Target making major change to self-checkout at stores

At first, many shoppers thought it was just their store. Self-checkout stations were gone. Lines were longer. Employees were guiding every purchase through traditional lanes.

Customers thought (and hoped) it was temporary. But it quickly became clear — this wasn’t a fluke or a store-level decision. It was a coordinated move from corporate.

Multiple threads on the Target subreddit lit the fuse, with shoppers sharing reports of local stores removing self-checkout entirely. The comments quickly filled with frustration, as users across the country confirmed similar changes at their nearby Targets.

One shopper, u/likwidkool, described their experience just to buy a single item: “Took me almost a 1/2 hour. There was a group of people waiting and one girl running herself ragged. This definitely is not the better option.”

Another Reddit user, u/rrmounce95, summed up the frustration: “I will be devastated if this happens at my Target. I exclusively use self-checkout anywhere that offers it.”

For many shoppers, removing the option doesn’t just add inconvenience — it takes away the control and speed they’ve come to expect.

The real question is, after years of pushing self-checkout as the future, why is Target suddenly pulling the plug?

Self-checkouts are disappearing and shoppers are fuming.

Image source: Santiago/Getty Images

Why Target’s new self-checkout strategy is backfiring

Self-checkout wasn’t just a convenience — it was marketed as a future-forward innovation. A way to shop faster, smarter, and with more control.

Instead, it became a flashpoint.

Part of the issue may be tied to growing concerns over retail theft. According to the National Retail Federation, retailers reported a 93% increase in the average number of shoplifting incidents per year in 2023 compared to 2019. Organized retail crime and store violence have made headlines, and Target has been one of the most vocal retailers sounding the alarm.

While the company hasn’t explicitly blamed theft for the self-checkout rollback, many shoppers believe it’s part of a broader effort to reduce loss and tighten in-store operations.

Self-checkout was supposed to cut labor costs. But in reality, stores still need staff to monitor for errors, assist with glitches, and deter theft. Add all that up — and suddenly, the tech starts to look more like a burden than a benefit.

Now, Target is pulling back — hard. In some locations, the lanes are gone entirely. In others, they’re limited to 10 items or fewer.

As Redditor u/Embarr put it, “With the right cashiers on staff, you don’t need self-checkout.”

Target’s new checkout policy could be costly

The self-checkout backlash isn’t just about machines. It’s about the relationship between shoppers and the store.

What was once a convenience is now being taken away, often with little explanation — and in response to issues most customers don’t feel responsible for.

While some customers understand the change —and even acknowledge the impact of theft — others can’t help but feel frustrated, especially when their store is understaffed and checkout takes longer than ever.

Target’s move may be about theft prevention, but the bigger loss could be trust. Shoppers aren’t just annoyed. They’re rethinking where they spend their time, their money, and their patience.

And for a brand known for convenience and loyalty, that’s a risk Target can’t afford to ignore.