Check out the changes in shopping

As supermarkets come under increased scrutiny over pricing and profits, the debate about self-service checkouts is continuing. 

A 2026 report in the trade journal, Retail Asia, quoting research by International Data Corporation (IDC), was headlined, “Two-thirds of Australian shoppers ditch manned counters for self-checkout".

Of course, it could easily have said, “One-third of Australian shoppers still prefer staffed checkouts.” 

And that figure is almost certainly higher among older Australians. 

When Connect asked a question about self-checkouts in November 2023, almost half (48%) of 1,000-plus respondents said they never use them, with just 22% saying they use them all the time. 

We’re repeating the question at the end of this article to see whether that has changed. 

Respondents to the IDC research cited convenience (41%), flexible payment options (35%), and purchase privacy (33%) as their main reasons for choosing self-service. 

But the research also noted that some users had “trust issues” with the technology and were frustrated by delays and inflexibility. 

Online content creator, Charles Peralo, posted a video on his “Peralonomics” YouTube channel in July 2026 saying that huge American retailer, Walmart, is reintroducing staffed checkouts in some of its stores. 

Reasons for this include: 

• Higher theft rates among those using the machines 

• A decline in the number of lucrative impulse purchases – typically of snack foods that are on display at staffed checkouts 

• Long queues and friction among customers at self-service checkouts 

• Accessibility issues. 

Another issue that has come up in online conversations about self-checkouts is that some shoppers feel they are being coerced into doing somebody else’s job.

Some customers enjoy their interaction with the human checkout operator and are prepared to queue longer to use that service. 

Despite the reintroduction of staffed counters in some stores overseas, there is a certain inevitability about further adoption of technology in supermarkets as their owners seek to maximise profits. 

Self-checkouts are getting “smarter” with AI software that, apparently, makes them more user-friendly and more able to distinguish which products are being bought. 

Some retailers are experimenting with devices that “read” the contents of your supermarket trolleys and charge your credit card as you leave the shop, eliminating the need for checkouts altogether. 

But it hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing towards this brave new world of shopping. 

Online behemoth Amazon introduced a "just walk out” store in London in 2021, but the store closed two years later. The technology has been removed from other Amazon-operated stores in the UK and US, but the company says it still intends to license the system to other retailers.  

The message seems to be that the way we shop will continue to evolve as the retail giants determine what works best for them. 

If we want staffed checkouts to continue to be an option, we will have to use them.