A WALMART shopper couldn’t hide their frustration after encountering problems at the checkout. The customer was stunned after spotting that only a handful of self-service lanes were open the day before Thanksgiving . They claimed just six lines out of 40 were in operation, according to a post on X .
The shopper then claimed it was an attempt just to get members to subscribe to the Walmart+ package. Self-checkout machines are not an exclusive perk of a Walmart + membership , but a company spokesperson told Reuters that bosses may limit their use for shoppers who use scan-and-go. But, this depends on how many shoppers are in-store.
read more on money The shopper claimed they had been encouraged to go back to Piggly Wiggly. A Walmart spokesperson responded hours later and said: “Let’s get to the bottom of this together.” They invited the shopper to send a direct message to the company.
The U.S. Sun has approached Walmart for comment.
Most read in Money The state of checkout lines is just one grievance that Walmart shoppers have voiced concern about. Certain Walmart stores have also imposed limits on the number of items that can be scanned at checkout stations. Some stores have banned shoppers from scanning more than 15 items in an express lane.
Although the policy has not been rolled out across the chain’s entire portfolio of outlets, it has still sparked frustration. Customers have urged the chain to “do better ” after encountering the problem. One shopper told how an alarm sounded after apparently scanning more items than was allowed.
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. Furious Walmart shoppers have told how they’ve begged the chain to relax its approach to self-service . It isn’t just select Walmart stores that have imposed item limits.
Target has also come under fire over its approach to self-checkout. Express lanes, which were tested in a pilot program last fall, are now a feature at thousands of Target stores. Self-service users can only scan a maximum of 10 items.
But, the policy has sparked bewilderment among some shoppers. One simply didn’t believe the argument that customers could leave Target with 10 items or fewer. Read More on The US Sun The policy has left some so infuriated that they’ve abandoned carts in frustration.
Schnucks chiefs also rolled out a similar policy, limiting self-checkout users to a maximum of 10 items , but this has been relaxed..
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