Industry experts sceptical over Australia’s self-service checkout future despite global shift

A shift away from self-service check-outs overseas has industry experts wondering if a similar move could happen in Australia.

Retail industry experts are sceptical that Australia will phase out self service checkout. Picture: Supplied

A high-end UK supermarket chain is parting ways with self-service check-outs in the majority of its stores.

Booths, which operates in England’s north west said thedecision to embrace staffed check-outs aimed to elevate the customer shopping experience.

“We’re not great fans of self-check-outs,” said managing director Nigel Murray.

“We pride ourselves on great customer service, and you can’t do that through a robot.”

While this shift in strategy has made waves in the UK, alongside reports that Walmart, Costco and Wegmans are among those revising their self-checkout strategies, industry experts are sceptical that a similar change will find footing in Australia’s retail landscape.

Retail industry experts are sceptical that Australia will phase out self service checkout. Picture: Supplied

Could Australia follow suit?

In Australia, where self-service check-outs have been a fixture for over 15 years, Booths’ move has prompted discussion about the future of automated shopping.

But Martin Kneebone, Managing Director of Fresh Logic and a retail industry analyst, believes a shift away from self-service check-outs is unlikely.

Self-serve check-outs process more customers in shorter time frames, he said, aligning with the frequent shopping habits of Australians who prefer baskets over trolleys.

“The self-serve check-outs offer more check-outs in the same area, and therefore, they will process more customers in shorter time frames,” he said.

Indeed Australia seems to be enhancing rather than removing this technology, such as with the introduction of AI security cameras on some tills to combat theft.

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Self-serve check-outs process more customers in shorter time frames, says retail industry expert Martin Kneebone. Picture Supplied

Yet, concerns have been raised about the accessibility of self serve for seniors and those with disabilities.

Chris Grice, chief operating officer of National Seniors Australia, said the needs of seniors need to be considered in an increasingly automated landscape.

Some seniors may find self-service check-outs challenging due to technological discomfort or a preference for human interaction, he said.

While it resonated positively with some customers who appreciate the return to human interaction, others lamented the loss of the checkout on the Booths Facebook page.

“Bring back self-service. I don’t want to engage with your staff,” wrote one commenter.

Booths’ management said the shift away from self serve was also prompted by delays in doing ID checks for alcohol and tobacco purchases and errors in product identification and weight measurement.

Even though Booth’s is moving away from self serve, it has said it will keep the robot registers at two of its busiest stores.