Morrisons reduces self-checkouts as boss admits tech ‘went a bit too far’
Morrisons is to uninstall some of its self-checkouts as chief executive Rami Baitiéh admitted the technology had gone a “bit too far”.
Baitiéh said that the supermarket is actively “reviewing the balance between self-checkouts and manned tills” with the intention to remove some from stores, reported The Telegraph.
He said: “Morrisons went a bit too far with the self-checkout. This had the advantage of driving some productivity. However, some shoppers dislike it, mainly when they have a full trolley.”
He added that the increase of self-checkouts had led to a rise of shoplifting, a comment that follows Morrisons conducting an analysis of the technology across its stores.
The CEO said: “We reviewed the whole estate and it appeared that 20 stores must balance the number of self-checkouts versus the number of tills.”
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Pointing to one example, a store in Brough in Yorkshire, Baitiéh said colleagues and customers were “very satisfied with the change” that saw some self-checkouts axed in place for four new manned tills.
It is not the first time a major supermarket has cut back on self-checkouts in place of manned versions.
In November last year, high-end grocer Booths axed its self-service checkouts in all but two of its 27 stores in a bid to boost its premium store experience, amid of customers reporting a growing sense of frustration due to the challenges arising from self-service.
The move comes contrary to the wider industry shift, which has until now seen supermarkets gradually replace manned checkouts with automated self-service tills.
Many rival grocers have recently bolstered their own self-checkout technology, including Sainsbury’s which earlier this month signed a new seven year digital commerce deal which will upgrade its 22,500 checkouts across its estate of supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol stations.
5 Comments. Leave new
PLEASE ! :-
Either remove self service or – at the very least, increase the number of proper ” manned” tills.
Bognor has majority 50+ age customers- and we HATE self service, many now avoid morrisons
Went into my local Morrisons in Bolton today to find more self serve tills had been installed leaving only about for manned tills! The demographic in the area includes a lot of older people, who struggle with self serve tills. I too dislike the things especially if I have a trolley full of stuff.
Belper branch of Morrisons had 12 check out tills manned, 4 long belted self-service tills, and around 6 or 8 express style tills before the makeover. Since August we now have 8 manned and around up to 20 mixed self-service tills, some card only, rest are cash&card tills. Our store is a category C, mid range I’m told, for a small market town of almost 25k population. Our demographic is many plus 40 years of which a good proportion of seniors, + 60s, dislike the changes made.
I work on the things I’m 63 nearly killing me
Crossmyloof Morrisons is lucky if it has more than one till working v a whole arcade of awful self service checkouts. It really is a dreadfully managed branch at the best of times.