Overview
- Germany now has about 38,650 self-checkout registers across 11,120 stores, with the number of locations offering self-service up 143% since 2023, according to EHI.
- Roughly one in 18 tills nationwide is self-service, with 10,366 stores using stationary units and 3,646 offering mobile self-scanning options.
- Adoption is led by food retailers and drugstores: Obi reports widespread installation, Lidl plans to equip about half its branches by spring, and some Ikea sites operate without staffed checkouts.
- Nearly two-thirds of consumers use self-checkout (19% always, 43% sometimes), while holdouts cite preference for staffed interaction, cash payment, and concerns about complexity.
- EHI warns of higher theft risk at self-checkout, prompting gates, cameras, and AI analytics, though Rewe reports no measurable effect on its shrinkage rates.