Just when you think the surveillance at Walmart couldn’t be more comprehensive, one worker exposed the level of shopper scrutiny you might not even know exists. But this is leading customers to wonder: is the mega-retailer going too far when it comes to ‘policing?’
In a viral video, Walmart worker Armanii Reńee (@fineassarmanii) shows what they see on their handheld devices whenever a customer is using self-checkout. Her clip, which earned an impressive 2.8 million views as of Wednesday, shocked viewers who might want to think twice about taking a five-finger discount.
“POV: Working in Walmart self-checkouts,” Armanii writes in the text overlay of her TikTok. She films three customers at a self-checkout kiosk paying for their items. In the cart, a case of Coca-Cola, a jug of milk, Tropicana orange juice, cartons of eggs, and several other grocery items are visible.
But there’s more to these customers than meets the eye.
Armanii then pans her camera to her handheld device, which shows exactly what the customers scanned. Her tablet reveals that the total came up to $58, and the shoppers scanned a grand total of…6 items.
She shows the list of scanned items, which was a mix of leggings, Wild Berry Skittles, and one other item.
Notably, the Coca-Cola, eggs, orange juice, and several other items are missing. The camera pans up to another worker looking awkward at the thought of customers stealing right in front of them.
“This job is police [as hell],” Armanii added in the caption.
The Mary Sue reached out to Armanii for comment.
Did they confront the shoplifters?
In the comments section, Armanii revealed neither she nor her co-worker stopped the shoppers from walking out with the stolen goods.
“Wait did y’all say something?” a viewer asked, to which the TikToker replied, “Nah.”
When one viewer commented that they “don’t care” about being caught, Armanii replied, “Do what u gotta do luv.”
Other viewers were flabbergasted that Armanii and her workers had that sort of power in their hands.
“Damn I gotta stop Stealin wdf,” one said, leading the TikToker to reply, “Yea Walmart the cops fasho.”
A second user suggested, “[At that point] just be a security [guard.]”
Others weren’t too worried about the tech. “Don’t worry sista I don’t even go to the register,” a user said.
“All that but no Apple Pay,” another comment with nearly 50,000 likes read.
Can Walmart workers see what you’re scanning at self-checkout?
Yes, they can. Newsweek wrote in a 2021 article that the device workers use to check whether you’re stealing from self-checkout is by Zebra Technologies. The article reported on a worker who, just like Armanii, posted a video showing how they know what you’re scanning.
“Employees are able to connect the handheld device to the self-checkout machines, displaying which ones are in use and which are open,” the article stated. “The device also gives away what has been scanned at each machine and how many of each item, making it easy for workers to spot those who have items in their hands or bags that haven’t been scanned.”
@fineassarmanii this job police asl? #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp ♬ original sound – ʷᵉⁱʳᵈᵒ
Walmart and the era of surveillance
Since the rise of TikTok, service industry workers have used their platforms to expose the hidden truths that working in retail entails. Many of them include revealing just how much you, as a shopper, are being watched.
For example, this isn’t the first time a Walmart worker has shown the behind-the-scenes of surveillance at the mega-retailer.
One former worker went hugely viral after she exposed the highly intricate and comprehensive camera system Wally World employs. In her 2023 clip, Ash claims that the self-checkout cameras are “10 times worse” than the in-store ones. She goes on to say that every time you scan something, the camera takes a picture of you. Ash had also claimed in another video how the cameras in Walmart are “really effing good.” So good that they can zoom in and read what you’re looking at on your phone.
These security protocols, however, appear to be taking a toll on shoppers. More and more customers are venting about being “treated like a criminal” when shopping at Walmart. Whether it’s workers stopping them to check their receipts, workers accusing them of stealing, or having undercover loss prevention employees follow them around the store.
The Mary Sue reached out to Walmart for comment via web contact form.
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