Overview
- Lidl confirms no nationwide prohibition on who may use self-checkouts, after a Berlin store near a school told groups of students to use staffed lanes during lunchtime to curb mis-scans.
- Employees say a similar restriction has been applied in at least one other Berlin Lidl branch, while the company points to risk-based rescans, exit gates and security labels as standard safeguards.
- Reports note many self-checkout stations are being equipped since 2026 with cameras and AI image recognition to flag incorrect scanning or weighing, complementing existing controls.
- An Edeka in Bamberg closes self-scan lanes when supervision is unavailable due to what it calls elevated theft at that location, describing the move as a site-specific response rather than chain policy.
- A Rewe store in Plettenberg limits access to express lanes to core hours under staff oversight; some shoppers suspect theft is the reason, while Rewe characterizes it as local organization for smoother service.