Morrisons has announced the launch of Talking Tills, which are checkouts dedicated to conversations with store assistants to combat loneliness during the festive season.

The slower checkout tills will run from 4 December to 7 December and are part of Good Morning Britain’s 1 million minutes campaign.

The supermarket retailer plans to introduce the Talking Tills at stores nationwide and will provide customers in need of company during Christmas.

David Scott, corporate affairs director at Morrisons said: “At Morrisons, supporting the communities we serve is at the heart of what we do.

Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free

Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning

“We know that for many people, especially at this time of year, a simple conversation can make a real difference. The Talking Tills campaign is designed to create space for those meaningful moments, offering customers the chance to slow down and chat if they’d like to.”

The marketing campaign features former politician Ed Balls (above), as well as Ranvir Singh and Heather Smalls participating in the initiative at the checkouts in Morrisons.

This is part of Morrison’s commitment to tackling loneliness and supporting community-empowering initiatives this Christmas season.

The Morrisons Foundation made a £50,000 donation to fund 100 Royal Voluntary Service festive spreads and offer 400 free Christmas meals in its cafés as part of a partnership with Age UK.

The 1 Million Minutes campaign to increase socialisation and support over the festive period is in its tenth year of operations and has pledged over 672 million minutes.