Walmart Shoppers Facing Self-Checkout Delays as New Law Cracks Down on Shoplifting

FomoAnxiety · 2026-03-10T18:13:12+00:00

A new bill in Connecticut may reduce self-checkout lanes at Walmart and Target to eight, prompting longer wait times and increased employee staffing. This move addresses theft concerns and aims to enhance customer comfort with human interactions.

FomoAnxiety

2026-03-10 18:13:12

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Walmart WMT +1.05% ▲ and Target TGT +1.56% ▲ customers may have to face longer waits at store self-checkouts in the future thanks to a new law.

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Self-Checkout Restrictions

According to a report in the U.S. Sun, a bill is being debated in Connecticut, which would limit self-checkout lanes to just eight registers. It is being introduced by the Labor and Public Employees Committee in Connecticut.

Aside from making more customers shift uneasily on their feet and look at the clock on the wall or time on the phone, it could also add to the stress of Walmart employees. That’s because one employee would need to be staffed for every two self-checkout stations. One manual lane would also have to be open for every two self-checkout lanes.

Why Are Changes Needed?

Customers have raised concerns regarding the amount of theft – shoplifting – being carried out at self-checkout stations.
There are also worries about what self-checkouts mean for the future of store jobs.

Such concerns have seen major retailers take action. Costco COST +0.04% ▲ , for example, has started removing handheld self-checkout scanners from its 630 stores to help prevent theft. Amazon’s AMZN +0.70% ▲ Whole Foods has also scrapped self-checkout machines.

Walmart has also been removing self-checkout kiosks at select locations, including two stores in Shrewsbury, Missouri, and Cleveland, in favor of associate-staffed checkout lines. It’s being done because some customers feel more comfortable interacting with a human being, perhaps even having a real face-to-face conversation.

Walmart reportedly has seen theft calls to the police fall 11% after removing those self-checkout kiosks.

Is WMT a Good Stock to Buy Now?

On TipRanks, WMT has a Strong Buy consensus based on 27 Buy and 3 Hold ratings. It has a highest price target of $150. WMT stock’s consensus price target is $138.41, implying a 9.95% upside.

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