A disgruntled customer has taken aim at Target for its problematic checkout policy and long queues, highlighting a preference for Walmart.

The frustrated shopper, Evan Lee, turned to social media to voice his grievances, criticising Target’s checkout system at a store in Wylie, Texas.

In his tweet, Lee posted a photo depicting a lengthy line of customers waiting to check out, expressing his dissatisfaction with the situation. He contrasted his experience at Target with Walmart, emphasising that he rarely encounters such issues when shopping at the latter.

Lee tweeted, “Wylie Texas currently has 20 people deep on self-checkout, and 3 of the 20 are on normal lanes only. No wonder I spend as much money as possible with Walmart where I NEVER have this problem.”

This frustration arises as Target has implemented a policy in select stores that restricts the use of self-checkout to customers with 10 items or fewer. A spokesperson from Target explained, “At select locations, we are testing self-checkout lanes of 10 items or fewer to reduce wait times and better understand guest preferences.”

While Target introduced this policy to expedite the checkout process due to long lines, it has faced criticism from customers who are dissatisfied with the change.

One irritated customer suggested that Target adopt the scan-and-go technology used at Sam’s Club, which allows shoppers to scan their items while shopping, eliminating the need for cashiers or self-checkout and enabling payments through the app.

Another disgruntled shopper expressed frustration with the limited checkout options, stating, “The way I actually hate going into Target now. Can’t use self-checkout if you have over 10 items and it’s closed after 8:30 pm.” She added that on a Saturday morning, there was only one open cashier line, resulting in a long wait.

Some customers even compared Target unfavourably to Walmart, with one asking when Target’s stores became “a bigger joke than Walmart.”

In response to the dissatisfied customer’s tweet, Target issued an apology on social media, expressing regret for the crowded conditions and limited checkout availability. They assured the customer that his feedback would be shared with the leadership team for review and hoped for an improved experience on his next visit.

Despite John Mulligan, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, reporting a 6% increase in customers using traditional checkout lanes in November, the issue of lengthy self-checkout lines persists. Some customers have suggested that Target should introduce separate self-checkout lanes for fast and slow scanners, but there is no indication that Target plans to implement such a measure at this time.