022 that if theft issues did not change it would have to make changes to its store.

Latest self-checkout changes

Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed up checkout times and reduce theft.

Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various locations were made available only for Walmart+ members.

Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed during specific hours, and more cashiers were offered instead.

While shoppers feared that shoplifting fueled the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.

One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would stop the fiercely contested receipt checks.

However, that test run has been phased out.

At Target, items are being limited at self-checkout.

Last fall, the brand surveyed new express self-checkout lanes across 200 stores with 10 items or less for more convenience.

As of March 2024, this policy has been expanded across 2,000 stores in the US.

This may be the case as one of the reasons for the removal of self-checkouts

“Theft is an issue,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told CNBC at the time.

"It’s higher than what it has historically been.

“If that’s not corrected over time, prices will be higher, and/or stores will close.”

The U.S. Sun has reached out to Walmart for comment on the removal of self-checkouts.