[Study] Self-checkout registers lead to significantly higher shrinkage

Self-checkout registers result in significantly higher shrinkage. This is evident from the largest study ever conducted on the phenomenon. Nevertheless, the research adds important nuances to the debate. Moreover, self-checkout is here to stay: more than half of all transactions are already processed via self-checkout.

Structural additional loss…

In stores with self-checkout lanes, an average of 54% of transactions are processed via self-checkout, accounting for as much as 41% of sales. That difference speaks volumes: self-checkout primarily handles smaller shopping baskets, while larger purchases are more often processed at staffed checkout lanes. It is precisely this high transaction frequency that makes the technology vulnerable. Many small errors add up.