Delhaize to limit self-scanning to customer card holders

Belgian supermarket chain Delhaize wants to limit the use of its self-checkout kiosks to customers who hold a SuperPlus loyalty card. With this move, the chain aims to intensify its fight against shoplifting.

Suspicious patterns

The new measure has already been implemented in some stores and will “gradually be rolled out across all our stores”, spokesperson Roel Dekelver confirmed to Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.

Many supermarket chains are facing increasing losses due to shoplifting. A well-known example is Dutch Jumbo, which reported 100 million euros worth of goods disappearing via self-checkout registers in 2023, while the company’s annual profit was only eighty million euros.

“With this measure, Delhaize aims to create an additional barrier for customers who consciously do not check out their groceries correctly”, Dekelver added. The customer loyalty card allows Delhaize to better detect suspicious patterns. The retailer cannot yet confirm when the implementation of the new system will be completed, but states that it will “closely monitor the implementation and make adjustments where necessary.”