Why Are Self-Checkouts The New Norm At Stores Like Walmart?

It's a growing trend that really hit home here in the Northland recently:  The Walmart in Superior remodeled their checkout area - reducing the number of cashier-manned lanes, replacing the majority of them with a large self-checkout area.  In addition to the focus on waiting on yourself, they've also started providing less human cashiers in the remaining  "regular" lanes.  It's  easy to see that the retailer is forcing people to use the self checkouts whether or not they want to.

And while the trend has seen a significant backlash on social media - don't expect it to reverse anytime soon.

A recent article in The Guardian spotlights the growing trend. The piece outlines the evolving nature of the economy which seems to reducing jobs via technology.  According to statistics released by the Cornerstone Capital Group, 7.5 million retail jobs are at risk of being replaced by computers with 3.5 million of them cashier-related positions.

So if you don't like the recent changes at Walmart it appears that their corporate owners are saying "tough luck".  In fact, it's about to get worse.  Walmart is also rolling out an experiment using downloaded apps that allow customers to scan their purchases and even pay for them right on their phone.

What do you think about self-checkouts in retail stores?