South Carolina People Sick And Tired Of Target’s Odd Changes
Target is reportedly making significant adjustments to its stores, potentially impacting a popular convenience for customers. The retail store is said to be reducing the hours of operation for self-checkout lanes. Customers have taken to social media to express frustration over prolonged cashier checkout lines, seemingly caused by a combination of understaffing and closed self-checkout lanes.
Target Employees Comparing New Hours
A recent Reddit post from a Target employee claimed a drastic reduction in self-checkout (SCO) hours at their store. The user stated, “We’re open 8-10 normally but I just got told that our SCO will now only be operating 10-6:30.”
Another Reddit user in the same thread noted a similar situation, with self-checkout hours shrinking and a decrease in the number of available cashiers. "Ours are open 11-7 now. We're supposed to have two cashiers until 11. We have one," explained the user.
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Why Are Target Stores Changing Self-Checkout Hours?
Within the discussion, another Target employee suggested that the reduced checkout hours were implemented to combat retail theft. The user stated, "Was told, it’s every store and it’s to prevent people/employees from stealing, and if we were to use them then we can get fired if we used them after 8 pm est."
While a Target spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied a permanent reduction in self-checkout hours, they did mention that "select stores" are undergoing various tests. The spokesperson explained in an emailed statement to TheStreet, "In select stores, we are piloting a number of tests to determine their impact on the overall guest experience. These tests vary by location."
Cashier Lines Becoming Insanely Long
The news of Target's scaled-back self-checkout hours coincides with online criticism from customers regarding extended cashier checkout lines. A viral tweet on Feb. 13 displayed a photo of a lengthy line at a Target store in Virginia with only one cashier on duty, garnering over 26.9 million views. Commenters on the tweet cited closed self-checkout lanes as contributing to the issue.
Additionally, Target employees are reportedly being encouraged to distribute guests evenly between self-checkout and regular cashier checkout lanes due to a new policy.
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Target Stores Closing Stores Due To High Theft
Target's move to reduce self-checkout hours may be related to the company's ongoing battle against retail theft. Target CEO Brian Cornell mentioned in a November CNBC interview that retail theft prompted the closure of nine stores across four states. Cornell stated, "They were stores where we made big investments in additional asset protection… But we closed those stores because we deemed it wasn’t safe for our teams to continue to operate in those environments."
The surge in retail theft since 2020 has been a growing concern, with data from the Council of Criminal Justice indicating a 16% increase in shoplifting incidents during the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2019. The National Retail Federation reported losses of $112.1 billion due to shoplifting in 2022. Target, like many retailers, is exploring various measures, including technology and collaboration with lawmakers, to combat this rising issue.
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