Self-Checkout May Soon Disappear from Montana Walmart Locations

I have been seeing a lot of people rant on social media about how much they loathe self-checkout options at retail stores. Complaints about having to check and bag items, only to be subtly accused of stealing by an employee on your way out. Walmart has been the biggest target of these complaints for years now.

Just recently, a New Jersey man posted a fake event on Facebook promoting a "Walmart Self Checkout Employee Christmas Party." The fake event got nearly 40 thousand people interested.

Celebrating another successful year of picking, paying, and bagging your own groceries while actual employees just stand around and check receipts.

 

It appears that Walmart has been struggling with self-checkouts recently. Just walk into any Montana Walmart and you will see over a dozen empty checkout aisles with no cashiers. But, you will have a line wrapped around the store for people waiting to be forced to bag their groceries.

According to Lending Tree

False accusations happen, though, and 10% of self-checkout users say they’ve been wrongfully accused of taking something. Despite the self-appointed discounts and occasional false accusations, consumers tend to prefer self-checkout. If it’s an option, 41% of Americans almost always use self-checkout.

 

Walmart is slowly removing self-checkouts from some stores and hiring more cashiers. It has been reported that at least 2 stores in New Mexico are removing self-checkout, with Walmart saying that more stores will soon follow. Including a Walmart location in Wyoming.

According to KRQE a Walmart Spokesperson told them

We continually look at ways to provide our customers with the best shopping experience possible and that includes adjusting the checkout area in stores.

 

Will Montana Walmarts be one of the next in line to "adjust checkout areas?" I, for one, am NOT a fan of the self-checkout. I feel like it can be confusing at times. Items not scanning correctly. Having to weigh and calculate the cost of produce. Having to awkwardly wait for the one employee in charge of overseeing the whole operation to make a spectacle out of checking your ID when buying alcohol. It is just not for me. Bring back more jobs. Bring back cashiers. While you are at it, why not pay young adults to bag and help customers to their cars? We are customers, not employees.