Some Walmart shoppers are grumbling about the retailer's self-checkout lanes.

The benefit of self-checkout is in the eye of the consumer. For every shopper who is upset there's no self-checkout lane to use – and long lines at registers – there's another one who is upset about having to use self-checkout and sometimes having to wait to do so.

Retailers face a difficult balancing act, said Santiago Gallino, an associate professor of marketing, and of operations, information, and decisions at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

"Too few staffed registers can frustrate customers who prefer traditional checkout, while an over-reliance on self-checkout can introduce inefficiencies and revenue loss," Gallino told USA TODAY.

Some shoppers have recently taken to X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, to vent. "Hey @Walmart, how come you don't have ANY registers open at 8:30 am?" posted one North Carolina shopper on Tuesday. "Now I gotta check out an entire cart in a very small area. Do better. How about offer a discount to those who self checkout?"

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Earlier in the month, another shopper at a Walmart location in Glenmont, New York, complained in an X post about the lack of open registers and a backup at self-checkout. "Closing all lines while people standing waiting over 10 minutes to send everyone to Self checkout because now it’s ok to checkout in lanes marked 15 items or less with over 15 items suddenly. So now we have to wait in the self checkout line."

Other online complaints involved long lines at registers with no self-checkout options at a Montgomery, Alabama Walmart in a Feb. 11 post on X and lack of an express lane or cashier when a shopper in Florida had three items. "I need to rethink where I shop," they posted on X.

In all of last three instances, Walmart Help asked the poster to send them a direct message about their experiences. "You should always have a smooth experience! Could you please send a DM with details?" the Walmart Help account told the posters.

Walmart has said in the past that store managers make use of self-checkout based on what works best for their store.

"Decisions related to self-checkout and staffed registers are made at the manager’s discretion and are based on several factors, including feedback from associates and customers, shopping patterns and business needs in the area," the company said in a statement to USA TODAY.

Admittedly, Walmart has more than 4,600 stores in the U.S. and self-checkout complaints are not eclipsing posts about big news, sports and entertainment stories. There is a long-running series of posts over the the last few years with folks snidely asking about getting a W-2 from Walmart for using self-checkout.

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Self-checkout and its issues – for stores and shoppers

Stores' use of self-checkout increased during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to create space between shoppers and store employees. Since then, most major retailers have experimented with the use of self-checkout lanes.

In recent months, Walmart removed self-checkout at select stores and, in some cases, made self-checkout open only to Walmart+ members and drivers of its Spark delivery service.

Some stores also began posting Customer Hosts at self-checkout lanes. "Our associates working in the Customer Host role can show customers to available registers, help them through the checkout process and answer any questions they may have. This new checkout process is designed to help customers complete their shopping even faster," the company says on its website.

In addition to balancing the cost of self-checkout lanes and staffing concerns, retailers must also combat lost revenue from theft and incorrect sales. In the summer of 2023, Costco began asking staffers to crack down on checking membership cards in self-checkout lines – to not only curtail the sharing of cards with non-members, but also reduce "shrink," theft or products selling for less than actual prices.

Apparently for good reason as 23% of U.S. adults have shoplifted, according to a survey from personal finance site Lending Tree. In a separate Lending Tree survey from 2023 about self-checkout, 69% of shoppers said they thought the technology made it easier to steal – 15% said they had shoplifted at self-checkout.

Walmart recently banned a woman from all of its U.S. stores after she was accused of using a self-checkout scam to shoplift packs of ramen noodles and other items from one of its locations.

Love it or hate it, self-checkout not going anywhere

Self-checkout is here to stay in the U.S., "with labor cost savings being a key driver – especially in managing peak-time demand," Gallino said. "Retailers can operate with fewer employees while still providing checkout options, helping to balance staffing needs. Beyond cost considerations, self-checkout also caters to consumer preferences for speed and convenience, particularly for smaller purchases."

Customers will have to continue to deal with fellow shoppers who aren't as fast. Meanwhile, retailers have begun researching artificial intelligence-powered loss prevention tools, as well as having staffers oversee self-checkout lanes, Gallino said.

There is a price paid, too, for the loss of the human touch at retail, he said. "In grocery settings, self-checkout reduces opportunities for customers to engage with store employees – who can provide a friendly interaction, ask about their experience, and enhance overall customer satisfaction."

Follow Mike Snider on Threads, Bluesky and X: mikegsnider &@mikegsnider.bsky.social &@mikesnider.

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