‘I walk right back out of the store’ rages Target shopper over checkout policy change – she refuses to answer to workers
A TARGET customer walked out after discovering the superstore had closed its self-checkouts.
The shopper left the store empty-handed instead of dealing with long lines waiting for a cashier.
“As soon as I see that Target has self-checkout closed I just walk right back out of the store,” the shopper posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Targets across the country have been enforcing strict restrictions on self-checkout machines, with some eliminating the option.
The chain announced back in March that self-checkout machines would have a 10-item or less limit, a change that did not sit well with customers.
“Man, I really hate that the Target self-checkout is now for only 10 items or less,” one furious shopper wrote.
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“Who leaves Target with less than 10 items?!”
The bigger problem, customers complain, is that with the new restrictions, self-checkout machines sit idle while only a few cash registers are open for customers to check out at.
“Target’s new 10-item self-checkout limit is trash,” a shopper posted on X.
“Making people wait in a 20-minute line while 3 of 4 self-checkout registers sit unused the whole time is ridiculous.”
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“Straight up never buying 10+ items from there again.”
This shopper isn’t the only one to feel that way.
“@Target thought when you made self-checkout 10 items or less, that meant more registers,” another Target shopper asked on X.
“The one register open has 6 people in it, and self-checkout has 12.”
Target claimed that the new self-checkout rule was put in place for convenience.
“By having the option to pick self-checkout for a quick trip, or a traditional, staffed lane when their cart is full, guests who were surveyed told us the overall checkout experience was better, too,” the company wrote on its website.
“It’s all in service to demonstrate the convenience, joy, and value of the Target run.”
The changes may also have something to do with the rising retail theft rate across the nation.
In 2023, stores lost an estimated $121.6 billion to retail theft, a study conducted by Capital One reported.
That number is expected to rise to over $150 billion by 2026, only two years from now.
Shoplifting increased by 19.4% in 2022, the same study found.
Last September, the chain shut nine stores in major cities due to retail theft.
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“We cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance,” Target said in a statement.
“We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all.”
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.