Walmart is an incredibly popular retail store because it sells everyday products and more at prices much lower than similar stores. Therefore, millions of customers shop at Walmart every month.
You may have heard of ways Walmart is innovating the shopping experience for its customers and asked, is Walmart eliminating self-checkout lanes? I wondered the same thing, so I looked into it further. Here’s everything I found out!
Why Did Walmart Remove Self-Checkout Lanes In [currentyear]?
Walmart did not remove self-checkout lanes and is, in fact, introducing more self-checkout lanes in stores as of [currentyear]. In the future, Walmart would like most stores to include only self-checkout lanes. Self-checkout lanes save time for the customer, save the company money, and make it easier for customers to find a free lane.
If you want to learn more about why Walmart is introducing more self-checkout lanes, how it helps customers and the company, and much more, then keep reading! I’ve looked into everything you need to know!
Did Walmart Get Rid Of Self-Checkout Lanes?
Walmart did not get rid of the self-checkout lanes in its stores. In fact, the retail giant is implementing more and more self-checkout lanes in place of the traditional checkout stations.
Eventually, Walmart plans to phase out all of the conveyor-belted checkout lanes in place of self-checkout aisles.
For example, one Walmart Supercenter in Fayetteville, Arkansas, is experimenting by using only self-checkout lanes before Walmart launches the same system nationwide.
In this store, Walmart has observed several positive effects of more self-checkout lanes, both for employees and customers.
Is Walmart Introducing Stores That Only Have Self-Checkouts?
Walmart is testing out a few store locations that only have self-checkout lanes in hopes of introducing the layout to other stores in the future.
Additionally, in terms of the design, the test store has 34 self-checkout registers in an open floor plan model.
This way, customers can quickly see when a register is open because there are no walls blocking their vision.
Why Is Walmart Introducing More Self-Checkouts?
There are several reasons Walmart has been introducing more self-checkout lanes and fewer of the traditional checkout lanes customers are used to.
1. Easier For Customers To Find A Free Lane
One of the most popular complaints at Walmart is the inability to find a free checkout lane.
With self-checkout lanes, Walmart makes it faster to find a free checkout lane, so customers aren’t stuck waiting for long periods.
Further, Walmart’s self-checkout store layout creates better visibility because there is an open floor plan.
2. Saves Time
With more self-checkout lanes, all the registers are always open as long as another customer isn’t ringing up their items.
So, more customers can checkout and leave the store faster than the traditional checkout model.
According to Walmart’s research, more self-checkout lanes make adapting to changing traffic patterns much easier than traditional methods.
3. Saves Money
Another reason Walmart is introducing more self-checkout lanes is that it saves money for the company in terms of training hours.
According to Walmart, it takes 40 hours to train a cashier to operate a register.
However, employee training takes less than a day with more self-checkout lanes, so associates can start helping customers faster.
Also, many people think that more self-checkout lanes mean fewer jobs.
But, Walmart created a new position called a Host, who is responsible for helping people at self-checkout lanes with bagging their products and taking care of any problems.
How Do You Use The Walmart App?
Using the Walmart mobile app is very straightforward. For example, simply download the Walmart app onto your smartphone or tablet and start shopping!
Although you do not need a Walmart account to start shopping, creating one is extraordinarily helpful because important information is saved.
Also, the Walmart app is available for both Apple and Android devices.
What Features Are Included In The Walmart App?
The Walmart mobile app includes a number of helpful features, all designed to make shopping at Walmart faster and more convenient for customers.
With that, some of the features included in the Walmart app include the following:
- Walmart Pay
- The Walmart weekly ad
- Mobile Pharmacy
- Free pickup services at your local Walmart store
- Ability to quickly find special deals
- And much more!
How Much Is Walmart’s Delivery Fee?
If you want to order products from Walmart and have them delivered, there is an occasional delivery fee. For example, the delivery fees range between $5.99 and $9.95.
However, orders that total $35 or more usually come with free shipping. However, if you are a Walmart+ member, you never have to pay delivery fees.
What Is Walmart Pay?
Walmart Pay is a feature included in the Walmart app, allowing customers to pay without ever having their wallets.
That said, Walmart Pay stores customers’ payment information on their phones so they can perform contactless payments.
However, it is important to know that you need an account to use Walmart Pay.
Fortunately, it only takes a few moments to sign up for a Walmart account, and it makes it easier to save your information and your purchase history.
Do You Have To Shop In-Person At Walmart?
Walmart has several shopping options where you do not have to visit a physical store and pick out all the products you need.
That said, Walmart allows customers to shop online at Walmart.com or on the Walmart mobile app. Then, customers can choose to have their order delivered or set aside for curbside pickup.
As you can see, Walmart tries to make shopping as easy and convenient as possible for its customers.
To find out more, you can also read our posts on how does Walmart pickup work, Walmart wrong price policy, and does Walmart accept Google & Samsung Pay.
Conclusion
Walmart has been implementing more self-checkout lanes in its stores across the country. Doing so saves the company money because cashiers do not need as much training.
Also, it improves the shopping experience for customers because they can find an open register faster. Eventually, Walmart plans to have stores that only have self-checkout lanes available.
