More retailers ‘abandon’ self-serve checkouts as Coles, Woolies resist

As pressures mount on Coles and Woolworths to ditch a controversial supermarket feature, retailers elsewhere are listening to shoppers.

Another retailer ‘abandons’ self-serve checkouts as Coles, Woolies resist

Shoppers are applauding a popular retailer after it announced it was listening to customer feedback and ditching self-service checkouts.

Retail chains around the world, including here in Australia, first implemented self-checkout systems nearly a decade ago in hopes of speeding up lines and cutting labour costs by reducing the number of cashiers.

But the systems haven’t always been a fan favourite as some shoppers prefer to speak with an employee who can assist in the checkout process.

Now, some stores are taking action following years of gripes among shoppers, with American superstore Walmart and UK grocery chain Booths recently announcing self-checkout systems were being removed following complaints about a lack of service and human interaction.

Canadian Tires have now followed suit, taking out all of its self-checkout stalls in its Mississauga and North Bay, Ontario, stores.

The retailer is one of Canada’s largest discount department stores, selling everything from auto parts to home décor and outdoor living products as well as fitness equipment and tools.

In Australia, it could be likened to Kmart, due to its scale and product range.

Another retailer ‘abandons’ self-serve checkouts as Coles and Woolworths continue to resist in Australia. Picture: Supplied

“I’m not comfortable using them and I don’t think some of my customers are comfortable [either],” Dwayne Ouelette, who took over the North Bay location, told CBC.

“I’d rather my customers see my cashiers and if there’s any questions or concerns, at least there’s somebody they can talk to,” he said.

Shoppers at Canadian Tire applauded the move, with many stating they were “happy” to see the back of the controversial retail feature.

“I think that it’s much more customer-focused. It’s not relying on the customer to do the job for the retailer,” one said.

Another customer added: “I’m happy to see that their self-checkouts are gone.”

Derek Shogren, general manager of a Canadian Tire in Ontario, has pulled the self-checkout machines from his store. Picture: Facebook

Over the past two months, several Walmarts in Albuquerque, New Mexico also moved away from self-checkout, along with a supermarket in England.

It comes as many stores have dealt with increased theft due to a lack of eyes on shoppers at the do-it-yourself tills.

Coles and Woolworths both announced a stream of new security measures in stores this year in a bid to fight back against shoplifting, which experts estimate costs the Australian retail industry a whopping $9bn annually.

There has also been an alarming increase in violent behaviour towards supermarket and retail workers.

“If you’re a thief, we’re gonna catch ya,” Coles’ chief operating officer Matt Swindells told A Current Affair in September.

Coles and Woolworths have increased security measures in response to rising thefts at self-service tills. Picture: Supplied

The new technology tracks shoppers’ every move from the moment they walk into a store and includes overhead cameras, trolley locks, smart gates and antitheft fog machines.

Australians are stealing from shops, service stations and cafes in record numbers as the cost of living rises, comparison website Finder recently found.

In a survey of more than 1000 respondents, 12 per cent confessed to stealing in the past 12 months due to financial stress, which equates to 2.4 million people across the country.

The survey also found that five per cent of Australians had stolen items at the supermarket self-checkout, while four per cent had lied about what they had scanned – telling the computer it was weighing onions rather than avocados, for example.

“A lot of people are doing it tough as the cost of essentials like petrol, rent and energy have risen sharply,” explained Richard Whitten, money expert at Finder.

“The result is a growing subset of Australians who are stealing consumables to survive.

The supermarkets now track your every move in store with a stream of new tech. Picture: Facebook

Staff also wear bodycams to deter abusive behaviour. Picture: Supplied

Woolworths and Coles have both shut down pressures to “abandon” self-serve completely, stating “millions of transactions are made using our self service check-outs every single day”.

“We know some customers prefer to be served by a team member and that’s why there is always that option in all of our stores,” a Woolies spokesperson told news.com.au last month.

“The use of self service technology is commonplace from airports to railway stations, and customer feedback shows our self-serve check-outs are popular for their convenience and speed.”

However a leading US credit analyst Matt Schulz said retailers everywhere were “wrestling” with whether it’s worth keeping self-checkout and risking increased theft in their stores.

“While self-checkout is convenient, it certainly poses a risk for shoplifting,” the expert, who works for personal finance website LendingTree, told CBC.

“Ultimately, retailers need to decide whether the self-checkout terminals are worth the risk.

“I don’t think self-checkout’s going to go away entirely, but I think we’re going to see a lot of retail swing back into a more balanced choice for shoppers.”

Originally published as More retailers ‘abandon’ self-serve checkouts as Coles, Woolies resist