
Could Maine Walmart Stores Soon Remove All Self-Checkout Kiosks?
If you know me, you know that I am not a fan of self-checkout kiosks.
I have the utmost respect for those who are skilled at scanning and bagging items because I will never have that skill.
Over the last few years, for a variety of reasons, we have seen the popularity of self-checkout explode.
During that time, however, the role of self-checkouts has changed dramatically. They started as a great way for people who only had a few items to quickly checkout and leave the store. They allowed people to escape the long lines of the checkouts manned by store personnel. As wages increased, many stores began to employ fewer cashiers. Sometimes, there would only be one traditional checkout line. This often led to lengthy backups at the self-checkout kiosks.
It looks like major self-checkout kiosk changes could soon be coming to one major retailer, but not for the reason you'd expect.
Will Walmart Soon Remove All Self-Checkout Kiosks?
According to an article in People, one Missouri Walmart removed all of their self-checkout kiosks in the spring of 2024.
However, the reason for the change had nothing to do with a desire to improve the experience of their customers. Instead, it had to do with an attempt at reducing theft.
The article explains that a significant number of the 'customers' using the self-checkout kiosks were stealing items.
The article explains that between January through May 2024, officers from the Shrewsbury Police Department responded to 1,915 calls — over 25% of which came from the local Walmart. Yes, about 500 calls from that Walmart came in in just five months! That's basically three calls per day.
However, after the self-checkouts were removed, the number of calls drop to a fraction of what they had been. From January to May of 2025, there were only 11% of calls were regarding issues from the store.
Will Walmart Remove All Self-Checkout Kiosks?
Does this mean that Walmart will do-away with kiosks at their Maine locations?
So far, we have heard no discussion about the removal of self-checkout kiosks at any of the 22 Walmart stores in Maine.
It appears that they are making these kinds of changes on a case-by-case basis.
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When we learn more about possible changes at our local Walmart's, we will be sure to pass the information on to you.
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