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US shoppers push back as retailers scale down self-checkout
Коротко
US consumers are complaining that self-checkout shifts cashier work onto them, and US retailers are scaling back or restricting the technology, according to a Washington Post report cited by Korean outlets. An FMI survey put self-checkout at 33% of supermarket transactions in 2026, down from 35% a year earlier, and a Toast survey of 340 stores found 36% operate self-checkout, a 7 percentage-point drop. Chains including Dollar General and Target limit self-checkout to small baskets, while Trader Joe's keeps staffed lanes.
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US consumers are pushing back against self-checkout, and the retailers that adopted it are rethinking how far to go, according to a Washington Post report published on 1 October and cited by the three Korean outlets. The Post reported that self-checkout, long presented as a fast and convenient technology, may instead be adding work for shoppers, with angry accounts circulating on message boards such as Reddit and on social media, the outlets said. Some consumers still prefer the experience. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Retailers are in part pulling back. An FMI survey of large grocery chains put self-checkout at 33% of supermarket transactions in 2026, down from 35% the previous year, and a Toast survey of 340 convenience, grocery and liquor stores found 36% operated self-checkout, a fall of 7 percentage points in a year, the outlets reported. Retail MindSteps CEO Gary Hawkins said some retailers are retreating while others are investing again, so no single clear direction is visible. [ 1 , 3 ]
Some chains have set limits. Dollar General allows self-checkout only for small purchases, and many of its stores have removed the lanes altogether, while Target has restricted self-checkout since 2024 to customers buying 10 items or fewer, according to the reports. Trader Joe's, by contrast, keeps staff-operated checkout as a central part of the store experience. The documents disagree on Dollar General: one outlet says the limit is 10 items or fewer, the other says 5 items or fewer. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Technology is also changing. AI systems that recognise products automatically, cutting the need to search or enter codes, and cameras that estimate a shopper's age to reduce ID checks for alcohol purchases are being tested, one report said. Kroger has introduced a system using AI company Everseen's technology to check by video whether customers scanned items correctly, according to the tech outlet. [ 1 , 3 ]
The spread of self-checkout has not simply cut retail jobs. US grocery employment reached a record of about 2.66 million in 2025, the tech outlet reported, though demand moved from checkout lanes to other tasks such as picking online orders and curbside pickups. A 2024 Harvard paper cited in two reports said businesses with self-checkout tend to cut staff because of expectations about technology, leaving remaining employees to face already angry customers, making interactions more likely to turn hostile. Grocery Dive senior editor Jeff Wells said people who dislike self-checkout dislike it intensely and express that complaint actively. [ 1 , 3 ]
Whether self-checkout is actually faster is disputed. Drew University sociologist Christopher Andrews said customers cannot scan as skilfully as professional cashiers and may take longer, though the “funhouse effect” — time seeming to pass faster when a person is doing something rather than waiting — can make self-checkout feel quicker. He described the transfer of tasks such as order entry and airline ticketing to consumers as a form of “consumer labour” that can leave people feeling they are doing more work and are more tired. New York State Assembly member Nikki Lucas proposed a bill requiring a mandatory 10% discount for customers who use self-checkout, arguing that retailers' savings on labour and operations should be returned to shoppers as price cuts. [ 1 , 2 ]
Почему это важно
Self-checkout was treated for two decades as the obvious future of shopping, so US chains reducing lanes or restricting basket size signals a rethink of retail automation. The coverage also points to a wider shift of unpaid work to customers through kiosks and self-ticketing, a pattern that retail and technology readers outside the US may recognise in their own markets.
Ключевые факты
- The Washington Post reported on 1 October that self-checkout, once seen as fast and convenient, may be adding work for consumers. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- An FMI survey found self-checkout accounted for 33% of US supermarket transactions in 2026, down from 35% the previous year. [ 1 , 3 ]
- A Toast survey of 340 convenience, grocery and liquor stores found 36% operated self-checkout, a fall of 7 percentage points in a year. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Dollar General allows self-checkout only for small purchases and many stores have removed the lanes. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Target has limited self-checkout to customers buying 10 items or fewer since 2024. [ 3 ]
- Trader Joe's keeps staff-operated checkout as a core part of the store experience. [ 1 , 3 ]
- A 2024 Harvard study cited in the coverage said understaffed self-checkout areas can see more uncivil customer behaviour. [ 1 , 3 ]
- New York State Assembly member Nikki Lucas proposed a bill requiring a mandatory 10% discount for customers who use self-checkout. [ 1 ]
Подтверждено несколькими источниками
- The Washington Post published a report on 1 October saying self-checkout may increase consumers' workload. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The FMI survey figure of 33% of supermarket transactions in 2026, down from 35%, is cited by two outlets. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The Toast survey of 340 stores and its 36% figure, down 7 percentage points, is cited by two outlets. [ 1 , 3 ]
- US retailers are adjusting self-checkout operations, some by limiting item counts or adding staffed lanes, two outlets report. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Drew University sociologist Christopher Andrews argues consumers may scan more slowly than professional cashiers but may perceive self-checkout as faster due to the “funhouse effect”. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- A 2024 Harvard paper linked self-checkout staffing cuts to more hostile customer interactions. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Retail MindSteps CEO Gary Hawkins said there is no single clear direction, with some retailers retreating and others investing again. [ 1 , 3 ]
Пока неясно
- How many items Dollar General customers may buy at self-checkout. One outlet says the limit is 10 items or fewer, another says 5 items or fewer and that many stores have removed self-checkout entirely.
- When the Toast survey of 340 stores was conducted. One outlet dates it to September of last year, the other to September of the current year.
- Whether self-checkout is actually faster. The documents present it as contested, with a sociologist saying consumers scan more slowly than cashiers while shoppers may feel it is quicker.
- The status of the New York bill requiring a 10% self-checkout discount. Only one outlet mentions it, and it is described only as having been proposed.
- Details of the Kroger and Everseen video-verification system and of AI age-estimation trials. These are mentioned by a single outlet each, without rollout figures or confirmation.
- The exact findings of the 2024 Harvard paper beyond the summary given. The documents describe it only in brief, without data.
Что пишут местные СМИ
Хронология, местное время
- The Washington Post publishes its report on self-checkout shifting work to consumers, as cited by the Korean outlets. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Asia Economy publishes its report on the debate, including the FMI and Toast figures, the Harvard paper and the proposed New York discount bill. [ 1 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily publishes its report on US consumer complaints and retailers adjusting self-checkout operations. [ 2 ]
- Electronic Times publishes its report adding Target's item limit, grocery employment data and AI checkout technology. [ 3 ]