Young Shoppers Admit to Stealing from Self-Checkout Counters
Roughly one in three young shoppers in the U.S. has admitted to giving themselves five-finger discounts at self-checkout counters, according to a recent survey.
A survey conducted by loan marketplace LendingTree reveals that 31% of Gen-Z consumers have stolen items from self-checkout kiosks, compared to 15% of consumers of any age. This alarming trend comes as businesses are working hard to combat shoplifting, which has been blamed for negatively impacting financial performance and even leading to store closures.
"Ultimately, retailers need to decide whether the self-checkout terminals are worth the risk," stated LendingTree's chief credit analyst, Matt Schulz. "That's a question lots of retailers are likely wrestling with."
The findings of the survey are based on responses from 2,000 U.S. consumers between the ages of 18 and 77.
While some respondents expressed regret for their actions, the survey revealed that 44% of those who stole from self-checkout kiosks planned to continue doing so. Furthermore, 37% stated that they resorted to theft in order to save money on groceries or health care goods. Surprisingly, only a third of those who admitted to stealing had ever been caught.
Self-Checkout Phase Out
Retailers are generally reluctant to disclose information on the prevalence of theft, making it hard to gauge how common self-checkout theft is compared to other forms of stealing, according to a retail analyst. Theft data is considered "commercially sensitive information that [retailers are] under no obligation to reveal," the analyst said. However, losses resulting from the use of automated checkout stations have prompted some major retailers to either remove the kiosks or strengthen measures to detect thefts. For example, Walmart removed self-checkout stations at some of its stores in New Mexico due to a rise in self-checkout thefts, while Wegmans scrapped its scan-as-you-shop self-checkout system because of excessive theft. On the other hand, Costco plans to station more employees at self-checkout areas after acknowledging losses "in part…due to the rollout of self-checkout."
Meanwhile, Costco has announced plans to station more employees at self-checkout areas after acknowledging losses "in part…due to the rollout of self-checkout."
