Asda issues major update on divisive self checkouts – customers will be delighted
ASDA has issued a major update on its divisive self checkouts.
The UK’s third biggest grocery store said it will put more staff on the tills as part of a £30m investment to get customers back in stores.
The supermarket will not be installing any more old fashioned checkouts in its shops after they removed a number amid the rise in smart shopping.
Instead, the remaining ones will be staffed more often, especially at the weekend and other peak times.
Michael Gleeson, Asda’s chief financial officer, said “it’s not more checkouts, it’s more colleagues on checkouts.”
He said: “I think we have reached a level of self checkouts and scan and go where we feel that works best for our customers, and we feel we’ve got the balance just about right.
“We have invested additional hours in manned checkouts and that’s been within the existing physical infrastructure [of the stores]. It’s not more checkouts, it’s more colleagues on checkouts.”
The decision to ramp up the number of staff on tills is a complete 180 on what shoppers have seen in recent times.
Over the past decade supermarket bosses have invested loads in self scanning tills, adamant that customers preferred the speedy style of shopping.
But there has been a growing disdain for them amongst customers.
Posh Northern grocery chain Booths ditched the technology after it was found that customers enjoyed their experience more when they go to a cashier.
It echos previously released data from The Grocer which said that service satisfaction has fallen by as much as 8% due to the machines.
Sainsbury’s shoppers were also left fuming after some of its sites had just one employee-operated checkouts.
Consumers blasted the move for failing to take account of elderly or infirm shoppers who find it difficult to use the self-service checkouts.
Donna Farrier, 67, from Whyteleafe in Surrey, said last month:”As a senior citizen I find it extremely difficult to use a self-checkout till to pay for a trolley load of items,
“It is clear Sainsbury’s is not concerned with the discomfort of their customers; they’re just after increased profits.”
A spokeswoman told The Sun: “We regularly review the services available in our stores to make sure we offer the most convenient experience to our customers.
“We have increased the number of self-service checkouts in some stores to meet customer demand for this service.
How to save on your supermarket shop
THERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop.
You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh, you’ll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time.
Making a list should also save you money, as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
This means ditching “finest” or “luxury” products and instead going for “own” or value” type of lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
If you’re on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too.
Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.
“Our colleagues are on hand to help anyone who may need support using them and we continue to offer serviced checkouts for our customers who wish to use them.”
All major grocery stores have these self scanning sites, despite many thieves using the tech as a way to steal.
Shops including Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Morrisons and Primark all have barriers where customers must scan receipts in order to leave, in a bid to help cut down rising theft incidents.
Asda’s head honcho is hoping a more friendly touch at the tills will help claw shoppers back from rivals.
The supermarket reported a 5.3 fall in same-store sales in the second quarter of the year.
Bosses also said they were working on a “renewed trade plan” — focusing on boosting its shopper loyalty programme that has six million customers.
By comparison there are three times as many Nectar card users at Sainsbury’s.
There has been fierce competition amongst British grocers in recent times, as they battle it out to be the cheapest amid a national cash crunch.
Asda has also faced its own problems internally, racking up around £4.2bn in debt after the billionaire brothers behind EG Group acquired the business from Walmart.
How to dodge the self checkouts
If you want to dodge the self checkouts, you may want to consider using scan as you go technology.
Scan as you go systems are the latest addition to the supermarket shopping experience with several retailers making them a permanent feature in big stores.
They allow customers to scan as they browse, either using their smartphone or a handheld device.
Then most shops allow you to check out at a completely different area to other shoppers, saving time in queues.
It means that shoppers can keep track of how much they’re spending as they go around the aisles, allowing you to budget and stick to your list.
It also means that you can bag your groceries as you wander around too – saving you even more time.
Do bear in mind though that most of the supermarkets require you to pay by card when using scan as you shop.
Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and M&S all offer the handy tool.