WASHINGTON — Dollar General is making big changes to the self-checkout options in its stores.
The retailer recently announced it would be removing self-checkout completely from hundreds of locations with the highest amount of shoplifting and product losses, while adding restrictions for self-checkout in thousands of other stores.
Dollar General currently offers self-checkout in more than 14,000 stores. CEO Todd Vasos said the company will be converting some or all of the self-checkout registers in approximately 9,000 of those stores to become "assisted checkout options."
“This is intended to drive traffic first to our staffed registers, with assisted checkout options available as second or third options to reduce lines during high volume times," Vasos explained during Thursday's earnings call.
He added that during the first half of the year the company would get rid of self-checkout at 300 Dollar General stores with the highest "shrink" - an industry term for inventory loss that can include theft and shoplifting.
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Self-checkout purchases in the remaining 4,500 or so Dollar General stores will be limited to purchases of five items or less.
“Collectively we believe these steps are in line with where the customer wants us to be which includes increasing personal engagement with them at the store,” Vasos said.
Dollar General officials said they believe the self-checkout changes would help reduce shrink in their stores. CNN reported that "shrink" was mentioned 37 times on the approximately one-hour call.
Dollar General isn't the only retailer backing away from self-checkout.
Target announced on Friday it would begin limiting self-checkout to guests with 10 items or fewer in most of its 2,000 store locations across the country.