Most retailers agree self-checkouts deliver value. In fact, eight in 10 of them agree the investment in self-checkouts is paying off as this technology allows associates to work on higher value tasks and improves the customer experience. However, about 80% of retail decision-makers and associates agree store shrinkage and theft is a major issue with self-checkouts.

The 16th Annual Global Shopper Study by Zebra Technologies, a leading digital solution provider, has shed light on some of these pressing issues. The study, which surveyed over 4,200 shoppers, store associates, and retail decision-makers globally, revealed that retailers are struggling to manage online returns and reduce shrinkage caused by theft, fraud, and other factors.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), retailers lost a staggering $112 billion due to shrink in 2022, a significant increase from nearly $94 billion in 2021. The study found that 82% of retailers view minimizing fraud and shrink as a significant challenge, while 86% believe that the ability to forecast demand is crucial for their organization. To combat these issues, many retailers plan to deploy loss prevention analytics (49%) and demand planning and forecasting (54%) by 2026.