Target to limit self-checkout to 10 items or fewer as Walmart also adjusts

Target is set to limit the number of items that can be purchased in its self-checkout lanes to 10 items or fewer.

The retail giant said Friday that the change would take effect Sunday at most of its almost 2,000 stores nationwide. Some self-checkout lanes may also close entirely at certain hours depending on foot traffic patterns, it said.

The change was partially in response to the end of the pandemic, during which customers preferred a contactless option, the company said. Target said it began piloting 10-item-or-less self-checkouts last fall and decided to move forward with a nationwide rollout based on the response.

“By having the option to pick self-checkout for a quick trip, or a traditional, staffed lane when their cart is full, guests who were surveyed told us the overall checkout experience was better, too,” the company said.

Target said it would be also be opening more traditional lanes staffed by team members.

Though it did not mention it Friday in announcing the self-checkout change, the company and other retailers have cited theft as a widespread problem, despite receiving some pushback on their claims.

“I’m really pleased with the progress that we’ve seen,” Target CEO Brian Cornell said in an interview with CNBC last fall, “but this isn’t a Target issue, this is a retail issue.”

Walmart, too, is experimenting with new self-checkout limits. Customers at certain Walmart locations may start to notice changes to self-checkout lanes.

“From time-to-time, our stores adjust the use of staffed checkouts and self-checkouts,” a Walmart spokesperson told the “TODAY” show. “For example, a store might start or end the day with staffed checkouts. As the number of shoppers and associate staffing increases, these stores open self-checkout registers to manage the increased customer flow. This process isn’t new.”