Target quietly pulling self-checkout stations from more stores
Target is quietly pulling self-checkout stations from more stores as backlash grows and concerns over theft mount. Just last March, the retailer — America’s sixth-largest by sales — committed to installing self-checkouts in all 2,000 US locations. But since then, Target has walked back that plan through a series of quiet U-turns. Shoppers and employees are reporting kiosks being removed, item limits imposed, and self-checkout lanes frequently left closed — all signs that the chain is rethinking its approach amid a spike in theft. Still, the company doubled down on its commitment to self-checkout registers in a comment to DailyMail.com. 'Target is not removing self-checkout,' a Target spokesperson said. 'We offer it in the vast majority of our stores and have no plans to change this.' Other major retailers have also shifted course. Last year, Walmart removed self-checkouts and replaced them with traditional manned lanes. This week, a customer said their local Target had abruptly removed all self-checkouts overnight. A photo showed roped-off kiosks and scuff marks left on the floor where the machines had been. 'The Target I live near completely got rid of self checkout,' the customer said on Reddit. '[I'm] expressing shock at how sudden and extreme this was.' 'Target's self-checkout policy has been through a lot of changes and has caused frustration for customers,' Neil Saunders, a retail expert at GlobalData told DailyMail.com. 'The problem with Target is a lot of decisions are being taken centrally without proper thought about what they mean on the ground.' Other Target stores have axed self-checkouts. Last May , they were closed at the Target in Emeryville, California . The move was to combat shoplifting. In recent years, Target has complained of high theft levels and even cited it as a reason for closing stores. Experts say many retailers are scaling back self-checkout because the machines are especially vulnerable to theft — a growing problem that has forced some stores to close altogether. The Reddit thread on the latest closure prompted a barrage of replies. Employees and shoppers say more stores are scaling back — or scrapping — the kiosks entirely. 'Our self checkout has been closed for months,' one commenter wrote. 'It seems like theft from our store has gone way down because there is always armed security you have to get past at the front door.' Another person, who said they were a Target worker, posted: 'High theft means the self checkout wasn't being used anyway.' It is not known if the store's self-checkout change is temporary. DailyMail.com reached out to the original Redditor for comment on this story and didn't hear back. Meanwhile, Target didn't respond to a request for comment. The latest axing of self-checkouts comes after a string of changes over the past year — all linked to fears that the machines lead t higher shoplifting. In March 2024, Target capped transactions at 10 items . Shoppers with bigger hauls were directed toward staffed lanes, a move designed to reduce errors and speed up checkout lines. A month later, it emerged that local stores had been given the power to open kiosks late or shut them early - or even during the day. Customers said it lead to long waits since stores do not open extra traditional manned registers to make up for the closed self-checkouts. Target also introduced new surveillance measures at its self-checkout kiosks in 2024. AI-powered cameras were deployed to monitor transactions more closely and catch missed or skipped scans. Viral videos have shown customers reporting that the tech advancements were 'snitching' on shoppers by setting off an alarm when they scanned more than 10 items at the service registers. Target has denied this. For years, Target's CEO, Brian Cornell, had raised the alarm about theft at his stores. In 2023, the company had reported millions of dollars worth of products were lost via sticky-fingered guests. The company decided to put thousands of beauty products behind locked, plexiglass doors to slow down potential thieves. Some shoppers have reported wait times up to 40 minutes for Target employees to respond to their beauty product inquiries. Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Visit our profile page and hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.
