Retailers Hide Self-Checkouts Behind Corrals to Deter Theft

Walmart and Target have strategically designed their self-checkout lanes to deter theft and give customers an impression of control, according to Matt Kelley, a former anti-theft expert at Home Depot. Kelley explained that big box retailers like Walmart and Target reconfigured their store layouts to include corrals around the self-checkout areas, which help monitor and identify potential anomalies in customer transactions.

Kelley believes that this design approach helps to balance the benefits of labor reduction with the risk of shrinkage, or unaccounted loss of inventory. He stated that retailers want to give customers a smoother shopping experience while also reducing the opportunity for theft.

Walmart has been experimenting with its self-checkout designs, with some locations increasing the number of staffed registers and others removing self-checkouts altogether. Kelley noted that as trends emerge, retailers will continue to iterate on their processes and technology to prevent product loss.