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Dec 16, 2023

Major retailer reveals why it will never change self

WHILE shoppers may love the convenience of self-checkout, Trader Joe's has vowed

WHILE shoppers may love the convenience of self-checkout, Trader Joe's has vowed not to add the machines to its store.

Other major grocery stores like Walmart and Kroger have relied so much on self-checkout, removing cashier kiosks to make way for more machines.

However, Trader Joe's will continue to hire on-site staff as the company believes its employees are more important than the glitz and the glamour of self-checkout.

"The bottom line here is that our people remain our most valued resource," Tara Miller, Trader Joe's vice president of marketing, said on the Inside Trader Joe's podcast.

"While other retailers were cutting staff and adding things like self-checkout, curbside pickup, and outsourcing delivery options, we were hiring more crew, and we continue to do that."

She added: "Our crew will be in our stores to help you find your next favorite product, just as they've always been."

Some Trader Joe's fans might like how easy and fast a self-checkout machine can be, but there are also downsides when retailers do away with cashiers.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillion issued a warning to shoppers after a recent rise in shoplifting at store locations.

"Theft is an issue. It's higher than what it has historically been," Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told CNBC in December.

If this issue isn't addressed "prices will be higher, and/or stores will close," McMillon warned.

One common trick that thieves use at self-checkout is called "the switcheroo."

This term, along with more shoplifting lingo like "the banana trick" and "the pass around," has been around since at least 2018, when The Atlantic reported on it.

"The switcheroo" is when a shopper takes the barcode sticker off a less expensive item and places it over the barcode on a more expensive item.

Four Walmart customers in Chattanooga, Tennessee allegedly used this trick to shoplift in December.

Police officers said the suspects returned the items at full price after being caught, The Chattanoogan reported.

However, they were still charged with theft.