Walmart is Making Big Changes: Are They Coming To Michigan?

Over the last couple of years, self-checkout has become more and more common. I personally enjoy self-checkout. Not because I dislike talking to cashiers, I'm just more of a quick-trip shopper than a big grocery list shopper, so self-checkout is more suitable to my needs.

But something that has been missing with the addition of all these self-checkout lanes has been the lack of interaction with people, and Walmart is looking to bring that back by slowly removing self-checkout lanes.

Self Checkout Removal

A Time report shows that Walmart stores in St. Louis, Missouri, and Cleveland, Ohio are removing self-checkout machines. This joins three New Mexico stores that also had their self-checkout machines removed. A Walmart spokesperson told Insider that they're making the change because:

We believe the change will improve the in-store shopping experience and give our associates the chance to provide more personalize and efficient service.

The Time report also brings up how much more theft happens in self-checkout lanes, with one study finding that people are 21 times more likely to successfully steal an item in a self-checkout versus a human cashier. Returning to more grocery lanes with people could help lessen store losses.

Is This Coming To Michigan?

This follows a larger trend in the retail industry to cut back on self-checkout services, with Target, Dollar General, and FiveBelow also introducing self-checkout removal policies. So, what are the odds of this making its way to Michigan?

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I'd say it is only a matter of time. As much as I love zipping in and out of the store, the store's brand relies on you having quality interactions with the workers. They're the face of the store. Aldi is known for its cashiers and how well they're treated. If the last thing a person remembers before you leave is a positive interaction, you may be more inclined to return.

Plus, my biggest pet peeve is people who bring two overflowing carts full of items that completely slow everything down, so maybe returning to a 12-item maximum would be a good compromise.