REPORTS of self-checkout-related thefts have become more widespread in recent years, leading to stark warnings from execs at major retailers.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said shoplifting is at a “historically high” level, adding it could cause prices to rise or shops to shut if it’s not addressed.
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Technology has been developed that not only enhances the quality of self-checkout machines but could stop suspected shoplifters from using tactics such as the "banana trick", Retail Wire reported.
That's where customers scan an expensive item with a code for a cheaper item.
The AI tech, produced by Edgify, allows the machine to see the items that are scanned through.
In a YouTube clip that showed the machine in operation, a shopper checked out two varieties of apples – a Red Delicious and a Pink Lady.
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There was a 30-cent difference in the price of the fruit.
The man put one of the apples on the scales.
He then tapped the name of the item that appeared on the screen, before repeating the process.
The enhanced machine detects items such as potatoes that have been placed in a plastic bag.
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Theft-related incidents have become a major issue for supermarkets such as Walmart.
Last month, McMillon issued a stark shoplifting warning while appearing on CNBC’s Squawk Box.
He said: “It’s higher than what it has historically been.”
A spate of thefts has been reported at Walmart stores in recent months.
Stanton Powell allegedly filled a dog food bag with stolen goods while he was in a supermarket in Ogden, Utah.
Cops claimed he filled the bag before resealing it with tape.
KSLTVreported he then made his way through the checkout.
Police say Powell admitted stealing the goods which he planned to sell afterward.
He now faces charges including retail theft.
The U.S. Sun reported on four shoppers who allegedly swiped items using the wrong barcode at a Walmart in Chattanooga,Tennessee.
That's known as the “switcheroo”and involves customers removing the sticker from a relatively cheap good and putting it over an item that’s more expensive.
Cops in Toledo,Ohiohave been called to a store to deal with thefts 11 times in the last two months, according toWTOL.
Suspected shoplifters also use the “pass around” to steal, according toThe Atlantic.
That's where items are bagged without being scanned.
The National Retail Foundation estimated that a whopping $94.5billion was lost in “shrink” in 2021, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
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The phrase "external shrinkage" describes the losses that retailers suffer,The Atlanticreported.
Shoppers can sometimes make honest mistakes as they forget to scan a grocery, while others have intentionally stolen items.
