Overview
- Comedian Daniel Aßmann’s viral Facebook video questioned self‑checkouts as reducing everyday human contact, renewing public attention to the issue.
- Customers remain split, with some refusing to use the machines in solidarity with cashiers while others prefer the perceived speed and autonomy.
- Supermarket employees quoted in reports say self‑checkouts have not triggered job cuts and describe ongoing difficulties hiring staff.
- Shoppers report recurring friction at the machines, including scanning and weighing errors, age checks and glitches that undercut time savings.
- New data show rapid expansion and rising use: EHI counts about 38,650 stations in 2025 versus roughly 16,000 in 2023, an EHI expert cites high acceptance, a girocard study finds 67% use them when offered (up from 56% a year earlier), and a 2024 YouGov poll showed broad openness among younger shoppers.