One notable move being made by Booths, a UK grocery chain renowned for its quality and customer service, is the removal of the majority of self-service checkouts from its 27 locations in Northern England. Known as the “northern Waitrose,” Booths has chosen to put customer care and human touch ahead of automation, going back to having checkout lanes manned by employees.
In order to provide a more personalized shopping experience, self-service tills were eliminated due in large part to customer feedback. Nigel Murray, managing director of Booths, noted that self-scan devices’ slowness, unreliability, and impersonal character have drawn complaints from consumers. The decision goes against the trend of growing automation in the retail industry and is consistent with Booths’ core beliefs of offering “high levels of warm, personal care.”
The choice made by Booths has sparked a discussion on the benefits and drawbacks of self-service checkouts, especially in light of the persistent problem of shoplifting. Retailers who rely on self-service tills have a great deal of challenges due to the prevalence of retail theft, which raises concerns about the efficacy of automated systems in preventing theft, according to the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA).
While most Booths locations will have fully staffed checkout counters again, two Lake District locations—Keswick and Windermere—will continue to have self-service tills available due to strong customer traffic and convenience choices.
