Self-checkout kiosks have become a familiar sight in supermarkets, with this widely adopted technology promising shorter queues and greater convenience for customers. Retailers beyond the grocery sector have also embraced self-checkout, enabling them to cut costs and reallocate staff, traditionally stationed at tills, to areas like customer service.
However, public sentiment towards self-checkout is turning sour, with the technology being blamed for various problems in the retail industry, including a rise in theft. The repeated message of 'Unexpected item in the bagging area' has also become a frequent source of frustration for shoppers, who are increasingly irritated by the need for human intervention to complete their purchases.
As a result, more and more retailers, including Walmart and UK drinks retailer Booths, are reportedly returning to staffed tills, switching off self-checkout terminals, or removing them altogether.
In this webinar, industry leaders explored the future of self-checkout and how retailers can make the technology work effectively for everyone.
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