Imagine standing at a self-checkout kiosk with no employee immediately nearby. The experience feels different from handing items directly to a cashier. Over the past decade, retailers across the United States have expanded self-service checkout systems to improve efficiency and reduce wait times. These stations provide speed and independence, allowing customers to scan, bag, and pay at their own pace. Yet alongside convenience, they introduce new behavioral dynamics that businesses and consumers alike continue to navigate.One ongoing discussion centers on how self-checkout systems create opportunities for scanning errors or intentional misuse. Some shoppers may enter incorrect product codes, skip items, or mislabel purchases. When such discrepancies occur repeatedly across thousands of stores, even small losses can accumulate into significant financial impacts. Retail analysts have noted that shrinkage—industry terminology for inventory loss—can rise when systems rely heavily on customer self-scanning without oversight.