Grocers tweaking self-checkout approach

Self-checkout at grocery stores continues to be an ongoing experiment.

A Kroger store in Dallas only offered self-checkout lanes for a number of years, but the Cincinnati-based grocer said there will now be staffed checkout lanes at the Oak Lawn location, reports ABC affiliate WFAA. 

Amazon was one of the first to try the all self-checkout approach across its entire Amazon Go grocery network. 

Kroger said it made the decision based on customer feedback. 

The store will offer both traditional checkout lanes along with self-checkout lanes, following a format found at other Kroger locations. 

Meanwhile, Schnucks has added a restriction in the self-checkout lane. Shoppers can only use self-checkout if they have 10 items or less, reports NBC affiliate KSDK. Target also installed the rule at all stores recently. 

Schnucks said the move was made to improve customer service and checkout efficiency. The grocer also wants to reduce theft. 

The St. Louis-based retailer said the original intent of self-checkout was to handle smaller volumes, but over the years shoppers have used the technology for larger-volume sales.