The East of England Co-op is investing more than £600K in a major upgrade of its self-checkout systems.

The initiative, conducted in partnership with technology supplier Trust Retail, and will see the replacement of checkout units across the convenience retailer’s entire food store estate.

The rollout follows a successful pilot at the society’s Vernon Street store in Ipswich, where the business says new checkouts have already delivered improved transaction efficiency.

The upgraded units feature a “sleeker” design and a more intuitive interface, offering an enhanced experience for shoppers.

The system also integrates advanced tools, including in-built camera technology, headset connectivity for colleagues, and age verification features designed to speed up service and reduce shrinkage.

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The new self-checkouts will also allow customers and members to donate directly to local community programmes, supporting the Co-op’s broader social commitments.

“Using technology to improve the customer experience in our food stores is incredibly important to us,” said East of England Co-op technology officer Rob Smith.

“This partnership with Trust Retail, alongside a substantial investment from the business, ensures that we’re doing just that — while creating future efficiencies and compliance improvements.”

The move comes as rival grocers have scaled back on self-check out technology in recent years. Last year, Morrisons uninstalled some of its self-checkouts as chief executive Rami Baitiéh admitted the technology had gone a “bit too far”.

Meanwhile, in 2023 high-end grocer Booths scrapped self-service checkouts in a bid to boost its reputation for customer service and premium store experience.