The changes are part of an effort to curb theft and improve customer service. Dollar General has used AI to evaluate its self-checkouts, which confirmed that it contributed to the company's shrink problem. The AI findings have inspired the hybrid checkout model the company is now implementing at 9,000 stores. Other retailers, including Walmart, have also started limiting self-checkout at some stores.
Key takeaways:
- Dollar General is eliminating self-checkout at 300 stores where theft and inventory loss is high, and converting self-checkout stands to hybrid ones with an assisted-checkout option at 9,000 locations.
- The changes are intended to increase employee involvement in the checkout process and reduce theft.
- Other retailers are also reassessing their self-checkout options, with some implementing a 10-item limit for self-checkout transactions, and Walmart limiting self-checkout at some stores to its Walmart+ members and Spark drivers.
- Dollar General has used AI to evaluate its self-checkouts and found that it contributed to the company's shrink problem, inspiring the hybrid checkout model the company is now implementing.