FREAKONOMICS (audio podcast) Self-Checkout

Shoplifting is significantly higher through self-checkout lanes. They literally turned us into a nation of shoplifters. Lempert has been predicting the downfall of self-checkout lanes. LEMPERT: There’s probably, in my opinion, you know, a good 30, 35 reasons to get rid of self-checkout. The biggest reason, he says, is self-checkout theft — known in the industry as “shrinkage.” LEMPERT: Retailers around the country are seeing their bottom line being affected. We’re talking about a huge problem. When I talk to the CEOs of supermarkets, it’s number one on their list. The shrink factor, as more people have gravitated towards self-checkout, is now four to five times what it was pre-pandemic. A lot of people can fool that checkout. Listen here: https://freakonomics.com/podcast/self-checkout/