Self-checkout kiosks have become a familiar sight in supermarkets, with the now commonplace technology promising shorter queuing times and greater convenience for customers. Other retailers outside of the grocery space have also embraced SCO, allowing them to cut costs and deploy staff typically tied to the checkout to areas such as customer service.

However, sentiment towards SCO is souring and the tech is being blamed for issues affecting the retail sector including the rise in theft. Meanwhile, the chorus of ‘Unexpected item in bagging area’ is a regular refrain for shoppers who are becoming increasingly frustrated with the technology and the need for human intervention to complete their purchase.

As a result, an increasing number of retailers such as Walmart and UK drinks retailer Booths are reportedly going back to staffed tills, turning off self-checkout terminals or removing them altogether.

In this webinar, industry leaders discussed what the future of self-checkout looks like and how retailers can make the technology work for everyone.