Americans react to Walmart axing self-checkouts

Walmart has continued to eliminate some self-checkouts from stores — and shoppers couldn’t be happier.

Self-checkout machines were introduced to reduce labor costs and streamline the shopping experience for customers. But for the most part, they were hated.

DailyMail.com readers and Twitter users came out in droves to give their own reasons for why they loathe the machines – and their reasons varied.

Some viewed them as a frustrating waste of time, while others simply enjoy the human interaction they can have with a cashier. Many said they just wanted to keep people employed.

A funny photo went viral of a self-checkout machine at Walmart, ironically right next to a sign saying the retailer was “investing in American jobs.”

One reader joked that if they do the scanning work, they should also be on Walmart’s payroll.

“If there are self-checkouts, where is my W2 at the end of the year,” they wrote in an email. “If I have to self-check out, I need a discount to compensate for the time I spend with you.”

Another expressed disappointment that they were not welcome at the Walmart Christmas party. One person joked that if you use the bathrooms, you might have to clean them too.

“The self-checkouts have worked so well,” they wrote. “Walmart is expanding other tasks we can do for them. Be careful about asking to use the bathrooms, though; you may need to mop and shine the mirrors when you’re done.”

They share a fake broadcast from the retailer: “Starting Tuesday… customers must now unload semi-trucks at Walmart. This is in addition to your self-checkout duties.”

Meanwhile, some people confessed that they liked self-checkout machines because they facilitated theft.

“I like self-checkouts so I can steal so please keep them,” wrote one.

One Twitter user joked that they scan cheaper items to get discounts: “I scanned the TV while the bananas were in the self-checkout.”

Another claimed that they may not be scanning the items at all, and when handling products they may not be entering all the items they are carrying into the system.

“I will game the system if I use the self-checkout,” they wrote. “Oh those paper towels under my cart, forgot to call; how many avocados in this plastic bag? More than I’m going to pay.’

One person commented that they felt too controlled and monitored by staff members when their belongings were scanned.

“I like to do self-service and have three employees pay to watch me do their work for free,” they said.

A common problem was also that self-checkouts are particularly inefficient when it comes to processing fresh products.

“Things I hate about self-checkout: Getting pinged for not scanning something I scanned so clearly,” one Twitter user wrote.

Others have pointed out in the past that the stated weight of meat does not always correspond to the weights displayed on a scale.

“Dear Walmart, while you’re at it, fix the problem with your scale. There seems to be a disconnect between the scales in the meat department and the cash registers,” one person tweeted.

Last month, Dollar General announced it would completely remove self-checkout stands from 300 of its stores with the highest levels of shoplifting and improperly scanned items.

At 9,000 other locations, the company says it is converting some of its self-checkout registers to regular registers, and limiting self-checkout purchases to five items or fewer in another 4,500 stores.

Kroger also added traditional checkout lanes to a Texas store where it previously only offered self-checkout machines, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Meanwhile, Costco started placing additional staff in self-checkout areas to monitor shoppers and ensure all items are scanned correctly, and to ensure membership cards are not shared.