Walmart is pulling out of the self-checkout game in multiple stores, but what does that mean for locations around Illinois?

As long as self-checkout lanes exist, we will always have a love-hate relationship with them.  Most of the time it is an easy checkout process, but when you get that message that says, "Unexpected item in bagging area.  Please wait for assistance." that is when you wished you went to a real cashier.

Read More: The 11 Most Stolen Items At Walmart In Illinois

Why Stores Are Getting Rid Of Self-Checkout Stations

These started getting popular when the pandemic hit and only continued to pop up everywhere as years went on.  Here's why they've become more of a headache than a solution.

• Absence of human interaction with employees
• More security measures have had to be implemented
• There's a major increase in theft
• Checkout registers aren't always customer-friendly

Well, these might not be a problem in the near future since multiple Walmart locations are shutting down self-checkout altogether.  Let's talk about the future for locations near us in Illinois.

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Are Illinois Walmart Stores Getting Rid Of Self-Checkout Lanes?

Walmart isn't the only store rethinking this renovation.  Costco is another chain revising their strategies to decrease the amount of theft happening in their stores - they've removed a handful of checkout lanes and added more staff to control who comes in and out of their stores.

"Walmart has removed self-checkout in some stores in New Mexico and renovated the lanes to have employees attend to customers’ purchases. Employees and customers said that self-checkout has resulted in an increase in theft." [es]

As of right now, Walmart reps say there is no plan to remove self-checkout lanes at other locations around the country - including Illinois.  That isn't to say it couldn't happen at any point in time.