Walmart removing self checkouts, reported results include significant reduction in theft

[53' Stude]

Hard pass on Target and their politics - retailers should focus on selling product and not get involved. No Rural King here, wish there was.

I would be happy to shop somewhere else if the price were even close. Harris Teeter used to be worth it - more money but better quality, but since Kroger bought them they have fallen a long ways also.

I do prefer the tienda, but they don't sell windshield washer fluid.

We find ourselves going to ALDI a lot

 

[Drifter]

Yes, I am sure thats part of it.

But its the gas-lighting I don't like. Like they loose more from their own employees than shoppers, but then they get their spokesperson to go out and blame shoppers.

My issue is Walmart wants to infer all their customers are criminals. Walgreens simply said were going to close those stores. However Walmart gets $25B in SNAP sales every year, so my guess is they don't want to follow that road for the optics and lost revenue.

I have had many problems with Walmart delivery thefts as well - so much I stopped. Its actually humorous - the "photo of my stuff" is either a blank screen, or they try to stage the one tiny bag to pretend there is 5 quarts of motor oil behind it, or whatever. I wonder what category that gets lumped under.

The Walmart delivery theft is unfortunate. Ughhh. Crooks everywhere you turn it seems. I have not had an issue with theft luckily. And the Walmart goods are always packaged very well. Better than Amazon packaging. Curbside seems to be the best option for Walmart.

 

[walterjay]

I try to stay out of WM. I order on line and do curbside pickup. Saves a lot of time.

 

[NO2]

I visited California and even the laundry detergent was in locked cabinets. There were so many locked items there was no point in shopping there (I went to Costco instead) Our local Walmart in Michigan has nothing locked up excepting the drugs behind the pharmacy counter, has mostly manned self-checkouts (mostly for alcohol age verification) and mis-scans.

 

[Pablo]

I visited California and even the laundry detergent was in locked cabinets. There were so many locked items there was no point in shopping there (I went to Costco instead) Our local Walmart in Michigan has nothing locked up excepting the drugs behind the pharmacy counter, has mostly manned self-checkouts (mostly for alcohol age verification) and mis-scans.

In Hawaii the spam is locked up

 

[mk378]

In Hawaii the spam is locked up

Yeah that's the good stuff. No one wants to steal Treet.

 

[burbguy82]

It does not take a PHD from MIT to figure out if folks ring their own stuff up..............some will "miss" a few things.

 

[andrew_j]

Our local Walmart in NH Seacoast doubled self checkout and is not that busy ever.

 

[02SE]

In Hawaii the spam is locked up

When you can create this masterpiece for Thanksgiving, can you blame them?

 

[4WD]

When you can create this masterpiece for Thanksgiving, can you blame them?

View attachment 286022

No - Spam season starts in June on the gulf coast

 

[mk378]

Spam season is anytime after a nuclear bomb has hit your town.

 

[Dave Hess]

Yes, but without actually disclosing the shrinkage numbers and locations, its all gas-lighting. With Walgreens they disclosed the most shrinkage were in stores that its pretty much legal to steal stuff less than $1000 and so they closed most of those stores. Are the wal-mart numbers the same?

As I said, I know someone in the retail world at a very high level. They have always said the biggest shrinkage comes from employees - the cashier not scanning items for someone they know most likely. So they traded employee shrinkage for self scan shrinkage - then they can blame others not themselves.

They could RFID tag everything - but they don't want to spend the $.

This article seems to confirm this whole contention from Wal-Mart is bunk: https://jobera.com/walmart-shrinkage-statistics/

"Shrinkage Contributors​

1. Employee Theft: A significant 43% of Walmart’s inventory shrinkage is due to employee theft.
2. Shoplifting: Shoplifting contributes to 36% of Walmart’s inventory shrinkage.
3. Vendor Fraud: Fraud by vendors accounts for 5.4% of the total shrinkage."

Yep.

When I worked at Publix approx half of all shrink was done by employees…. including Department managers.

The last store I worked at had an undercover loss prevention officer working as a regular stock clerk.
He got about 15 employees fired. Then he was relocated to another store 200 miles away to start another investigation.

 

[fdcg27]

We rarely visit a Walmart, but when we have I usually feel glad just to get out the door.
Location seems the determining factor in how nice or how sleazy the store itself feels.
More upscale locations are cleaner and less cluttered and have fewer employees and shoppers who look like they just don't care enough to bathe, shave or launder their clothing.
I have no doubt that theft is a major problem for some locations, but I would guess those remain open because even with a little theft the operating margins are still good. Nobody spends as freely as a SNAP beneficiary on the first of the month.

 

[Hermann]

Walmart's asset protection is on a different level, you'd be crazy to even think about trying something there. They're also in cahoots with all the local law enforcement, it's wild to read about some of the minor stuff they can get the local police to prosecute.

I won't step foot in the store, it's a hell hole. My Amex pays for Walmart+ so I let them bring the stuff to me.

I'll be going to Wal-Mart 4 to 5 days a week to walk till the excessive heat and humidity let up. Three trips around the edges of my SuperCenter is just under a mile. Sure beats the glaring morning sun, allergens and humidity. I thank them for the safe walking environment and the top notch HVAC. Probably saw ten people doing the same at 8 AM.

Sad to read of all the bad Wal-Marts. Mine is clean,well stocked and plenty of nice employees. Several greeted me pleasantly while walking

 

[mk378]

My Amex pays for Walmart+

That requires a Platinum or higher card though right?

 

[dishdude]

That requires a Platinum or higher card though right?

Yes.

 

[earlyre]

can't find the link now, but about a month ago, I read an article saying that Sams Club was going to start Removing ALL their checkouts, ( manned and Self scan) starting in Tx, Rolling out nationwide. everyone will HAVE to use their Scan and pay Phone app...

 

[ripcord]

I have one Walmart that I prefer to go to where it's clean, well stocked all the time and very few things are kept behind glass. There's another one that's about the same distance away, but I never go because the store and it's clientele are too scuzzy... unless I want the awesome tamales from the guy who's always selling them out of his minivan in the parking lot.

I know this sounds like a joke but it's the absolute truth. People selling tamales in Walmart parking lots is probably super normal in a lot of places, but not so much here in the Seattle area.

I normally avoid the self checkout lines. I can't stand being spoken to in that automated resting "witch" voice.

 

[nomas]

can't find the link now, but about a month ago, I read an article saying that Sams Club was going to start Removing ALL their checkouts, ( manned and Self scan) starting in Tx, Rolling out nationwide. everyone will HAVE to use their Scan and pay Phone app...

We use the Scan and Go app all the time but I can see where that might not work for some folks . They should always have the option to use a register .

 

[Wylie6G72]

They just pay more people to stand around the self-checkouts and breathe down your neck where I live. Which is fine, I have nothing to hide. I'm sure they saw self-checkouts as a massive savings, here's their reality check. Criminal scum are all around us.