MINNEAPOLIS — The people have spoken — and Target was listening.
Beginning on March 17, 2024, shoppers in a hurry will have an easier time grabbing and going as the Minnesota-based retailer announced the rollout of its Express Self-Checkout — limiting lanes to guests with 10 items or fewer — in most of its 2,000 store locations across the country.
According to store reps, the self-checkout concept was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic as customers preferred a contactless option during their shopping experience. In response to its success, Target said it piloted the Express option in 200 stores last year and found the checkout process at those stores was twice as fast.
"Checking out is one of the most important moments of the Target run, and we know that a fast, easy experience — whether at self-checkout or the lanes staffed by our friendly team members — is critical to getting guests on their way quickly," Target said in a statement.
The store also said it plans to open even more traditional lanes for guests whose carts a bit more full or those who prefer a helping hand from a Target teammate.
"By having the option to pick self-checkout for a quick trip, or a traditional, staffed lane when their cart is full, guests who were surveyed told us the overall checkout experience was better, too."
Though it wasn't mentioned in Target's release, retail experts say theft could also be a reason for the change. Mike Porter, Professor of Marketing at the University of St. Thomas, says it was likely a combination of speed and retail theft that led to this decision.
"That will be reduced if you only have ten items to keep track of, but certain people are doing it on purpose and it's not organized, and it may not be high end dollars, but it all adds up," he said.
Porter adds that customers may not even know that this change has happened – likely only noticing some quicker checkout lines.
"Some people use the self checkouts, some people hate the self checkouts, some people are going to appreciate the fact that they're not in the self checkout line behind somebody that's got 97 items in their cart," he said.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: