Around a third of small and midsize retailers have rolled back self‑checkout lanes, even as they double‑down on other tech investments such as AI, according to a recent Toast survey. The April poll of 340 convenience, grocery and bottle‑shop operators showed that self‑checkout use fell from 43 % in 2025 to 36 % this year, while three‑quarters of the same group said they would continue to spend heavily on new technology.
Why Stores Are Pulling Back
Retailers have long blamed self‑checkout for operational headaches and rising losses. The Toast survey found that 31 % of operators now list simplifying operations among their top three business goals – a jump of 12 points from the previous year. At the same time, a quarter of respondents said they are adopting new technology to gain tighter control over pricing and ordering.
Loss data backs up the concern. A June report from ECR Retail Loss revealed that grocery stores that introduced self‑checkout saw merchandise losses climb by an average of 22 % in the following year. Those losses, which cover both theft and accidental errors such as missed scans or wrong product selections, were 33 % higher than in stores that kept traditional checkouts.
Shopper Voices on Social Media
Online platforms are awash with complaints that echo retailers’ worries. One frustrated X user described being stopped after scanning his own items:
> “I handed it to him, but I’m standing there thinking… wait a minute. You trusted me enough to do the cashier’s job, but now you need to check my work before I can leave? If you don’t trust customers to scan their own stuff, maybe don’t make self‑checkout half the store,” he fumed. “I’m not mad at the employee. He’s just doing his job. But somebody needs to explain how I became the cashier and the suspect at the same time.”
Other posts highlighted the feeling of being watched:
> “I hate when Target and Walmart employees stand there watching me at self‑checkout,” one user wrote.
>
> “Like b***, you can do this s* yourself! Why am I doing YOUR job while YOU watch me scan my own groceries and take my money?” another X user added.
Yet not all feedback is negative. Some shoppers appreciate the speed for small baskets:
> “There’s nothing wrong with self-checkouts. Some of us don’t like waiting in line like cattle when we just want 2 or 3 items,” one user wrote Wednesday. “Many employees would like the opportunity to be productive in other ways than just zombie scanning consumers all day. Having both as an option is best.”
And a common defence of human cashiers centres on job preservation:
> “They installed self-checkout in my local Publix a few months ago and I refuse to use them. I will wait in line to have a human do the job. You know why? Those cashiers’ hours are based on how productive their lines are, so to speak,” another X user said Tuesday. “If you can help show the store that those lines are still needed, those sweet old ladies get to keep their jobs.”
The Cost of Shrink and Loss Prevention
In response to rising shrink, several chains have imposed item limits. Target introduced a nationwide 10‑item cap, while Walmart is testing a 15‑item ceiling in selected stores. Schnucks went further, restricting self‑checkout to shoppers with ten items or fewer.
Dollar General removed the technology from roughly 12,000 outlets in 2024, and Five Below scaled back its use the same year. Local governments have also stepped in: a 2025 ordinance in Long Beach, California, requires any store offering self‑checkout to cap lanes at 15 items and keep at least one staffed checkout lane open.
Technology Shifts Elsewhere
While self‑checkout loses favour, other digital tools are gaining ground. Electronic shelf labels saw an 11‑point year‑over‑year increase in adoption, and order‑ready boards rose by nine points. A striking 88 % of surveyed retailers believe AI will make their businesses more efficient, signalling that investment is simply shifting rather than disappearing.
Why it Matters
The pullback from self‑checkout highlights a growing mismatch between technological ambition and on‑the‑ground reality. Retailers are chasing efficiency through AI and smart shelving, yet they are simultaneously acknowledging that machines can erode trust, increase losses and frustrate customers. For shoppers, the debate is about more than convenience – it touches on privacy, dignity and the future of retail jobs. As stores recalibrate their tech strategies, the balance they strike will shape not only their bottom line but also the everyday experience of millions of consumers across the UK and beyond.