Sam’s Club is removing all self-checkout kiosks and traditional checkout lanes from its stores. The company announced that customers will now be required to use the Scan & Go app to scan and pay for their items.
The retail warehouse company said the decision is part of its plan to “redefine the club model and set a new standard in retail.”
What is Sam’s Club replacing checkout lanes with?
According to KRIS 6 News, Sam’s Club first introduced the Scan & Go system at its Grapevine, Texas location. With the new setup, AI technology verifies purchases as customers exit the store—eliminating the need for receipt checkers.
Why are some customers concerned about the new Scan & Go system at Sam’s Club?
Sam’s Club member Grant Grisham said he has already been using Scan & Go, but he’s concerned about people who aren’t as familiar with newer technology.
“That’s probably the biggest concern, really,” Grisham told KRIS 6 News. “Older people are not really up to date on modern technology.”
Another shopper, Ivan Rodriguez, told KRIS 6 News that he would prefer a hybrid model that includes both traditional and new checkout methods.
“I think that it will be better to have a mix,” Rodriguez said.
For shoppers with questions about how AI will recognize items before customers leave the store, computer science professor Dr. Lewis Heuermann explained that the system will accurately identify most products.
“A banana looks like a banana, a Coke can looks like a Coke can… it’ll recognize it and charge you for that,” Heuermann told KRIS 6 News.
Dr. Nikki Changchit, a business analytics professor at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, addressed concerns about the potential for job loss. She said the introduction of the new system doesn’t mean employees will lose their jobs, but they may need to shift roles.
“I think it is very important to educate and train employees so that they can also help the customer adapting to these technologies,” Dr. Changchit told KRIS 6 News.
