3 Reasons Why New Hampshire Target Stores’ Change to Self-Checkout is a Good Thing

Could this be a good thing?

Target Locations in New Hampshire

A few months ago, according to abcnews.go.com, Target announced that it was reducing the number of items you could bring through the self-checkout to 10 or less. Dollar General and Walmart made similar changes as well.

There are three Target locations in Greenland, Salem, and Somersworth, New Hampshire, and this change is going to affect 2,000 locations nationwide.

Although I'm not a huge fan of the self check-out, I'm an optimist, and try to see the bright side of everything. So, here are three reasons why the changes might be a good thing:

1. If the number of items is reduced, the lines will most likely move faster.
2. Less people, less germs.  If you scan your own items, you get just your germs on your stuff (and everyone else who may have picked up that item before you got there).
3. It may reduce stealing, which is a big reason why the store is making the change. 

Target Stores in New England Try to Reduce Stealing

The article states that there may be another reason why Target is making the change to 10 items or less.  There is something called "partial shrink", when a customer doesn't scan all of the items in their carriage and basically tries to steal the item(s).  So, if they reduce the number of items allowed in the self-checkout, the number of stolen items goes way down.

If there is one thing I've learned about New Englanders during and after the pandemic, it's that we are adaptable to anything.  We may complain about change, but in the end, we'll do it.

Do I like the changes that Target and other stores are making with the self-checkout stations?  No.  I'm not a fan at all.  I would much rather have a person ring up my groceries instead of talking to no one.  I say that now, but if I'm in a hurry with three items and there is someone in front of me with a MILLION items, I might have a different opinion.

What do you think of this change?