Sainsbury’s is trying out larger self-serve check-outs which feature conveyor belts for customers to put their shopping on and areas to load items into bags
You either love them or you hate them, but self-serve tills have been popping up in stores across the country at a rate of knots.
For some they offer a speedy option to scan your own items. But others bemoan the lack of human interaction with check-out staff, made worse by annoying beeps from the computer or, one of the worst “unexpected item in the bagging area.”
Now Sainsbury’s is taking it to a different level by trying out larger self-serve check-outs. Rather than the familiar tills designed for a few items, or a basket of goods, the new-style check-outs feature conveyor belts for customers to put their shopping on and areas to load their items into bags. In the middle, shoppers have to scan all the items themselves as they come along. It means customers can essentially scan their own trolley load of shopping.
The hybrid till format is similar in size to a staffed conveyor belt – just without a human. The trials, first revealed by trade magazine The Grocer, are taking place at two of its superstores, at Cobham, Surrey, and Witney, Oxfordshire.
Sainsbury’s is also experimenting with new digital touchscreens that allow shoppers to search up items to see what aisle they are in. The move means do more having to ask for directions, but could also combat aisle-rage, when shoppers are left wandering all around the store looking for products that don’t seem to be in the obvious place.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We are always exploring new ways to offer our customers the best possible choice and convenience. Our trial in Cobham and Witney is the latest example of that and we are listening to colleague and customer feedback.”
