Morrisons is removing some self-checkouts from stores after realizing they went too far with the technology, aiming to re-evaluate the balance between self-service and staffed checkouts.
As Morrisons phases out self-checkout lanes, its chief executive, Rami Baitieh concedes that the technology boost in productivity came at a steep cost; a marked increase in shoplifting and complaint calls from disgruntled shoppers.
Approximately twenty Morrisons stores will see a reduction in self-service tills initially, with a store in Brough, Yorkshire, already removing four self-service checkouts in favor of traditional manned tills.
Morrisons is not the only supermarket giant changing direction in this area. Asda is investing £30 million to bring more staff to the checkouts, focusing on additional hours for manned checkouts within existing store infrastructure rather than adding more checkouts.
Booths, a northern supermarket chain, is removing self-checkouts from all but two of its stores, citing a belief that colleagues serving customers provide a better experience, based on customer feedback.
So, it turns out that self-checkouts don’t always equal happy customers. In fact, the more items shoppers self-scan, the more frustrated they become with their overall shopping experience, which can quietly chip away at their allegiance to their go-to stores.
What was meant to be a seamless, high-tech shopping experience has, in fact, created distance between shoppers and stores.
The bottom line: customer loyalty may take a hit when self-checkouts are involved, particularly with larger transactions.
