Stores Are Ditching Self-Checkout — and Shoppers Are Cheering

Across the United States, grocery stores and other retailers are quietly pulling back on self-checkout machines — and many shoppers are happy about it. A recent survey found that fewer stores are using self-checkout than they were just a year ago. Retailers say the machines cause problems with theft, errors, and customer frustration. The shift is also showing up on social media, where people are loudly sharing their complaints about scanning their own groceries.

A survey from a company called Toast found that about 36 percent of small and medium-sized stores used self-checkout this year. That is down from 43 percent the year before. The stores surveyed included grocery stores, convenience stores, and bottle shops. Even though fewer stores are using self-checkout, most of them still plan to spend money on other kinds of technology, like artificial intelligence.

Many shoppers have taken to social media to complain about their self-checkout experiences. One frustrated person posted on X about finishing his self-checkout and then being stopped by an employee who asked to see his receipt. He felt confused — the store trusted him enough to do the cashier's job, but then checked his work before he could leave. He wrote that he could not understand how he became both the cashier and the suspect at the same time.

Other shoppers said they felt watched while using self-checkout machines. Some complained that store employees stood nearby and stared while they scanned their own items. Others pointed out that it felt unfair to do the work of a paid cashier while still being treated like a possible shoplifter. These feelings of frustration came up again and again in online posts.

Not everyone hates self-checkout, though. Some shoppers say they like it because they can avoid small talk when they are tired or just buying a couple of things. One person wrote that self-checkout is helpful when you only have two or three items and do not want to wait in a long line. Others said stores should simply offer both options so customers can choose what works best for them.

Some shoppers said they refuse to use self-checkout because they want to protect workers' jobs. One person explained that cashiers' work hours are often based on how busy their checkout lines are. If people stop using human cashiers, those workers could lose hours or even their jobs. This person said they always wait in line for a human cashier to help keep those positions available.

Retailers have also noticed that self-checkout leads to more lost merchandise, which costs them money. A research group called ECR Retail Loss found that grocery stores saw a 22 percent rise in lost goods during the first year after adding self-checkout. These losses happen because of theft, but also because of honest mistakes — like when a shopper accidentally scans the wrong item or misses one entirely. Stores with self-checkout had losses that were 33 percent higher than stores without it.

Because of these problems, some big stores started limiting how many items shoppers could bring to self-checkout. In 2024, Target set a 10-item limit, and Walmart tested a 15-item limit at some locations. Dollar General removed self-checkout from about 12,000 stores, and Five Below also cut back on the technology. The city of Long Beach, California, even passed a law requiring stores with self-checkout to keep at least one regular checkout lane open.

Retailers are now focusing on other kinds of technology instead. Electronic shelf labels allow stores to change prices quickly and easily without printing new tags. Order-ready boards help workers prepare and hand out orders faster. About 88 percent of store owners surveyed believe that artificial intelligence will make their businesses more efficient in the future.