SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento area Walmart customers say the quality of their shopping experience is taking a hit after they noticed self-checkout lanes being closed off by orange safety cones.
Gabriella Chinn shops at the West Sacramento Walmart location and says she was met with dozens of people in line at the registers after noticing the self-checkout lane was closed.
"Without self-checkout there, it was a nightmare," she told ABC10. "The lines were literally from the register to the door down the middle aisle — you couldn't even walk through that aisle anymore because there was so many people."
Her experience is not unlike that of other shoppers as big grocery chains like Walmart and Costco begin to remove self-checkouts from multiple stores.
Walmart Corporate Communications spokesperson Kelsey Bohl told ABC10 the process is nothing new.
"From time-to-time, our stores adjust the use of staffed checkouts and self-checkouts," she said. "For example, a store might start or end the day with staffed checkouts. As the number of shoppers and associate staffing increases, these stores open self-checkout registers to manage the increased customer flow."
Chinn says she remembered reading about self-checkout lanes closing at other Walmart locations, but it wasn't until February that she began noticing it at her West Sacramento location. She says many people shop at Walmart because they're in a hurry and are looking to get in-and-out quick, but those days may be over if lines continue to grow because no self-checkout lanes are open.
"Self-checkout was also good for us introverts because some cashiers want to talk to you, and sometimes you don't want to talk, but you don't want to be rude," Chinn said. "I feel sorry for families with kids because they're always asking questions and are wanting to go."
Roseville Walmart shopper Karen Gurley says she understands shoplifters are using self-checkout registers to commit retail theft, but if self-checkout lanes are closed, more staff should be available to cut the lines down.
"They can close the self-checkout, I understand the problem with theft, but they need to respect the consumers and open more checkout lines," she said. "I have two items I need to buy but there isn't an express lane available."
Bohl says some stores have self-checkout available for Walmart+ customers who use 'Scan and Go' during times of limited access.
Gurley says she and her husband prefer the traditional shopping option and are hesitant about relying on their phone for purchases.
"My husband and I are in our 80s and 90s and we've been hacked three times in the past year. I don't want to want to put all this stuff on my phone," she said.
