A HOBBY Lobby shopper urged the chain to “get with the times” as she was stopped in her tracks at the register.
She was incandescent with rage after apparently being forced to leave her items behind.
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Audra, who admitted she wasn’t a huge fan of Hobby Lobby to begin with, turned to the crafts retailer when she was putting together a gift box for her son.
She said she spent around 30 minutes looking for items.
Audra had gathered together what she planned on buying and trooped over to the cash register.
But she didn’t end up walking out with the goods.
“Had to leave it all behind because you don’t take Apple Pay,” she moaned on X.
“It’s 2024. Get with the times.”
Apple Pay is a hugely popular payment method, hailed for its convenience.
The app allows shoppers to store their debit and credit cards on their cell phones.
Apple Pay is accepted by around 90% of retailers in the US.
However, Hobby Lobby only allows shoppers to use the payment service online.
In-store, shoppers can use contactless methods, including Visa and MasterCard.
Hobby Lobby has not revealed a reason why its stores do not allow shoppers to use Apple Pay.
But, its approach has sparked widespread fury.
Shoppers have been less than impressed after being left embarrassed over Apple Pay issues.
Latest self-checkout changes
Retailers are evolving their self-checkout strategy in an effort to speed up checkout times and reduce theft.
Walmart shoppers were shocked when self-checkout lanes at various locations were made available only for Walmart+ members.
Other customers reported that self-checkout was closed during specific hours, and more cashiers were offered instead.
While shoppers feared that shoplifting fueled the updates, a Walmart spokesperson revealed that store managers are simply experimenting with ways to improve checkout performance.
One bizarre experiment included an RFID-powered self-checkout kiosk that would stop the fiercely contested receipt checks.
However, that test run has been phased out.
At Target, items are being limited at self-checkout.
Last fall, the brand surveyed new express self-checkout lanes across 200 stores with 10 items or less for more convenience.
As of March 2024, this policy has been expanded across 2,000 stores in the US.
Shoppers have also spotted their local Walmart stores restricting customers to 15 items or less to use self-checkout machines.
Customers have said their children had meltdowns inside Hobby Lobby stores after shoppers were unable to complete their purchases.
Shoppers still continue to beg Hobby Lobby to integrate the payment service.
The U.S. Sun has approached Hobby Lobby for comment. We did not receive a response.
The crafts giant isn’t the only retailer that has not yet rolled out Apple Pay across its stores.
Apple Pay is still not a feature at thousands of Walmart stores, despite shoppers’ pleas.
Even top execs have been quizzed on when shoppers can turn to their Apple Wallets.
Doug McMillon, the Walmart CEO, explained on Stratechery earlier this year that conversations with the tech giant were ongoing.
“Maybe we will at some point,” he suggested.
However, it doesn’t appear that Apple Pay will be rolled out in supermarkets yet.
Walmart does offer its own in-house contactless platform.
Shoppers can buy items using Walmart Pay, a tool stored within the supermarket’s app.
It means shoppers can leave their debit and credit cards at home without feeling embarrassed.
Why doesn’t Walmart offer Apple Pay?
CEO of Walmart Doug McMillon has revealed why stores don’t offer Apple Pay on Stratechery with Ben Thompson.
Though using Apple Pay at the retailer has been an ongoing conversation, McMillon emphasized that “We would like to have the customers open our app in the store all the time.”
The app can be used to help find items in the store, but it can also be used to pay for your purchases.
“That’s one of the things that we would like people to use our app for,” he said.
