Shrinkage can include accidental scanning errors, deliberate theft, and system misreads. Studies across the retail sector have found that self-checkout stations — while convenient — make it easier for items to go unpaid. Some shoppers take advantage of the confusion, intentionally “forgetting” to scan expensive products or slipping items into bags without detection.
One Walmart district manager, speaking anonymously to industry outlet Retail Dive, summarized it bluntly: “Self-checkout saves money on payroll, but it costs us on honesty. You’re trading cashiers for cameras, and that’s not always a fair exchange.”
