Sainsbury’s is piloting larger self-checkout tills as a replacement for human cashiers, following its CEO’s remarks about the need to make stores “more efficient”.
The grocery giant said it would test new hybrid self-checkouts featuring conveyor belts for customers to place their items on, as well as designated areas for bagging purchases, although shoppers will still need to scan their own items.
These systems are a similar size to standard manned conveyor belt checkouts, allowing customers to navigate them more easily with full trolleys instead of just baskets.
The hybrid checkout is currently only in two Sainsbury’s stores and is still being tested. CEO Simon Roberts told Retail Gazette’s sister publication Grocery Gazette that it had proven “popular” among shoppers so far, but emphasised that “taking out more manned checkouts doesn’t mean we won’t have them, it just means we’ll give you more choice for how you pay”.
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Sainsbury’s also is testing touchscreen devices that allow shoppers to identify the aisles where specific products are located, reducing the need for customers to seek help from store staff.
Back in February, Roberts set a new cost savings target of £1bn over the next three years.
The chief executive said he expects to boost the supermarket’s profit by putting food, Nectar card and convenience first under its ‘Next Level’ Sainsbury’s strategy.
Completion of the programme will mean the group has cut £2.5bn of costs over the last decade.
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