TARGET has continued to implement several new policies and security measures in stores nationwide.
Despite Target’s attempt to make shopping in-stores more convenient for its customers, some shoppers are slamming the retail giant for its revamped self-checkout policy.
NOT ON TARGET
In March 2024, Target announced it would be limiting self-checkout transactions to shoppers purchasing 10 items or less.
The move was designed to make shopping more convenient and efficient for customers, especially those purchasing a handful of items.
However, the move has since backfired, with many shoppers abandoning full carts at the door due to a lack of manned cashier lanes and increasingly long wait times.
X user, @12itemsOrLess, shared their thoughts on the new policy with a firsthand account of a recent shopping trip.
“Hey @Target I just left a cart with about $90 worth of stuff that I spent 20 minutes filling, including frozen & perishable because you have 3 cashiers for an entire 2 floor store and no self-checkouts,” they wrote.
Over the last few years, Target increased the number of self-checkout kiosks at stores nationwide, cutting back on cashier lanes – and cashiers to man those registers.
“I’m not waiting in lines that are 12 people deep. Not today. Not anymore,” they continued.
While consumers previously had a choice whether to use a self-checkout lane or check out their items at a manned cashier lane, those options continue to dwindle.
“Never mind that I saw at least seven employees wandering around chit-chatting with each other,” they wrote.
“If that’s their job then they deserve a raise because they were really going at it. However, I don’t think that is,” they added.
In February 2024, Target reported that its overall workforce had shrunk by 6%, according to the Star Tribune.
The retailer went from employing 440,000 individuals nationwide to 415,000 “full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers.”
“The year-over-year comparison also is influenced by our intentional focus on providing our existing team members with more hours before hiring seasonally,” Target said, emphasizing that its employee count “fluctuates” depending on business needs.
Still, despite providing full-time team members with more hours, the loss of 25,000+ employees is being felt at stores across the US.
Latest self-checkout changes
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.
TARGET’S REGRETS
“While I applaud your efforts to try to reduce theft, you now have a bigger problem of cart abandonment and product loss through spoilage,” the X user wrote.
As more and more shoppers become frustrated at long lines and even longer wait times, many leave the store – and their carts – behind, filled with perishable, refrigerated, and frozen groceries, among other items.
“The highlight of all this though, is the fact that there’s such chaos at checkout, it is very easy and conceivable that people can just slip out without paying,” they wrote.
“So you’re actually encouraging theft by having cashiers & no self-checkout,” they added.
Many retailers, including Target, have limited self-checkout kiosks due to increased theft or product shrink.
From customers intentionally or unintentionally mis-scanning items – or not scanning items at all – to selecting different items when weighing fruit and produce for steep discounts, Target has had to step up its security to combat casual and organized shoplifters.
Instituting transaction limits and beefing up employee counts at self-checkout stations are just a few ways the retailer is tackling crime.
It’s also beginning to utilize artificial intelligence to identify unscanned items – and to track down shoppers who fail to scan items properly, as reported by USA Today.
Still, some disgruntled shoppers are wondering why Target isn’t simply using its purchasing power to hire additional staff.
Opening additional checkout lanes at peak hours, or making sure both self-checkout and manned cashier lanes are appropriately staffed seems like a surefire way to alleviate shoppers’ concerns.
“I don’t expect a follow up @Target and it’s too late because I’ve already gone to @Walmart,” the X user wrote.
“Sure I’ll pay more but they have a self-checkout and they always have cashiers and they value my time and patronage,” they added, alongside the hashtags #target, #BadCustomerService, and #Values.
What is Target Circle 360?
In April, Target launched its first-ever paid membership program, Target Circle 360.
For $99 a year, members get access to the following perks:
- Unlimited, free same-day delivery on orders over $35
- An extra 30 days to return your items
- Free two-day shipping on 100,000s of items
- 5% off in-store and online
- Automatic deals and exclusive partner perks
WALMARTS’ ABANDONED CARTS
Walmart, however, has also faced criticism for its security policies, with many shoppers voicing similar concerns over the discount giant cutting back on self-checkout kiosks.
“Extremely long lines at Walmart self-checkout. 3 registers open with long lines as well,” one user shared on social media.
Other security measures, like locking items behind plexiglass display cases and checking shoppers’ receipts upon exiting the store have also drawn ire from new and existing customers alike.
“Last time I went to Walmart I had time and that old lady literally chased me damn near out the door to look at my receipt,” another user wrote.
“I made her walk me to customer service where I then returned every single mf item,” they added.
The only surefire way to avoid lengthy lines and wait times are for shoppers to place orders online for pickup or delivery, though those options aren’t without their drawbacks, either.
“My mom gets Target pickup and there’s something expired in about every single order,” one user shared on X.
“Hey @Walmart, you guys are killing me,” another user posted.
“My curbside pickup order has been delayed since Thursday at 5pm… and it’s one item! I tried to cancel the order and was essentially told the store has to cancel it,” they added.
Despite claiming to “make our checkout experience even more enjoyable,” Target has, in at least some stores, failed to adequately “open more traditional lanes staffed by our team members,” according to customer complaints.
Read more about Target’s self-checkout policy.
Plus, compare it to similar retailers like Walmart’s self-checkout issues and Kroger’s self-checkout woes.