I have a confession: I love shopping at Target. It's kind of the Zen Garden of retailers.

Have you noticed some key differences that set them apart from other stores? There's no music soundtrack. Instead, there's a quiet hush across the shopping floor. Adding to the calm, the staff communicates with in-ear walkie-talkies rather than a jarring PA system, maintaining the pillowy-soft peace throughout.

Target is limiting self-checkouts to 10 items or fewer.
Target is the Zen Shopping experience I need after a crazy day. // Created with Canva
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They're friendly and helpful over at Target. Even the employees gathering groceries for pick-up orders will take a moment to help you find something if you need help.

A Key Change at Target's Checkout in Arizona

I've noticed something else: Target is good at listening to guest feedback.

As self-checkouts were gaining popularity, especially during the pandemic, they ensured the option was available. Things are changing once again, and they're taking their shoppers' opinions into consideration once again.

Target is limiting self-checkouts to 10 items or fewer.
Target Self-Checkout - Photo by Joe Raedle Getty Images
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In their own words, "At Target, we’re always listening to our guests so we can deliver a joyful and convenient shopping experience."

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Last year, Target tested a new shopping experience that limited the self-checkouts to 10 items or fewer.

Read: New Scam with Self Checkouts in Arizona

Testing the New Check-Out Model at Target

In the nearly 200 stores where they ran the experiment, they found that the self-checkout process was twice as fast in the self-checkout lanes when shoppers were limited to 10 items. Any shopper with more than 10 items was welcome to checkout with an in-person cashier.

Target is limiting self-checkouts to 10 items or fewer.
Target Check out Photo by Justin Sullivan - Getty Images
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Target surveyed guests who reported a better overall checkout experience. Target is calling the 10-item or fewer model Express Self-Checkout and rolling it out across its stores in Arizona and nationwide. At the same time, they're training more cashiers and ensuring more in-person cashier lanes are available, especially during high-traffic times, to best serve customers.

Target is limiting self-checkouts to 10 items or fewer.
How I feel after shopping at a store that isn't Target (Left). After leaving Target (Right) // Canva
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Things will ebb and flow in front of the store based on how busy things are. Target says, "Store leaders have the flexibility to open more lanes staffed by team members and set self-checkout hours that are right for their store."

I've always preferred in-person check-out, especially at Target. Their friendly staff adds one more way they continue to make the shopping experience peaceful.

[ CNN | Target Corporate ]

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