Study: Gen Z Overwhelmingly Prefers Self-Checkout

A new study commissioned by Avery Dennison (Mentor, Ohio) that polled 4000 shoppers in the U.K. and U.S. found that 52 percent of Gen Z respondents would “switch to another store if their favorite decided to get rid of self-checkout,” Inc. reports.

The preference of using self-checkout versus a counter staffed by a human among Gen Z, according to the survey findings, is driven by speed, the desire for shorter lines/wait times and a reduced amount of human interaction. Conversely, boomers, millennials and Gen X’ers would rather not interact with self-checkout stations.

Some retailers have been shifting away from the reliance on self-checkout methods, like Dollar General (Goodlettsville, Tenn.) which recently announced it would increase the amount of workers in its checkout area, or Walmart (Bentonville, Ark.), which plans to reduce the amount of in-store self-checkouts to deter theft at certain locations.