CLEVELAND — Changes are coming to the Steelyard Commons Walmart in Cleveland, with the company confirming it will be removing all of the store's self-checkout lanes beginning this Sunday.
Officials say the move "was made following an evaluation of customer and associate feedback, research related to store shopping patterns and business needs within the market." Checkouts will now solely be handled by cashiers and other employees.
"We believe this change helps our associates deliver more personalized service and will improve customer satisfaction and the overall experience at our store," Walmart Senior Director of Global Communications Charles Crowson said in a statement.
According to Crowson, the change will not take place at Walmart's 15 other locations in the Greater Cleveland area. Other than the survey of workers and customers, the company did not specify why the decision is limited to the Steelyard location, which has for years been ridiculed by observers as one of the "worst" Walmarts around.
Research has shown that self-checkout technology has begun to fall out of favor with both retailers and customers alike, in part due to frustrations with the automation or financial losses over items potentially being shoplifted. Target has even begun restricting self-checkout to shoppers with 10 items or less at some of its stores.
Per Crowson, the transition away from self-checkout at Steelyard is expected to take about two weeks.