One Walmart Supercentre in Ontario is rolling back its self-checkout experiment due to an alleged rise in in-store theft, opting for a "full-service experience" instead. 

Shoppers at the Walmart located in the Billings Bridge shopping center in Ottawa recently noticed that the store reduced its self-checkout lanes, with more staff calling out to people in the area instead. 

According to a Reddit user who asked staff about the change, this move was made "due to theft" in the store and at the "request of the company," and the store also informed customers about the change on a sign hanging near the checkout line. 

The sign says, "We are pleased to announce the testing of the full-service experience starting Saturday, July 29. During this test, our partners will be available to scan all items, including those being processed in the area known as our self-checkout. We look forward to interacting with you on a more individual basis. We appreciate your patience and understanding while we conduct this test." 

With self-checkout lanes appearing in nearly every major retailer, reports of random receipt checks by security guards have increased, just in an effort to curb theft. 

However, this growing practice has led to backlash from some shoppers who assert that not everyone who uses self-checkout intends to steal, as most people turn to the kiosks out of convenience. 

One person said, "I, for example, love self-checkout, it's a very convenient service when buying just a few items and saves me from interacting with people."

Another person stated, "Self-checkout is always faster and more convenient when you’re only buying a few items, and there's usually never a line." 

One individual remarked, "So why don’t they reopen the regular checkout lines? It seems like a dumb system. Canadian Tire had self-checkout for about six months and then got rid of it quickly because they knew it was easy to steal from."

A spokesperson for Walmart Canada said that self-checkouts are still operational in all its stores, adding, "At the Billings Bridge store in Ottawa, the store provided additional partners in the self-checkout area over the weekend to assist customers, and the self-checkout area is open and available to customers and has returned to the typical staffing for this location."