Feeling rewarded and entitled to be served: Understanding the influence of self- versus regular checkout on customer loyalty

As the popularity of self-checkout systems has been increasing in recent years, it is imperative to understand how their usage impacts customers’ shopping experiences. This research directly compares self- and regular checkout systems to determine how they affect customer loyalty differently. Through five studies, we demonstrate that regular (vs. self-) checkout service makes customers more loyal to the store (e.g., more likely to revisit the store in the future). Additionally, customers’ perceived saved effort during the checkout process and their sense of entitlement to be served parallelly mediate the effect. The number of items purchased during a shopping trip also moderates the effect of checkout type on customer loyalty. Finally, when shoppers are primed to think of the extra effort involved in self-checkout as a rewarding experience, their store loyalty is similar to that of regular checkout shoppers. This research provides both theoretical contributions and practical implications for retail marketing.