Seldom has a piece of retail technology sparked as much controversy as the self-checkout.
Having been installed across supermarkets up and down the country, almost every shopper will have encountered the dreaded message: “unexpected item in bagging area”.
This, alongside other technical gremlins, has fuelled such a backlash that some retailers are removing self-checkouts and moving back towards manned tills.
Morrisons is just one example, as Rami Baitieh, its chief executive, recently admitted the retailer had gone “a bit too far” with the technology.
Meanwhile, Northern grocer Booths has opted to ditch them outright after its boss said they made it impossible to deliver a high standard of customer service.
Asda, too, has promised to put more staff on tills.
However, while supermarkets have been rowing back on self-checkouts, fast food retailers have instead been rolling them out.
In recent years, McDonald’s, Subway, KFC and Leon have all installed legions of self-service kiosks in a bid to reduce costs. Now, coffee shops and even casual dining brands are weighing in.
Bill’s, for instance, has introduced kiosks in its restaurants as part of a major overhaul designed to appeal to Gen Z diners.
When explaining the decision earlier this year, Tom James, Bill’s managing director, said it was largely down to the fact that younger customers would rather order food through an app than speak to waiters.
