Self-service checkouts do not encourage theft
In the USA, supermarkets are dismantling their self-service checkouts because shoplifting is rising to record levels. The situation in Germany appears to be different. Edeka, Rewe and the discounters are not experiencing a drop in customer honesty as a result of automation.
Food retailers in Germany have not recorded a significant increase in shoplifting due to the increased use of self-service checkouts. "We are not observing any noticeable increase in stores with self-service checkouts," said an Edeka spokesperson. The retail chain wants to increase the number of self-checkout systems. Nevertheless, there will still be traditional checkouts. Rewe expressed a similar view. "We cannot confirm that the number of thefts is increasing at all. The systems are very well developed," the company said. Experience has shown that some customers are more concerned about accidentally not scanning an item. Rewe wants to continue to rely on self-service checkouts in the future and equip more locations with them.
More and more customers in Germany are already scanning their products themselves. According to a study by the retail research institute EHI, there are already 16,000 self-service checkouts in the retail sector. The technology is mainly used in food retail. Self-service checkouts are most frequently found at Rewe and Edeka, where more than 750 stores are equipped accordingly. Aldi Süd has also been using self-service checkouts since the beginning of 2023. The company did not want to comment on a possible increase in theft rates.
"Studies show that self-checkout systems in Germany do not necessarily lead to higher theft rates," says retail expert Kai Hudetz from the Institute for Retail Research IFH. Camera technology could make cashierless stores just as theft-proof. "With traditional checkouts, only a fraction of thefts can be reduced anyway, as many thefts already take place at the shelf," says Hudetz.
US markets are starting to dismantle
In the USA, there is apparently a trend for retailers to rely more heavily on traditional, staffed checkouts again. This is due to high economic losses as a result of increased theft rates and the technical error-proneness of self-service checkouts. The "Handelsblatt" reported on this. EHI expert Frank Horst does not expect retailers in Germany to stop the expansion of self-service checkouts or seek to dismantle them. "Things are going far too well for that. We are experiencing an insane boom." Although the number of thefts in the retail sector has recently risen significantly, this is merely a return to normality and pre-coronavirus levels.
In comparison with the USA, Horst says: "There have always been significantly higher inventory discrepancies in the USA than here." According to Horst, retailers in this country are using various methods to reduce the risk of theft. Among other things, additional cameras with artificial intelligence are used, which can determine whether a product has been pulled over the scanner using behavioral recognition. Many stores also use an exit barrier that only opens after the receipt has been scanned. The supervisor in the checkout area also has a preventative effect.
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Despite the rising shoplifting rates in the USA leading to the dismantling of self-service checkouts, German retailers like Edeka and Rewe have not witnessed a decrease in customer honesty due to automation. On the contrary, both companies are planning to increase the number of self-checkout systems and continue their use in the future.
Source: www.ntv.de
