Self-checkout was once the future of retail: faster, cheaper, more convenient.
But now in 2025, that vision is falling apart…
Ten major retailers have already started removing self-checkout kiosks, and many more are reconsidering the entire model.
The reasons are plain to see: theft is rampant, customer satisfaction is going down, and the cost savings just aren’t there. In fact, it’s costing them.
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The numbers are alarming. Theft at self-checkout can be up to 16 times higher than at staffed lanes.
A Capital One study found that 15% of shoppers admitted to stealing at a kiosk, and 44% said they’d do it again.
Shrinkage is hitting more than 3.5% of sales at self-checkout versus just 0.21% at traditional lanes.
Altogether, grocers are losing over $10 billion annually due to machine-enabled theft. That’s crazy.
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I’m not going to get into all the reasons people shoplift, but I will say this:
Most shrinkage isn’t caused by professional thieves. It’s everyday people taking advantage of the system.
When there’s no cashier watching, it’s easier to justify skipping an item or blaming a glitch.
Without that human interaction, the invisible line between honest and dishonest starts to blur.
Because of that, these ten major chains are pulling the plug on self-checkout:
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Walmart has already removed self-checkout kiosks at multiple locations, including Shrewsbury (MO), Cleveland (OH), Albuquerque (NM), and Portsmouth (VA).
After hundreds of police calls in just a few months at a Missouri store, they scrapped self-checkout and brought back real cashiers. And it worked – calls dropped and theft went down immediately.
They’re now removing kiosks in cities across the U.S., saying it’s all about improving the “shopping experience.”
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Target tried to fix the problem with a 10-item limit. Spoiler: it didn’t work.
By 2025, they quietly started removing self-checkout altogether.
The official story? “Better customer service.”
But behind the scenes, they lost half a billion dollars to theft in a single year. Yeah… that’ll do it.
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Dollar General wanted to go all-in on kiosks.
Now they’re ripping them out.
They pulled self-checkout from 300 stores and slapped item limits on 9,000 more.
The CEO called self-checkout their biggest obstacle. It was supposed to save money, but it ended up costing them big.
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Five Below quietly pulled kiosks from high-theft stores.
Turns out swapping machines for people worked better than more cameras.
When theft spikes, even budget retailers know it’s time to bring in backup.
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Costco isn’t completely killing self-checkout, but they are tweaking it…
The company is expanding its “Scan & Pay” trial, which lets members scan items with their phones and skip the line – similar to what Sam’s Club already does.
But here’s the thing: bulk shopping comes with bigger risks. When people are buying in huge quantities, it’s easier to miss (or skip) something.
Some stores have quietly started limiting how many items you can bring through self-checkout, anywhere from 5 to 20 items, depending on the location.
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Amazon’s cashierless fantasy? A total flop.
In April 2024, the company pulled their “Just Walk Out” technology from Fresh grocery stores.
The idea sounded great: grab what you want and walk out, no lines, no scanning. But the reality, it wasn’t that seamless.
Over 1,000 people in India had to manually review transactions, and 70% of purchases still needed human intervention.
Customers also weren’t thrilled with the lack of real-time receipts or transparency.
Eventually, Amazon scrapped the whole system and pivoted to Dash Carts instead.
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As of May 2024, self-checkout kiosks were removed from stores in high-risk areas like San Francisco, Oakland, and Emeryville.
This wasn’t a company-wide policy change. It was a local fix, driven by rising theft.
In places where losses were piling up, going back to cashiers just made more sense.
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Kroger tried the no-cashier experiment, and it backfired.
They turned a Dallas store into an all-self-checkout model, hoping tech would carry the load.
Three years later, they scrapped it. Customers hated it. The machines were frustrating, the experience felt cold, and complaints kept piling up.
Kroger didn’t just reverse course, they actually apologized and said they wanted to better serve their shoppers.
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Back in 2022, Wegmans shut down their “Scan & Go” app after too many customers just… didn’t scan.
Even their loyal shoppers couldn’t resist the temptation.
Wegmans pulled the plug and gave out $20 coupons to smooth things over.
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Sam’s Club is testing something bold: no checkout at all.
In some stores, you have to use their app. No lines, no lanes, just scan-and-go.
It sounds futuristic, but not everyone’s on board.
The big question: Will shoppers accept it?
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Retailers are starting to realize that cashiers do more than ring up groceries.
They help with problems. They spot theft. And they make people feel seen.
Especially now, that human presence has become part of the customer experience again.
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Stores are ripping out self-checkout kiosks left and right.
Some are capping items. Others are making it members-only. A few are ditching it altogether.
Tech upgrades are coming, but so are real cashiers.
So, what about YOU?
Would you miss self-checkout if it vanished tomorrow?
Have you noticed any changes at your local store?
Drop your thoughts in the comments!
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