Walmart makes shock move amid self-checkout controversy leaving customers furious

WALMART has left customers furious after they removed most of their cashier checkout lanes to make room for self-checkout machines.

Customer Sheila Dee ranted in a TikTok video after she turned up at her local busy superstore.

In the video, you can see tons of shoppers hustling to scan their groceries using the self-checkout machines, with a few Walmart employees supervising the area - only one worker was actively looking at the machines.

Sheila wrote in the video, "We ALL work at Walmart now!!," followed by a face palm emoji.

In the caption of the video, Sheila explained that in North Olmsted, Ohio, the retailer removed all of their cashier checkout lanes, except for four, and replaced them with self-checkout machines.

Sheila said: "I had an overflowing cart today! And I had to scan and bag it all?

"Like, I didn’t even get an interview, apparently I was hired on the spot?! WTH!"

She also said in the video: "When can I expect my paycheck?!?!," to point out how customers are now supposed to do the job of the Walmart employees.

One commenter looked on the bright side of the self service.

They said: "Well hey it’s 10 times faster when you scan them. Lol!

"I swear it’s a requirement for checkers to be as slow as possible."

This local Walmart isn't the only store that is seeing more of it's cashier lanes taken out for self-checkouts.

According to a 2022 study from Adrian Beck, an emeritus professor from the University of Leicester, 96 percent of grocery store respondents have installed self-checkouts and 77 percent of non-grocery respondents have deployed the machines as well.

While the use of these machines is appealing to retailers because of the cut in labor costs, stores do have to account for losses in other areas.

Respondents estimated that self-checkout machines accounted for as much as 23 percent of their total unknown store losses, with malicious losses, like theft, representing 48 percent.

Beck exclusively talked with The U.S. Sun about the four reasons people steal at self-checkout.

Shoplifters are getting nifty with their mischievous tactics at self-checkout.

For example, the "banana trick" is becoming a popular way for thieves to steal while at self-scan.

The "banana trick" is when shoplifters take a more expensive item like a T-bone steak that costs $13.99 a pound and instead use a code for a cheaper item - like a banana for $0.49 a pound.

There are many other stunts that shoplifters will use at the self-checkout lane such as "the pass around" and "the switcheroo," which The U.S. Sun has explained.