The reign of people brazen enough to scan all their groceries as carrots may soon be over.
Coles supermarkets are understood to be introducing new technology at its self-service checkouts to help tackle the company’s annual theft debt amounting to an estimated $1.1 billion, news.com.au reports.
The upgraded scanners could use a combination of weight and visual recognition to correctly identify items — meaning shoppers would struggle to get away with deliberately scanning products as cheaper items.
Efforts to curb self-service theft comes after years of stories and research that suggest the practice is extremely common.
Market research company Canstar Blue shared research with the Herald Sun that found younger shoppers were more likely to use self-service to steal.
The research said one in six customers in their 30s admitted to not paying for an item in a self-service area.
It was also found that across all age groups, about one in ten people were guilty of stealing from self-service machines.
Queensland University of Technology Professor Larry Neale told the ABC self-service technology made stealing psychologically easier as they distanced customers from the victim.
"Self-serve checkouts provide that distance between you and the organisation or an identifiable victim," he said.
"The customer can't point to someone and say, 'that person is going to lose money if I steal from this store'."
Professor Neale said although estimated costs of theft each year for Australian supermarkets would extend into the billions the losses would be partly absorbed.
"They do absorb more of that risk because they are saving so much on labour costs," he said.
Coles is yet to formally announce whether its self-service technology will be reconfigured or replaced.
Top Comments
I always use slef checkouts. I am an introvert on extreme side. So i avoid interacting with people i dont know at all cost. And i am extremely awkward at exchanging pleasantries. It is sad i know. But i never, ever pick up free item or two. Even if i forget i would bring back. But i never forgot scanning one. I just hate that peope started thinking it is ok to steal.
What a shame that these supermarkets can't invest that money in providing jobs for people to do, rather than bettering the computers that make people not needed.
I also help myself to a free item or two. Because if they are going to steal the jobs my Uni aged kids could have to support themselves while studying, I'll help myself to a free toothbrush or forget the bottle of water is tucked under my arm.
What ridiculous logic... Do you think they're more likely to have jobs for your kids now they've got a $1bn theft bill to recover? If you want to do something constructive, do one big grocery shop once every 1-2 weeks and go to a counter with a staff member. Don't do frequent small shops - that's the current trend that's driving the use of self-checkers.