North Dakota Grocery Store Changes Checkout Policy

Numerous North Dakota businesses have either gone away from self-checkout or now have restrictions.

This is not only happening in North Dakota but across the country as well.  I recently wrote a story about how the two Cenex convenience stores in the Capital Region have eliminated their self-checkout terminal.  You can read all about that here.

I personally love self-checkout lanes for two reasons.  One, unlike most people, I enjoy learning new technology and welcome the challenge.  The biggest reason I prefer self-checkout is because it's usually the fastest lane (mostly because people are afraid of self-checkout terminals).

I used to witness firsthand at the Cenex in Lincoln, North Dakota, where there would be a line of people 5 or 6 deep at the register with a live body, and the self-checkout was completely vacant.  I would just walk up to the self-checkout and be on my way in seconds.

However, much like the Cenex stores here locally and Dollar Generals Nationally, self-checkout lanes are going the way of flip phones.

The number one reason of course is theft. One of the employees at a convenience store would tell me how they would watch people use the self-checkout right next to the register they were at and still would try to not scan higher-cost items.  Just imagine how people try to steal when there isn't an employee present.

Some stores like Target are trying to counter this by limiting the number of items you can self-checkout with.

We have another store right here in BisMan that now has a limited number of items at their self-checkout lanes.  I found this out at Cash Wise on Expressway last night when the terminal suddenly flagged me and required an attendant to come to my register.

Of course, it would've helped if I had read the sign right above the screen. Oops, I didn't know about the new policy and the employee was very kind to me and allowed me to go through it.

Once again, I'm pretty sure this is all happening to try and control theft.

As usual, people always have to ruin a good thing.