How do stores with self-checkouts, like Walmart, deal with the risk that people may shoplift?
I think that most Walmart’s overall shrinkage (people willing to steal stuff) is under or around 1%.Most people have common sense, and what you could steal from Walmart is just not worth it.Walmart does have employees that supervisor the self-checkout area. Walmart does have security cameras (different angles) in the self-checkout area.Walmart’s loss prevention team can see you scanning stuff, and see if it was actually scanned on the POS terminal.Walmart also has their staff at the exit that can spot-check receipts when you exit.Between all that layer of security, it’s not worth it, even for the 1% of people that like to steal.On another note; I was at a Walmart about two months ago (Ontario, Canada location). And I decided to try self-checkout for the first time. The store was freshly renovated.I think I was buying about 60 cans (large) of baby powder that I was exporting and sending to China. Anyways… there was a customer in front of me using one of the machines and they were talking to themselves as they were scanning. Loud enough that people working on other machines, and even Walmart staff stopped to watch this person, in shock.The customer was saying:“This one I will scan.” - then she’d scan it and put it in a bag.“These two I will forget to scan.”- then she’d just put them in the bag without scanning.“This one I will scan.” - she’d scan another item, and bag it.“And this one I won’t remember to scan.” - she’d skip scanning and put it straight in the bag.This went on for 25–35 items I would guess, a few bags full. I’d say she scanned under 50% of it and paid for half.Other customers watching were all like “wtf?”And the Walmart staff girl watching the machines - was clearly new at the job and didn’t know what to do, she said nothing.The customer walked out with everything, no one stopped her. The security scanner at the door did not go off. The Walmart employee girl (who seemed new) just watched the lady leave with half the stuff unpaid and did nothing. (Lack of training obviously).As I joke, when I went after and did my transaction; I jokingly said (loud enough for the same people to hear) “I’ll pay for one, and these 59 I will forget to scan…. just kidding.” - other people got a good chuckle out of it. I did end up scanning 1 and multiplying it by 60.