Why Walmart's Unique Theft Prevention Methods Could Divide Shoppers

'Self-checkout' systems are becoming more common in grocery stores and superstores like Walmart, allowing customers to ring up their own purchases. However, just because there isn't a Walmart employee present to scan purchases and collect payment doesn't mean you're not being watched. Some argue that as society becomes more reliant on technology, self-checkout hasn't improved theft issues.

It's easier for individuals to "forget" to scan items deliberately, especially when there's no cashier present to catch the error. People who unintentionally fail to scan items, but aren't attempting to shoplift, only worsen the problem. Retailers, including Walmart, have implemented various measures to address this issue, such as building a store with a police station in the Atlanta region and removing self-checkout from certain locations.

Former Walmart employees have also disclosed drastic measures the company is taking to combat theft at self-checkout. Big-box retailers like Walmart are grappling with significant challenges in loss prevention, as theft and fraud cost them and other retailers around $62 billion in 2019, equating to approximately 1.6% of total sales lost.

With the rise of online shopping leading to increased credit card fraud and gift card scams, some consumers are using self-checkout kiosks to conceal their thefts. Although self-checkout may benefit businesses by offloading tasks typically completed by store employees onto customers, it doesn't always benefit consumers. Like Kroger and Target, Walmart is working on strategies to tackle theft without inconveniencing customers.

One tactic involves providing employees with portable devices to monitor customers' purchases at self-checkout.