Just Checking: Target Self-Checkout Asks Whether Theft Is For Hunger, Rage, Or A Little Treat
The retailer said the prompt helps distinguish survival, protest, and the kind of tiny candle behavior nobody wants to name directly.
Target has updated its self-checkout machines to ask customers whether any unscanned items are being taken for hunger, rage, or a little treat.
The prompt appears after the scale detects an unexplained candle, mascara, rotisserie chicken, or small ceramic pumpkin entering the bagging area with the confidence of a political act.
"Retail theft has become more complex than loss prevention language can handle," said guest experience analyst Taryn Lusk. "Some guests are stealing bread. Some are stealing because the world has made them insane. Some just saw a tiny ramekin and blacked out."
Customers selecting Hunger will be directed to coupons. Customers selecting Rage will be shown a mirror. Customers selecting Little Treat will receive a gentle reminder that the store already knows about the throw pillow in their cart.
Target said the feature is voluntary, unless the machine makes eye contact.
