Americans react to Walmart axing self-checkouts

Walmart has continued ditching some self-checkouts from stores - and shoppers couldn't be happier.

Self-checkout machines were introduced to slash labor costs and supposedly streamline the shopping experience for customers. But for the most part they were hated.

DailyMail.com readers and X users came out en masse to chime in with their own reasons as to why they detest the machines - and their reasons varied. 

Some considered them a frustrating waste of time, while others simply enjoy the human interaction they can have with a cashier. Many said they simply wanted to keep people in jobs.

An amusing photo went viral of a self-checkout machine in Walmart ironically right next to a sign claiming the retailer was 'investing in American jobs.'

A photo of the 'scan and go' self-checkout machines in Walmart ironically placed beside a poster claiming the company is 'investing in American jobs'

One reader joked that if they are doing the work of scanning items, they should also be on Walmart's payroll.

'If there are self-checkouts, where is my W2 at the end of the year,' they wrote in an email. 'If I have to check myself out then I need a discount to be compensated for my time that I am your employee.'

Another expressed disappointment that they weren't welcome at the the Walmart Christmas party. One person joked that if you use the bathrooms you might have to clean them too.

'The self-checkouts have worked out so well,' they wrote. 'Walmart is expanding other duties we can do for them. Be careful asking to use the bathrooms though, you may need to mop up and shine the mirrors after you're done.'

They share a fake broadcast from the retailer: 'Starting Tuesday... customers will now be required to unload the semi-trucks at Walmart. This will be in addition to your self-checkout duties.'  

Meanwhile, some people confessed to liking self-checkout machines because they facilitated theft.

'I like self checkouts so I can steal so please keep them,' wrote one.

One X user joked that they scan cheaper items to get discounts: 'I scanned the TV as the bananas in self-checkout.'

Another claimed they might not scan items altogether, and that when dealing with produce they may not input into the system all the items they are taking.

In two stores, in Missouri and Ohio, Walmart will replace self-checkout machines entirely with 'traditional' staffed lanes, as pictured

'I'll game the system when using the self check out,' they wrote. 'Oh those paper towels under my cart, forgot to ring that up; how many avocados in this plastic bag? More than I'm going to pay for.'

One person commented that when they are scanning their items they feel overly supervised and scrutinized by members of staff.

'I enjoy going to self serve and having 3 employees being paid to watch me do their job for free,' they said. 

A common gripe was also that self-checkout machines are especially inefficient when it comes to processing fresh produce.

'Things I hate about self checkout: getting pinged for not scanning something that I so obviously scanned,' wrote one X user. 

Others have pointed out in the past that the listed weight of meats do not always correspond to weights shown by scales. 

'Dear Walmart, while you're at it, fix the problem with your scales. There seems to be a disconnect between the scales in the meat department and the checkouts,' tweeted one person.

Some of the largest retailers have taken steps this year to reverse the failed self-checkout experiment. The machines were designed to cut labor costs but caused increased theft

Last month, Dollar General announced it was pulling self-checkout stands entirely from 300 of its stores with the highest level of shoplifting and improperly scanned items.

In 9,000 other locations it said it is converting some of its self-checkout registers to regular cashier checkouts, and limiting self-checkout purchases to five items or less in a further 4,500 stores.

Kroger also added traditional checkout lanes at a store in Texas where it had previously been offering only self-checkout machines, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Meanwhile, Costco started placing additional staff in self-checkout areas to supervise shoppers and ensure all items wee being scanned correctly, as well as to ensure membership cards were not being shared.