Shoppers in Bradford on Avon have mixed feelings about new self-service checkouts at Sainsbury’s, with concerns about job losses.
The store added a new scan, bag, and go system where people scan items, bag them, and then pay at a self-service checkout using debit or credit cards.
Some shoppers shared their differing opinions about the new changes on February 17. One woman said she loves self-scanning because it is faster to get in and out. She understands why others feel upset, noting it is harder for older people who may struggle with apps and new tech, and also job losses worry some folks. However, she finds the staff helpful in her opinion.
Another lady said the changes were a step forward, making shopping easier for her and finding other stores slower in comparison. She admitted job security is a concern, but thinks we live in a modern age.
However, other shoppers disliked the alterations with one man who shops there daily being opposed to them. He thinks more self-checkouts mean fewer staff, and avoids the self-service tills because they lead to losing jobs in time. He has seen how less staff negatively affects things and witnessed a staff member crying once, attributing it to the poor customer service. He knows changes happen as a policy, but he will gladly wait to use a staff-operated till.
If staff-operated tills disappear, he will shop somewhere else. Another lady said her husband does the shopping and uses the store’s scan and go system a lot. She shops with her elderly mom often, and they only use staffed tills as she prefers them over all others. She knows everyone cuts costs these days, and wonders if the store does it for good reasons.
Fears about fewer staff echoed prior concerns from last year when someone noticed one open checkout at a busy store. One person handled a long line alone while other employees helped at the self-service tills, fixing problems that kept occurring. He thought the store had wrong priorities set, believing they mainly cut jobs, no matter the cost.
A store spokesperson responded, stating they check store services to meet needs and their goal is to give shoppers the top experience with self-service tills increased at several stores to meet the demand they noticed. Staff help those needing help with the new tills and they still offer standard checkouts as well. The spokesperson said staff levels remain the same, but they will work a bit differently overall.