ON AIR NOW:

‘They should pay us wages’ – Grimsby people have their say on self-checkout machines

A new study has shown that shoppers feel “abandoned” if they have to use self checkout machines.

Research by Drexel University in the US found that without help from staff, shoppers felt that they were simply being abandoned to do everything themselves, reflecting badly on the store. For people with a large shop to do, having to use the automatic check-outs was an extra effort that left them feeling underwhelmed with the supermarket.

Professor Dr Yanliu Huang, said: “Our findings indicate that self-checkout systems, despite their advantages in terms of speed, ease of use, and cost reduction, can result in lower customer loyalty compared to regular checkout systems, especially when the number of purchased items is relatively high, say over 15.”

READ MORE:

And it appears as though those in Grimsby and North Lincolnshire had plenty to say on the matter. Many people across our region felt as though it was simply not their jobs to do.

One person said: “They should pay us wages and give us discount if we use self checkout because to me we are doing their job for them.” And another echoed: “If they pay me their hourly rate then I’ll happily use them when I shop.”

However, some people did see the advantage and expressed their fondness for self checkouts. One person said: “Love them. Scan and shop. In and out if you hate food shopping! Home in no time.”

And some people enjoyed the fact they had to have little interaction with other people. One person said: “I love them myself. I can do a whole shop without having to interact with anyone. Marvellous”

Last year, the upmarket supermarket chain Booths announced that it was scrapping almost all its self-checkout machines and returning to fully staffed tills. The move was based on customer feedback and “what we feel is the right thing to do”, the company said.

What are your thoughts on self-checkout machines? You can have your say in our poll below. Can’t see the poll? Click here.

Scroll to Top