Major retailer’s plan to completely abandon self-checkout leaves shoppers divided – but store insists ‘it listened’

SHOPRITE has brought back traditional tills after a backlash.

ShopRite stores in Delaware are hiring more cashiers after persistent complaints about the growing number of self-checkout lanes.

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ShopRite began eliminating traditional checkouts in 2021, calling them “the best possible checkout experience.” The new, long queues at the self-service checkouts quickly met with criticism.

“Some people just don’t like doing it themselves,” Yasmin Rice told NBC affiliate WCAU.

“I make a lot of mistakes and need someone to invalidate this article, so I would prefer a human.”

In addition to the complaints, ShopRite employees were worried that self-checkout lanes would take away their jobs.

“As the labor shortage begins to ease, we are adding full-service checkouts again and offering customers a more hybrid self-checkout/full-service experience,” spokeswoman Karen O’Shea wrote in a statement.

“We are constantly evolving, adapting and listening to our customers so we can provide them with the best possible shopping experience.”

In a survey conducted by PlayUSA, 1,000 Americans were asked about their use of self-service kiosks.

In the study, 84 percent said they like using self-checkouts and 66 percent said they prefer them to regular checkouts.

Additionally, 60 percent said they use self-checkout because they prefer not to talk to someone, although 75 percent said their social skills have been affected by the use of technology.

Regardless of opinions, self-checkout is here to stay.

However, ShopRite has listened to its customers and employees and will offer a larger number of traditional checkouts in the future.