Self-checkout terminals are spreading quickly in Vietnam, where labour costs are comparatively low, an explanation at odds with the assumption that saving on wages is the main driver.

The factor cited most often is the change in payment. As bank transfers and QR payments became routine, cash handling fell, and terminals that never touch cash became easier to run.

There are reasons on the operational side too. Moving checkout staff to shelving and stock control widens the range of work the same headcount can cover; it is a question of deployment rather than wage cost.

A large young consumer base also affects the pace of adoption. Where resistance to using machines is low, early confusion subsides quickly.

Self-checkout does not suit every shop, however. Where there are many lines and much is sold by weight, throughput can actually fall.

The cost of handling theft and malfunction is a further consideration, and shops that install the terminals generally pair them with monitoring and staff on hand.

With payment infrastructure changing rapidly across South-East Asia, further shifts in how shops operate are expected.