They were meant to be the future of shopping, as thousands of stores spent millions installing self-checkouts. But then people started stealing.

Target in the U.S. has announced plans to limit self-checkout transactions to 10 items or fewer across its nearly 2,000 stores nationwide.

The move, set to take effect this Sunday, aims to enhance the overall customer experience and streamline the checkout process, according to the Minneapolis-based retailer.

Big Brother tech being used by supermarkets

This decision aligns Target with numerous other retail chains, including competitor Walmart, which have either restricted or eliminated self-checkout kiosks due to technological issues and escalating concerns about theft.

Target will expand the availability of traditional checkout lanes in its stores. The company tested the revised self-checkout policy at 200 locations last autumn before rolling it out nationwide.

Quick trips

According to Target, customer feedback indicated that having the option to choose between self-checkout for quick trips or staffed lanes for larger purchases resulted in an improved checkout experience overall.

The company also attributed the shift to changing consumer behavior, noting that self-checkout gained popularity during the peak of the pandemic when shoppers sought minimal contact with others.

However, the self-checkout overhaul comes amidst a backdrop of rising organized retail crime affecting Target stores nationwide.

Last fall, the retailer closed nine locations in cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and Harlem, citing concerns for employee safety amid escalating incidents of violence.

A report revealed that organized shoplifting rings cost New York retailers an estimated $4.4 billion in losses in 2022.