Popular east coast grocer Wegmans has announced that it will end the self-checkout app it once tried citing a spike in shoplifting.
The app allowed customers to scan items while shopping and then bag and pay for the items, skipping a human cashier and bagger entirely.
The grocery store said in a statement, "Unfortunately, the losses we are experiencing prevent us from continuing to make it available in its current state."
The statement said, "We've made the decision to turn off the app until we can make improvements that will meet the needs of our customers and business."
Wegmans did not provide further details on the loss numbers or what changes the grocery store plans to make with the app.
Its "scan-and-go" app was made available to customers as online retail giant Amazon started to increase the prominence of its cashier-free Amazon Go stores in multiple locations.
The in-store shopping feature began to be adopted more by customers during the pandemic as shoppers looked for ways to have less contact with the public around them to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The grocery store chain is found in select locations in the Washington, D.C.-area, New York, and in other areas on the eastern coast of the U.S.
It has what has been described as a cult-like following, with some high-profile names like U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer expressing their affinity for shopping there.
