Overview
- Retail groups cite persistent vacancies as the main driver, and an EHI expert says self-checkout redistributes tasks rather than eliminating jobs.
- Lidl plans to equip roughly half its stores by spring, while chains such as Obi, dm, Rossmann and Aldi Süd expand deployments after slower starts.
- Self-checkout tends to be faster for small baskets, yet age checks and scanning hiccups slow lines, with 35% avoiding age-restricted items and 81% disliking staff authorization waits.
- Theft effects remain contested, as EHI warns of higher risk and retailers add cameras and AI, while a Rewe spokesperson reports no significant impact on shrinkage.
- Shoppers debate convenience versus doing cashier work, and outcomes hinge on store setup, clear flows and attentive supervision of multiple lanes by a single attendant.