In more and more stores, customers can scan their purchases themselves thanks to self-service checkouts (self-service checkouts). This works quickly and the store can save on the costs of employees at the checkout. But in the USA, where the trend towards self-service checkouts began, employees are being brought back into the stores.
Aldi Süd is currently setting up more self-service checkouts. Customers can already scan their purchases themselves in around 200 stores, and up to five more stores are being added every week. But it’s not just Aldi Süd that relies on self-service checkouts. According to Handelsblatt, there are now 5,000 shops in Germany that allow customers to scan.
BUT: shrinkage at self-service checkouts is twice as high!
At a conventional checkout, branches expect a loss of two percent of the products. However, a loss of up to four percent is calculated for self-service checkouts. The reasons: Customers make mistakes, system errors occur and simply unnoticed theft. This is too much of a loss for many markets in the USA. According to the industry association NRF, US retailers lost more than 100 billion euros last year.
Another factor in the USA is customer satisfaction. Complaints about self-service cash registers are increasing on social media. What some of them may not like: At a conventional checkout, an employee packs the purchases into bags and occasionally even carries them to the car. Of course, this luxury is no longer available with a self-service checkout.
What does this mean for German self-service checkouts?
Fans of German self-service checkouts don’t have to worry yet, because so far retailers have hardly complained about any higher wastage. This could also be due to the fact that in Germany self-service checkouts are mostly just an additional offer. In addition, unlike in the USA, the cash registers are usually checked by employees or the receipt has to be scanned when leaving the store.