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A WALMART shopper shared their unfortunate experience at the store, which pushed them to just leave altogether.
The customer wrote on X that after waiting in long lines, they decided to abandon their cart and try their luck at Target instead.
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“My patience little asf I walked around Walmart, had a whole cart got to the line and just walked out,” they tweeted.
“I really can’t stand no long a** lines. To target I go.”
The shopper isn’t alone in their frustrations, as many Walmart customers have recently complained about the major retailer.
Shopping chains have been forced to adapt to a changing retail landscape, and customers have struggled to adjust.
Receipt checks, self-checkout, and locked-up products have shifted the shopping experience for customers nationwide.
Another Walmart shopper in Raleigh, North Carolina recently complained on X about an unpleasant experience.
“What is the purpose of @Walmart having automated self-checkout, if they are not going to use them??” Courtney Mack asked in the August 1, 2024 post.
She added the hashtags,”#LinesTooLong,” “#1725NewHopeChurchRd, “#RaleighNC,” “#N,” and “#1stofTheMonth.”
Walmart’s customer service account responded to the post, “Your visits should be quick, Courtney! Please send us more details in a DM.”
RETAIL WOES
Walmart’s self-checkout policy is meant to increase convenience, however, some shoppers have complained it only makes lines longer.
A customer recently shared on social media that their local Walmart has closed most of their self-checkout lanes, but hasn’t hired enough employees so shoppers are stuck waiting in long lines.
“My local Walmart converted almost all their checkout lanes to self-checkout, but they keep most of them closed because they won’t staff enough people to monitor them all,” the shopper wrote on X.
“So I’m still stuck waiting in line, but have to scan my own stuff.”
Latest self-checkout changes
Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed up checkout times and reduce theft.
Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various locations were made available only for Walmart+ members.
Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed during specific hours, and more cashiers were offered instead.
While shoppers feared that shoplifting fueled the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.
One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would stop the fiercely contested receipt checks.
However, that test run has been phased out.
At Target, items are being limited at self-checkout.
Last fall, the brand surveyed new express self-checkout lanes across 200 stores with 10 items or less for more convenience.
As of March 2024, this policy has been expanded across 2,000 stores in the US.
Shoppers have also spotted their local Walmart stores restricting customers to 15 items or less to use self-checkout machines.
Walmart shared on its website that the store has implemented self-checkouts over the past few years in several locations.
“Our associates working in the Customer Host role can show customers to available registers, help them through the checkout process and answer any questions they may have.
The store added that the process is ” designed to help customers complete their shopping even faster.”
Despite the store’s intentions, evidence suggests that self-checkouts can increase theft.
A survey conducted by Lending Tree last year found that 69% of customers believed the machines contributed to shoplifting.
Of those who responded to the survey, 15% admitted to stealing using self-checkout lanes themselves.
Increased theft has prompted stores to shut down more lanes and monitor customers when using them.
The new policies have unfortunately resulted in complaints from shoppers about long lines.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Walmart for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.
