The use of self-service checkouts in the retail industry has rocketed over the past few years, with over 60,000 units expected to be shipped throughout 2018. Unsurprisingly, many businesses are now choosing to integrate these systems – but are self-checkouts really worth the hype? 

One of the biggest advantages of having a self-checkout system in your store is that it makes the experience for customers much more efficient and easy, with less time spent waiting in queues. Machines are faster to use and will probably work out cheaper in the long run, with no need to pay someone to scan items at the checkout anymore. Multiple kiosks can be placed into a relatively small area, allowing stores to take care of customer transactions with minimal space. In some cases, up to six kiosks can take up the same amount of space as a single traditional checkout area with a cashier. While this may not be important to the larger retail chains, it could be a big help where space is at a premium.

However, self-checkout kiosks also come with some potential disadvantages. Some customers can face difficulty if barcodes don’t scan properly for example, and can feel uncomfortable with the process. More importantly, these checkouts have also been proven to have a higher potential for theft. According to a study conducted by VoucherCodesPro.co.uk, goods worth £3.2billion are stolen through self-service checkouts in the UK every year. What’s more alarming is the fact that, of those who admitted stealing, over 40% explained that it was because they knew they could get away with it. When caught, it’s possible for customers to plead ignorance or blame it on an equipment malfunction.

So, whilst self-service checkouts are looking certain to take over the retail industry over the next few years, stores may just want to reconsider just how many assistants they have manning their stations.