Some Safeway stores in California’s Bay Area will stop installing self-checkout kiosks due to increasing theft issues.
The grocery store chain said it would remove the kiosks from some stores but did not name the specific locations, KTVU said. report Monday.
In a statement, Safeway explained:
As a result of the increase in theft, certain stores across the Bay Area have implemented operational changes, including the removal of self-checkout kiosks from some stores. Like other local businesses, we are working on ways to curb the increase in theft to keep our employees safe and our customers comfortable.
A Safeway on Pleasant Valley Road in Oakland recently removed a kiosk and replaced it with a display of soda cans, KTVU reported.
It is important to note that Oakland residents have long struggled with rampant crime. For more information on this issue, click here.
A Kroger grocery store in Cool Springs, Tennessee, switched to only self-checkouts in July after reports that customers were using them more than at other stores, according to Breitbart News.
However, the outlet reported in December that retailers are grappling with problems posed by self-checkout, most of which stem from an increase in shoplifting and theft.
Recent trends and reports indicate growing anxiety among both retailers and customers. A primary concern is the noticeable increase in shoplifting incidents. Self-checkout systems, where customers scan and register their purchases, unintentionally create opportunities for theft. Even law-abiding citizens may be tempted to overscan an item, enter the wrong product code, or attempt outright shoplifting.
A Gurnee, Illinois police officer was recently accused of theft from a Walmart self-checkout machine, Breitbart News reported on May 4.
“They need to get rid of self-checkout because it’s not profitable,” Patrick Penfield, professor of practice and supply chain management at Syracuse University, said, according to a KTVU article.
