January 1, Walmart Self-Checkout Fiasco: New Rule Infuriates Customers

The backlash against self-checkout continues as Walmart customers have expressed their frustration over a new rule. Several retailers, such as Dollar General and Kroger, have already started to pull away from self-service kiosks. Others like Target have placed new restrictions on their use.

In March, it was reported that some Walmart stores were limiting certain self-checkout lanes to two groups: Spark delivery drivers and Walmart+ members. Spark delivery drivers are contract workers for Walmart, and Walmart+ is the retailer’s exclusive subscription service, costing $98 per year.

Customers and Walmart employees have taken to social media to express their disapproval of this rule. One Reddit user wrote, “At my store we have 10 self-checkouts and six are dedicated for Spark drivers/Walmart+ members—four for Spark and two for plus. Kinda sucks when you’re trying to get a snack on your break and there’s a [expletive] of people and only four self checkouts available.”

Others complain that the limitations on self-checkout lanes are causing longer wait times to pay. One user posted, “Only Walmart would have an entire section of self-checkout closed and leave only six open to use.”

Many shoppers say this new self-checkout change is their last straw, pushing them to consider shopping elsewhere. “At the Walmart by my house they closed down all of the self-checkout lanes, and turned them into lanes for their Spark delivery service,” a user wrote. “Now everyone has to wait in 20+ minute checker lanes while those self-checkout lanes sit empty. My solution, I stopped going there.”

However, Walmart spokesperson Joe Pennington explained that store managers have the freedom to experiment with checkout rules to figure out what works best for their specific locations. “Based on several factors including customer and associate feedback, shopping patterns, and business needs, some locations are temporarily testing different checkout staffing options,” Pennington said back in March.

Walmart also denies that they are trying to persuade more people to sign up for Walmart+ by limiting self-checkout lanes. “From time to time, our stores adjust the use of staffed checkouts and self-checkouts. For example, a store might start or end the day with staffed checkouts. As the number of shoppers and associate staffing increases, these stores open self-checkout registers to manage the increased customer flow. This process isn’t new,” Walmart said in a statement.

The company added, “During these times of limited access, some stores are designating select self-checkout stations for Walmart+ customers using our Scan and Go service and Spark drivers for quicker access and delivery services. This decision is intended to better manage checkout availability.”

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