Posted 7/27/2025

The self-checkout, or SCO, was invented by David R. Humble. It was introduced to the public almost 40 years ago in July of 1986 at a Kroger store in Atlanta, Georgia. The first machine was made by CheckRobot Inc., a Deerfield Beach, Florida-based company. The self-checkout rapidly became popular among retailers. SCOs alleviated some of the costs associated with hiring personnel. Labor costs are reduced as one cashier can oversee multiple SCO lanes. SCOs are most commonly found in grocery stores. Walmart had been exploring the technology since the 90s and now has the machines in all but a few select stores. However, they have had a few glitches that put their continued use into question. Some consider the self-checkout a failed experiment... Click Here.

Skip scanning, whether intentional or not, has led to lost revenue. Skip scanning is when an item is not scanned at checkout. Purchasing produce at the self-checkout has always been a hassle for shoppers. Customers are still waiting in long lines to check out, which is one problem SCO kiosks were designed to eliminate. Some retailers are now planning to scale back on the use of the self-checkout, mainly due to loss prevention issues. Walmart is rebranding the self-checkout as an item of privilege. They are considering limiting self-checkout access to Walmart+ members. Like them or not, 1.2 million self-checkouts are projected to be installed worldwide by the end of this year, which suggests they aren't going away any time soon.