Overview
- Lidl is equipping about half of its more than 3,250 German stores with AI‑enabled self‑checkout systems with integrated cameras by spring 2026.
- An EHI study counts over 38,000 self‑checkout terminals in Germany, and an EHI expert estimates shoplifting at these tills can be 15–30% higher than at staffed registers.
- Rewe says its data show no demonstrable, significant increase in a store’s theft rate from self‑checkout use.
- An Aldi store notice warning that self‑checkout lanes are video‑monitored drew online ridicule, highlighting the visibility of new anti‑theft measures.
- Customers report mixed experiences ranging from speed gains to boycotts, with complaints about closed or understaffed self‑checkout lanes and concerns that app‑dependent systems exclude some shoppers.