Target’s self-checkout setup is once again under fire, and this time, they’re owning up to the backlash.
A frustrated customer at a Texas Target store took to X (formerly Twitter) to vent about long lines and “wasted space” in the self-checkout area. The complaint? Only four self-checkout machines available, no staffed cashier lanes, and a 10-item cap slowing everything down.
“Fix this,” the shopper posted, tagging @Target. “3x self-checkout and get rid of the unused wasted space.”
The retailer responded with a public apology:
“We understand speedy checkout is important and we’re sorry to hear we let you down… we’ll share this with store leadership.”
But the apology didn’t go far. The customer shot back, calling it a “typical response.”
In March 2024, Target rolled out a nationwide rule limiting self-checkout lanes to 10 items or fewer. The policy was meant to reduce theft and scanning errors and improve efficiency. But instead, it has led to longer lines, confused shoppers, and inconsistency across locations.
Retail analyst Neil Saunders noted that some employees ignore the rule entirely, letting shoppers with full carts use the lanes anyway, much to the annoyance of rule-followers.
Despite the drama, Target says self-checkout isn’t going anywhere.
“We offer it in the vast majority of our stores and have no plans to change this,” a company spokesperson told USA TODAY.
In fact, they say it’s working. Since the item limit was introduced, Target claims transaction times are 8% faster and wait-time scores improved by 5 points (based on Net Promoter Score).
But not everyone is buying it.
Target isn’t alone in tweaking checkout experiences. Competitors are rethinking the self-checkout model altogether. Walmart is removing self-checkout machines from select locations like Missouri and Ohio. Sam’s Club, owned by Walmart, is going even further, ditching all self-checkout lanes in favor of their Scan & Go mobile app. Shoppers scan items on their phones and pay digitally, streamlining the experience without clunky machines.
At a time when 3 in 5 Americans are cutting back on spending (according to a 2025 Bloomberg-Harris Poll), checkout frustration is the last thing shoppers want. And with inflation stretching middle-income households, people are increasingly vocal about every inconvenience, from store layouts to coupon policies.
Target’s interim CEO, Michael Fiddelke, previously acknowledged: “People are trying to make sense of the dollars they have to spend. Where and how they spend it matters.”
Right now, it looks like checkout experience is a key factor in that equation.
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