I’m a retail expert – self-checkout is proven to leave you more vulnerable to problems and accidental stealing

RETAIL EXPERTS have weighed in on the self-checkout debate, warning shoppers they are troublesome as well as time-consuming.

Customers often opt to use the scan-it-yourself machines in the hopes of beating long lines at the cash register.

Nearly 90 percent of shoppers presume it is a quicker way to pay for their purchases – likely because of the motion you experience.

According to Fox 5 New York, the global self-checkout market boomed to a whopping $3.5billion last year.

Estimates suggest the sector will continue to grow, with its total value expected to triple by 2030.

But research suggests self-checkouts may not be all they are cracked up to be.

It appears consumers’ need for speed is actually slowing us down in the long run and leaving people vulnerable to technical issues.

Professional cashiers have been proven to scan a cart full of items more efficiently than a customer at a self-checkout machine.

The Canadian Broadcasting Commission study found that even if you have mastered the art of scanning yourself, you are still more likely to be delayed.

That’s because when there is a malfunction, shoppers then waste time having to wait for an employee to correct the machine.

Queuing theory suggests a single giant line gets the average shopper to their final destination faster than waiting in an individual line at an individual kiosk.

However, forming single lines for individual self-checkouts will get the customer to the scanning and bagging process quicker than waiting for a traditional human cashier.

Yet further research conducted by Cardfellow found that the modern payment methods actually cost more to upkeep.

The upfront payments alongside long-term maintenance costs can often work out more expensive than paying for staff and maintaining cash registers.

Self-checkout machines are also a well-known shoplifting haven for sneaky customers taking advantage of the lack of supervision.

A study by the University of Leicester study found stores with the machines double their loss rate of stolen or miscounted goods.

Shoppers have even adapted their stealing tactics to cater to the new technology.

The “banana trick,” is a common one where shoplifters will 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.

This scheme, along with others has made the job of store employees that supervise self-checkout areas more difficult.

Experts believe the lack of supervision at the machines subconsciously encourages people to take their product without paying.

Professor Adrian Beck of the UoL found in the 2018 study that one store with a weight-checking system installed in their self-checkouts experienced less loss than stores with no weight system.

Self-checkouts with weight controls were the most used loss intervention and are regarded as the most effective approach used so far.