Whoever came up with the idea for self-checkout stands at the store has my utmost respect. I love those things, especially because usually I am just buying a few items.

It is logical that an increase in shoplifting may be one negative benefit of these ingenious machines. That is never-more-true than right now, during the Christmas Season! As reported in www.npr.org.

With Christmas on Tuesday this year, all the last-minute holiday shopping this weekend should make for some of the biggest spending all year. Those busy stores are also going to be on the lookout for some shoplifters, especially at self-checkout machines, where it is a surprisingly big problem.

Stores increase the number of employees working the self-checkout machines. Employees help customers at -service lanes, but every so often they catch items that customers did not scan.

With a smile and a helping hand, the employees are there to make sure all of a customer's items get scanned and paid for. One thing employees have noticed - at self-checkout, if the intent is to leave the store without paying for anything, the “thieves” usually make it worth their while.

The sad thing is that many companies are removing their self-checkout lanes, claiming customers don't like them. In reality, they're just losing too much money.

So when that self-checkout attendant is super-nice to you this holiday season, she may just be making sure that you're not being super-naughty.