Psychological reason self-checkouts at major stores are fitted with mirrors

10 October 2023 , 12:06

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Stores have been introducing extra measures as shoplifting incidents from self-checkouts soar across the country (Image: LightRocket via Getty Images)

Most of us have scanned groceries through a self-checkout, all the while noticing our own faces looming over us in a mirror.

However they're not just there to fix up your hair- they actually have been introduced on self-checkout machines as an added measure to deter would-be shoplifters. While they might not serve any technical purpose, the mirrors are said to be there as a way of making potential shoplifters feel guilty before making off with unpaid goods.

Although some might feel their purpose could have little affect on someone planning to steal, the mirrors have been psychologically proven to make people feel guilty - with research dating back as far as 1976 when a published in the journal “Letters on Behavioral Evolutionary Science,” found who are in a “self-aware” situation - such as in front of a mirror - are less likely to engage in “antinormative behaviour” like stealing.

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The participants were subjected to mirrors, their “private self-awareness was activated” and influenced “decision-making” despite the lack of social cues, reports the New York Post. The study reported: "These results suggest that socially desirable behavior is influenced by mirrors."

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It comes amid increasing reports of a surge in shoplifters in stores across the U.S. A 2022 retail security survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF) ranked San Francisco/Oakland as the second-most hard-hit metropolitan area for theft in 2020 and 2021.

While they might not serve any technical purpose, the mirrors are said to be there as a way of making potential shoplifters feel guilty before making off with unpaid goods (Getty Images)

The NRF has listed items like body wash and over-the-counter medication as items that are particularly attractive to thieves. These products can often be sold on the black market to smaller stores. The Bay Area, where San Francisco lies, has been especially hard hit by the petty crime epidemic that has swept across the US. One Target store started locking certain items earlier this year, including toiletries and cosmetics.

The lockdown had been underway since October last year at the Folsom Street store near the city’s Mission District, reports WNCT-TV. A Target spokesperson said: "Like other retailers, organized retail crime is a concern across our business.

"We’re taking proactive measures to keep our teams and guests safe while deterring and preventing theft. These mitigation efforts include hiring additional security guards, adding third-party guard services at select locations, and using new technologies and tools to protect merchandise from being stolen.

"We are working with legislators, law enforcement, and retail industry partners to support public policy that would help achieve our goals of creating a safe environment in our stores and keeping our doors open in communities across the country."

Abigail O'Leary