Overview
- Fresh rounds of social‑media comments show a split between shoppers who resent doing unpaid work and those who value faster lines and more control.
- EHI expert Frank Horst says stores are installing more machines because hiring is difficult and he rejects the claim that self‑checkouts are cutting cashier jobs.
- Retail expansion continues, with Lidl targeting self‑checkout in roughly half its branches by spring and stores using AI‑supported monitoring to deter theft.
- Technology tweaks are in the pipeline, with reports that Lidl plans AI produce recognition from spring 2026 and RFID is discussed as a longer‑term solution.
- Adoption keeps climbing, with about 38,650 units in 2025 versus around 16,000 in 2023, and surveys indicating higher usage when self‑checkouts are available.