Moral perception also plays a role. Barbara Staib, director of communications for the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, argues that self-checkout machines allow people who are already inclined to steal to justify their actions. “[The machines give] the false impression of anonymity,” she said. “This apparently empowers people to shoplift.”Many people would hesitate to steal from a cashier, but stealing from a machine does not feel the same.

Why Are Retailers Still Using Self-Checkout?

Self-checkouts were first introduced about ten years ago and initially faced backlash from customers, leading some retailers to remove them. In recent years, however, stores have returned to them for several reasons. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, high employment made it harder to hire workers. At the same time, retailers were losing customers to online shopping, and consumers were becoming more comfortable interacting with machines.

Despite theft concerns, retailers are still saving money overall. That said, they are actively trying to reduce losses. Many stores disabled weight-based theft detection systems because frequent alerts frustrated shoppers, though this made theft easier. New solutions are now emerging.

NCR Corp, which supplies self-checkout machines to Walmart, has introduced video-based technology. Short video clips of potential mis-scans are reviewed by off-site human monitors. Walmart has also adopted a camera system from Everseen Ltd., which tracks shopper movements and scanned items in real time. If a mis-scan is suspected, the transaction pauses and a store employee is notified.

Embracing Technology

Although self-checkouts were once unpopular, more shoppers are now accepting them as the technology improves. Target has installed self-checkout machines in nearly all of its 1,900 stores, and a company spokesperson said that about one-third of customers prefer using them [4]. As self-checkout systems become more advanced, so do their security measures. For shoppers relying on tricks like the banana scam, those opportunities may soon disappear.