Booths, a high-end supermarket chain in northern England, has announced it is removing self-checkouts in the majority of its stores. The retailer said it was not a fan of the machines and prided itself on great customer service “and you can’t do that through a robot”.
It is believed to be the first supermarket chain in the UK to return to fully-staffed tills, so the Guardian asked people for their views about self-checkouts. Here, four of them share their experiences of the machines and the effect they have on their supermarket shop.
‘A chat at the checkout may be the only social interaction for older people’
Self-checkouts are one of the things that rile me – if they’re my only choice in a shop I feel really aggravated. When I’m using them I need to find my glasses and there’s always something that fails to scan. I also feel strongly about the social connection that comes with shopping.
Many older people live on their own and for some, a chat at the checkout may be their only social interaction. I appreciate it too and a chatty, happy cashier can make a difference to my day.
It’s not like our products are getting cheaper because they’re employing fewer people. I don’t think self-checkouts should be banned as that doesn’t make sense. Some people clearly like them and the anonymity. Maybe they’re quicker for some things but I never find that’s the case. Wendy Richardson, 58, runs a micro-bakery, Forres
‘The main worry is self-checkouts takes people’s jobs away’
I shop in most supermarkets and there aren’t many staffed cashiers, especially in the evening. Where’s the choice? The only thing you seem to be able to do is march with your feet and shop elsewhere.
It can also be stress inducing to use self-checkouts, which adds pressure to my food shopping, and they don’t always work when you try to scan things. There’s also the feeling that we’re doing the supermarket’s work for them physically. The main worry is that it takes jobs away from people.
It seems to be about profit and reducing the customer’s experience. If I had a choice I would want self-checkouts to be reduced to a minimum or even stopped altogether. Domenik Vilia, 52, community mental health nurse, Huddersfield
‘They’re straightforward, completely functional and efficient’
I love self-checkouts and don’t feel the need to have a natter with anyone when I go into a shop, any more than when I’m with a hairdresser. I get that people who don’t see anybody all day might crave human interaction, but that’s not the case for me. I don’t want to make small talk but I also don’t want to ignore someone – I would rather have no interaction than a worthless one. Self-checkouts are straightforward, completely functional and efficient.
There’s a slight annoyance about having your ID checked for alcohol but in the scheme of things you know it’s going to happen, and you just wave your arm to get someone’s attention. It’s like anything to do with technology – it’s about getting used to it. I try and embrace all things technological because it’s not going anywhere. I never get an “unexpected item in the bagging area” message because I always check I can hear the beep when scanning. Or if it’s a light item I always press it down a little bit and make sure it’s registered as being there.
My father-in-law, who is 84, may be one of the people who led to Booths scrapping their self-checkouts. He actively avoids supermarkets that have them and believes they’re an invitation to theft. He shops in Booths, Penrith and is delighted and thinks it’s a victory. Richard Want, 61, social care worker, Kirkby Stephen
‘For neurodivergent people a self-checkout is the only way to feel comfortable’
I have autism and a big part of that is anxiety, particularly of people I don’t know. For neurodivergent people like me a self-checkout is the only way I feel comfortable using a shop. It can be difficult for me knowing I might have to speak to someone face-to-face and the anxiety feels a lot like nausea and manifests in a way that makes me want to avoid the situation.
The reality is that I probably wouldn’t use a shop with no self-checkouts. Online shopping is definitely my preference but sometimes you need something quicker and it’s good to have the choice. I wouldn’t want to just see self-checkouts [and no staffed tills] – I’d want to see a mixture so people can use what’s best for them. Lily-Rose, 25, works in real estate, Rochester, Kent
