A WALMART shopper has revealed that the retailer’s newest policy was her final straw for the company.
A customer has blasted Walmart’s new policy, which only allows certain people to use self-checkout.
The angry shopper posted a photo to Facebook, showing themselves in a long line with a cart full of things.
“Yeah, Walmart. I needed just one more reason to stop shopping here and this seals the deal,” they said on social media.
“So apparently, only Walmart plus members can use the self-checkout now. Sorry Target for cheating on you.”
Walmart Plus is the retailer’s paid subscription program that was made to compete with Amazon.
Those who sign up for the $ 98-a-year plan can expect added benefits like free deliveries, fuel discounts, and scan-and-go shopping.
“We are a company committed to meeting our customers’ needs,” said Janey Whiteside, chief customer officer, at Walmart.
“Customers know they can trust us and depend on us, and we’ve designed this program as the ultimate life hack for them.
“Walmart+ will bring together a comprehensive set of benefits where we see the greatest needs from our customers and where our scale can bring solutions at an unprecedented value.”
ANGRY SHOPPERS
At select Walmart locations, members have the exclusive right to self-checkout – a fact that has angered other customers as well.
“So let me get this right,” another shopper wrote on Facebook.
“You want me to pay a subscription to check myself out?
“And bonus, you don’t have to pay a cashier?”
The customer revealed that the change has caused longer wait times at the store, and has forced those who liked self-checkout to go to cashiers.
“Here I am waiting behind 20 people while there is no line at the scan and go register with a cashier standing there doing nothing except guarding to make sure no one uses it except Walmart Plus people,” they wrote.
Latest self-checkout changes
Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed up checkout times and reduce theft.
Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various locations were made available only for Walmart+ members.
Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed during specific hours, and more cashiers were offered instead.
While shoppers feared that shoplifting fueled the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.
One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would stop the fiercely contested receipt checks.
However, that test run has been phased out.
At Target, items are being limited at self-checkout.
Last fall, the brand surveyed new express self-checkout lanes across 200 stores with 10 items or less for more convenience.
As of March 2024, this policy has been expanded across 2,000 stores in the US.
“But every other cash register is 10+ people deep. What a crock of…”
The shopper’s friends in the comments shared his sentiment.
“I avoid Walmart at all costs and I started doing that before they started this stupid idea,” wrote one.
“Just go to Aldi or any other store,” another person suggested.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Walmart for comment.
SELF-CHECKOUT WOES
Target shoppers have also had issues with its recent changes to self-checkout.
In March, the company announced that it would be creating express self-checkout lines in many of its stores across the country,
“Self-checkout was twice as fast at our pilot stores,” a statement from the company read.
“By having the option to pick self-checkout for a quick trip, or a traditional, staffed lane when their cart is full, guests who were surveyed told us the overall checkout experience was better, too.”
Despite positive feedback that the company got during testing, many customers have slammed the new change.
“Someone at Target tried to tell me I couldn’t use self-checkout because it’s 10 items or less & I had maybe 15-20 things,” explained one X user.
“No registers open. What am I supposed to do?”
“All of Targets self-checkout lanes are now ’10 items or less’ hahaha go f**k yourself,” wrote another.
“If b***ha** Target is being strict about 10 items or less at self-checkout then the least these lazy ass mfs can do is open the registers instead of having ONE cashier DAMN,” shared another user.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Target for comment.