Overview
- EHI data shows more than 11,000 stores in Germany now offer self-checkout, reflecting rapid expansion across supermarkets and drugstores.
- Industry studies link broader self-checkout use to higher theft risk and growing inventory discrepancies, making loss prevention a priority.
- Retailers are adding gates and surveillance, with Rossmann and dm recording each payment for AI review and Lidl deploying special product labels.
- Edeka is reported to be testing an AI system in Düsseldorf that flags suspected scan errors and prompts immediate rescans.
- Customer opinion remains polarized as some praise shorter waits and others report glitches and AI false alarms, while EHI’s Frank Horst says the systems address staffing shortages rather than cut jobs.