New Walmart self-checkout lane policy: Who will it benefit?
While Walmart is not getting rid of their self-checkout lanes, it is experimenting with limiting who can use them. Here’s how the new policy will work.
Retailers are rethinking the self-checkout concept in their stores, in some cases eliminating the convenient option altogether. While Walmart is not getting rid of theirs it is experimenting with limiting who can use them and when in some stores.
The new self-checkout lane policy at America’s biggest retailer is not a corporatewide mandate, but rather being implemented on a store-by-store basis at each manager’s discretion. This isn’t something new according to Kelsey Bohl, senior manager of corporate communications at Walmart. “From time-to-time, our stores adjust the use of staffed checkouts and self-checkouts,” she said.
New Walmart self-checkout lane policy: Who will it benefit?
Shoppers at certain Walmart locations in recent months have found the self-checkout lanes cordoned off and a notice informing that only those using Walmart Scan & Go or Spark delivery drivers could use them. ‘Scan & Go’ is an option available to Walmart+ subscribers, which allows them to scan their purchases while shopping before proceeding to the checkout.
Walmart+ is the retail giant’s paid membership service which gives customers benefits such as free shipping and delivery, savings on fuel and other perks. Spark Driver, on the other hand, is a third party delivery app owned by Walmart, whose independent contractors make delivers and returns for Walmart and other retailers.
Limiting who can use the self-checkout lanes “is intended to better manage checkout availability,” explained Bohl to Today.com. Stores may choose to limit customers to only staffed cash registers as well depending on the time of day and foot traffic in the store.
“Some stores, in some locations, may start the day off and they have associate staff cash registers open only,” informed Bohl. “And as the day goes on, and associate staffing picks up, customer traffic picks up, they’ll open up self-checkout cash registers.”
“Store managers have the autonomy to make decisions about what is best for their specific store in their area, for their customers. It’s a very localized decision,” she added.