MINNEAPOLIS – In an attempt to speed up checkout lines and reduce errors, Minnesota-based Target has announced it will limit self-checkout lanes to 10 items or less, starting with a small number of stores at undisclosed locations.
Anyone with more than 10 items will be asked to use the regular checkout lanes. Target officials say merchandise theft was not a factor in the decision although several studies indicate that the loss rates for companies using self-checkout lanes and apps are near 4% almost double the industry average.
Target officials say the cost savings of self-checkout have never fully materialized. The company says machines often fail and shoppers can make mistakes in scanning the items, requiring staff to be available to help.
In some instances, the wait time to go through self-checkout was longer than traditional checkout lanes.
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