Self‑Checkout Reduces Purchase Stigma

Event‑study evidence from D.C. supermarkets shows stigmatized products (especially condoms and pregnancy tests) are disproportionately bought at self‑checkout, with small but positive sales effects after adoption. Shoppers implicitly value the privacy, paying an estimated 8.5 cents in extra time cost to avoid human cashiers. This indicates retail automation changes behavior by lowering embarrassment costs. — It shifts automation debates toward how interface design affects dignity, consumer welfare, and even health outcomes, not just jobs and shrinkage.