Some people love the speed and efficiency of supermarket self-checkouts. But then there’s the not recognising your bag, the unexpected item in the bagging area, the surprising item on the scale, the point-blank refusal to scan something, the constant coupon confusion, and that’s all before the long – so long – wait to get your alcohol or paracetamol approved.
Booths, a high-end northern England supermarket chain, is siding with the dislikers and has announced it is removing self-checkouts in the majority of its stores. “We’re not great fans of self-checkouts,” the Booths managing director, Nigel Murray, told the Grocer. “We pride ourselves on great customer service and you can’t do that through a robot.”
