Major chains are scaling back their self-checkout systems. This is primarily due to theft (“inventory shrinkage”) and negative customer feedback. —CNN The first self-checkout machine was introduced in 1986 at a Kroger in Atlanta, Georgia. Since then, self-checkout experienced a very gradual adoption among retail stores—gradual, that is, until the pandemic-induced labor shortages and self-checkout seemed to appear everywhere. But this fall, that may be changing: Peak self-checkout may well be behind us.