1 week Ago By Jacob Willeford
A SHOPPER has called out Kroger for its self-checkout kiosks, demanding it make a crucial change moving forward. They even fumed that fellow customers would take their business elsewhere should measures not be taken. "Get rid of your banks of self-checkouts and go back to all regular checkout lanes," the shopper wrote in a post to X on New Year's Eve.
"Regularly staff all checkout lanes." "If you want our business, you must show us that you value people above profit and that you respect your customers' time," they added. Kroger has been leading the way with other retail giants in its self-service options, which are offered at its 1,243 locations nationwide.
Read More on Kroger In 2023, it even began rolling out updated self-checkout technology powered by artificial intelligence . The tech monitored how customers scanned products and would flag warnings to Kroger staff if it suspected they were mis-scanning items or not scanning them at all before bagging. It caused some backlash from frequent shoppers then, and self-checkout at Kroger, in general, has been scrutinized in recent months as select locations have moved away from cashiered checkouts altogether.
Several have echoed similar complaints as the New Year's Eve Kroger shopper in the lack of cashiered checkouts being an issue. Most read in Money CONTINUED COMPLAINT Last month, a customer claimed they bagged nearly $400 worth of groceries from the floor at a self-checkout kiosk because their local Kroger had no other lanes available. "Seriously, @kroger? Almost $400 in food and NOT ONE SINGLE REGISTER OPEN!" the shopper, Colby, exclaimed in fury on X.
"What about old people and the infirm who can't do this?" "So totally unacceptable. Customer service fail!" Colby said. Kroger responded and apologized, requesting more information about the incident in a private message.
Similarly, another consumer claimed they waited for a prolonged period during a recent trip at their Kroger store as there were "40 people stuck waiting for [three] self-checkouts." Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed up checkout times and reduce theft. Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various locations were made available only for Walmart+ members.
Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed during specific hours, and more cashiers were offered instead. While shoppers feared that shoplifting fueled the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance. One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would stop the fiercely contested receipt checks.
However, that test run has been phased out. At Target, items are being limited at self-checkout. Last fall, the brand surveyed new express self-checkout lanes across 200 stores with 10 items or less for more convenience.
As of March 2024, this policy has been expanded across 2,000 stores in the US. Shoppers have also spotted their local Walmart stores restricting customers to 15 items or less to use self-checkout machines. They called the experience "shameful.
" Others said they waited in lines that went as "far back to the bathrooms" with only one cashiered lane available along with self-checkout kiosks. The waits and lines led one shopper to even question the "logic" of self-checkout, as they're meant in part to improve efficiency for customers. DEAL DENIED Kroger also faces a lawsuit from Albertsons after its proposed $24.
6 billion merger fell through. It was announced in 2022 by the brands, and immediately faced a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over concerns that prices would increase for customers and there would be decreased competition in the supermarket space. Albertsons backed out of the deal after a temporary block from a federal judge, who echoed the FTC's concerns.
Had it gone through, the merger would've created the biggest supermarket conglomerate in United States history. In its lawsuit, Albertsons claims that Kroger violated a contract and didn't continue promised commitments to get the merger to be approved. According to a news release , the merger agreement was broken due to Kroger "repeatedly refusing to divest assets necessary for antitrust approval, ignoring regulators' feedback, rejecting stronger divestiture buyers, and failing to cooperate with Albertsons.
" The legal battle continues in the New Year, and an expert exclusively told The U.S. Sun that there are some pros and cons to the deal not happening.
Read More on The US Sun Kroger also recently dropped $1,200 in weekly savings for shoppers this holiday season. It even implemented a new anti-theft device ..
