Morrisons, one of the UK’s leading supermarket chains, has announced plans to remove some of its self-checkout machines in an effort to improve customer experience and reduce shoplifting incidents.
According to Chief Executive Rami Baitiéh, the company acknowledges that it “went a bit too far” with the implementation of self-checkouts and is now reviewing the balance between self-service and manned tills.
In a recent statement, Baitiéh also mentioned that self-checkouts have contributed to an increase in shoplifting incidents, prompting the company to take action.
Morrisons’ decision to remove self-checkouts follows similar moves made by other supermarkets. In April, the boss of Sainsbury’s stated that customers prefer self-checkouts, which was supported by a poll on LinkedIn. Asda’s chief financial officer also recently announced that the technology has reached its limit and that the company will be increasing staff on tills.
Furthermore, Northern grocer Booths eliminated almost all self-checkouts last year due to customer service concerns, while Marks & Spencer’s chairman blamed self-checkouts for a rise in “middle-class shoplifting.”
In contrast, Tesco’s CEO Ken Murphy has expressed support for self-checkouts, stating that they provide a better customer experience.
In other news, it has been forecasted that energy bills will rise by 9% this winter. Additionally, the Money blog’s latest post addresses a common question among consumers: “Should I top up my national insurance and could it really get me £6,000 extra?” The blog also offers tips for students and young people on taking advantage of all available discounts.
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