Self-checkout theft is rising

December 27, 2025 by
 |  6 Comments  |  Leave Comment

One consequence of continued high prices at the grocery store may be that shoppers are taking advantage of self-checkouts to help ease their grocery budget issues. More people are reporting that they have intentionally not scanned items at self-checkouts, with 27% of shoppers admitting to it in a recent survey. The rates vary by age and economic status, with younger and poorer shoppers being more likely to game the self-checkout.

Economic pressures seem to be the most common reason for people to cheat the scanners, with 47% of shoppers stating that “unaffordable essentials” was the main reason for the theft, while 39% said food prices felt “unfair or too high.” Stores have been instituting additional measures to curb this theft, such as installing sensitive scales that weigh each item as it is placed in bags, using cameras to monitor the kiosks, and having security staff oversee the self-checkout area. Some stores are even pulling back the number of self-checkouts.

Most people I have talked to about self-checkouts generally do not like them. They feel like they are being asked to do the store’s work without getting any benefit for it, and they also don’t like that more self-checkouts means fewer jobs. I am the odd man out among my friends because I do not mind using a self-checkout. The pros for me are that I never have to explain what a particular piece of produce is and the items are bagged the way I like. However, I too would rather see people manning full-service registers rather than dozens of self-checkouts with one beleaguered employee trying to manage all of them.

Because some grocery chains have scaled back or removed self-checkout lanes, I wonder if the trend of having customers scan their own items is on the way out. Some stores are working on “smart carts” or other automated systems that make checkout seamless and would also theoretically combat theft problems, most prominently Amazon with its proprietary “Just Walk Out” technology. The technology has not always worked well, but Amazon may have worked out the kinks.

Category: Antipasto

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6 Comments

  • KatieK1  on  December 28, 2025

    The coming tariffs are a greater concern. And for many here in the US, increases in health insurance premiums and student loans in 2026.

  • Indio32  on  December 29, 2025

    Don’t particularly like self-checkouts mainly because if there’s an issue you seem to have to wait an age for an employee to come sort it out and also having a camera in your face with a big screen showing you is kinda creepy. Luckily only use supermarkets for things like washing powder etc most food comes from markets and independents….. better quality, more choice, less pre-packaged amounts and a lot of times cheaper.

  • Zephyrness  on  December 30, 2025

    Not a fan of self checkout at all. Like some others, I don’t like doing all the work for no pay-I own a small business and know how much the stores are saving on payroll. In addition, at least where I live, the employee overseeing the self checkouts is also the person who is supposed to be handling the customer service desk. So if there is a checkout problem, the customer service line gets long, and if there is a customer service line, self checkout can get backburnered. So mostly I go to small stores where self checkout isn’t an option.

  • CapeCodCook  on  December 31, 2025

    I may be the only responder who routinely chooses to use the self-checkout process at my local large supermarket. I like the sense of control the hand-held barcode scanning device gives me when it monitors and tallies my purchases as I canvas the myriad of offerings and add to my shopping cart. The device encourages me to stay within my budget and helps to restrict tossing those impulse purchases into my cart as I go from aisle to aisle. I can change my mind if I see a better option and deduct the charges on the scanning device. I also like being able to avoid the lines at the traditional checkout counters.

  • LeilaD  on  January 2, 2026

    For large orders (my weekly run), I prefer to go through a line so that I’m not clogging the self-check, but if I’m just grabbing a gallon of milk or “I thought I already picked up cheddar, where is it?”, then I prefer self-check to be in-out-done.

  • KennethJames  on  February 1, 2026

    That Amazon walk out functionality was handled by people looking at cameras while customers shopped and placed items in their cart and/or remove them because they opted for another product. This technology was someone at a remote site or a bunch of someone’s at a remote site watching your every move and tallying what you purchased
    so you can walk out. https://www.businessinsider.com/amazons-just-walk-out-actually-1-000-people-in-india-2024-4

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