Latest news with #NigelMurray
Extra.ie
25-05-2025
- Business
- Extra.ie
Smile for the scanner: Tesco rolls out 'big brother' style self-service tills
Tesco has introduced a controversial new self-checkout system that records and replays video footage of customers at the tills – and it's already raising eyebrows. Currently being rolled out across Tesco stores in the UK (but not yet in Ireland), these new self-service checkouts act like a retail version of VAR, replaying clips of customers if an item is missed during scanning. If you accidentally, or deliberately, fail to scan an item, including something as small as a bag-for-life, the screen will flash a message: 'It looks like that last item didn't scan. Please check you scanned it correctly before continuing.' The aim is to deter theft by reminding customers that they're being watched, by themselves. Tesco has introduced a controversial new self-checkout system that records and replays video footage of customers at the tills – and it's already raising eyebrows. Pic: Getty It follows similar moves by other UK retailers such as Sainsbury's, who also introduced the technology earlier this month. Retailers suggest that the psychological impact of seeing yourself 'caught in the act' could lead some would-be shoplifters to think twice, though it's unlikely to deter everyone. Supporters of the system believe it could reduce the need for other anti-theft measures, such as lockboxes or security tags on certain items. However, the response from customers so far has been mixed, with some feeling unnerved by the surveillance. While Tesco and other supermarkets double down on technology, some are heading in the opposite direction. Booths, a regional UK supermarket chain based in Lancashire, has removed most of its self-checkouts and returned to fully staffed tills. Since making the switch in late 2023, Booths says customer satisfaction scores have jumped from 70 to 74 out of 100. Booths Managing Director Nigel Murray credits much of the improvement to better service from trained staff. 'If you've got someone doing that job for six, seven, eight hours a day, they're simply going to do it better than someone who uses it once every few days,' he said. In Ireland, the rise of self-checkouts has drawn concern from shoppers and public representatives. Earlier this year, Carlow County Councillor Willie Quinn criticised the lack of human staff at local retailers. Speaking at a council meeting, he described it as 'very sad' to see so few people manning tills, particularly in shops like Penneys in Carlow, which introduced self-checkouts just before Christmas. Pic: Marc O'Sullivan 'There were 13 checkouts and only five people working at them, the rest were machines,' he said. 'Is that the way our country has gone? Turning our back on our own people and jobs?'
Metro
06-05-2025
- Business
- Metro
Sainsbury's customers 'deeply resent' upgrade to self-service checkouts
Sainsbury's has become the latest supermarket to install cameras on self-service checkouts, with one major difference: you can watch yourself back VAR-style. The new tills record shoppers as they scan their items, then playback video clips where you've failed to scan a barcode properly. Customers will receive a warning, stating: 'It looks like that last item didn't scan. Please check you scanned it correctly before continuing.' On social media, one disgruntled shopper called the move 'more big brother tactics with more surveillance' while others called for a boycott. The update has been introduced in a bid to tackle the rising problem of shoplifting faced by supermarkets. Recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows that the number of shoplifting offences in England and Wales rose by 20% last year. A total of 516,971 offences were recorded, compared to 429,873 in 2023. In London alone, offences rose from 58,000 to nearly 90,000 in 2024. The rising cost of living will explain some incidences, but Metro recently spoke to 'casual kleptos' who can afford food, but feel entitled to steal from big businesses. Matilda, 25, from London, told us: 'I'll take things that are quite small and will go in my bag. Like cheese or halloumi or toothpaste. Just things that are quite small but kind of expensive. 'I like to give myself three for two deals. I'll pay for two things and steal one.' Cases like this add up though. Crime cost retailers £4.2 billion last year, according to data from Grocery Gazette. That figure includes £2.2bn from shoplifting losses and a further £1.8bn spent on crime prevention measures, such as CCTV, additional security personnel, anti-theft devices and body worn cameras. Interestingly, grocer chain Booths pledged to remove its self-service checkouts last year to improve customer satisfaction and tackle losses. MD Nigel Murray recently said the reversal has actually caused a reduction in theft, because so-called 'middle-class' shoplifters had been incorrectly scanning or weighing goods, sometimes inadvertently. Author and social commentator Carl Vernon recently posted a YouTube video about the new Sainsbury's checkouts to his 51,000 subscribers. One viewer, @TheRailwayTourManager, accused the supermarket of punishing 'law abiding members of the public'. 'It's like a bad manager at work, who, because ONE person has done something they shouldn't, everyone gets tarred with the same brush and has some sort of restriction or sanction imposed on them,' he said. 'Deal with the person causing the issue, not make everyone else suffer for something they didn't do!' More Trending User @_indrid_cold_ went as far as calling for a boycott, saying: 'I would never dream of stealing, but I detest and deeply resent what's happening now in supermarkets. 'I just wish that the public could be a bit more organised and properly boycott them until they get the message and take their intrusive spyware away.' Dozens of commenters said they refuse to use self-service checkouts full stop, with @lairdkilbarchan joking: 'Sainsbury's should offer a bonus for shoppers who also stack their own shelves. Do a pallet of beans and double your points!' Sainsbury's did not respond directly to the criticism of the new tills, but a spokesperson told Metro: 'We regularly review the security measures in our stores and our decisions to implement them are based on a range of factors, including offering our customers a smooth checkout experience.' MORE: Full list of supermarket May Day bank holiday 2025 opening times including Tesco, Aldi and Morrisons MORE: Supermarket own-brand Coke hailed 'as good as real thing' — and it costs just 49p MORE: Full list of supermarket opening times on May Day bank holiday 2025 including Tesco, Aldi and Morrisons
Daily Mail
24-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Supermarket hailed for scrapping self-checkouts as customers admit they 'loathe' using them - with other shops urged to do the same
Supermarkets were today urged to follow the lead of a chain which became Britain's first to return to fully-staffed checkouts after axing most of its self-service tills. Booths decided to buck the trend by favouring staffed tills over self-service checkouts in November 2023 – with all but two of its 27 stores making the change. It was the first such shift by a significant UK supermarket, after years of all the major players opening thousands of self-checkouts and dramatically reducing staffed tills. Now, managing director Nigel Murray has revealed the move is playing a major role in improving customer satisfaction at Booths - dubbed the ' Waitrose of the North'. MailOnline's coverage of his interview to The Grocer has prompted a huge reaction this week, with our article on Monday attracting more than 1,700 comments. Best-rated comments included 'I only use staff tills'; 'good, keep people in jobs'; 'top idea! Let's bring people back not machines' and 'at the end of the day I would rather have a person, more service and interaction. Well done.' A further top comment said: 'Well done Booths - I've only been to a few of your branches and they are near the Lake District when we holidayed there. Lovely, clean, well-run supermarkets. Just as good as Waitrose and cheaper.' Another said: 'Anyone singing the virtue of self service checkouts should be given a spatula and shown the kitchen when they want a McDonald's burger. Me? If I pay for goods or services I expect to be treated as a customer not an unpaid staff member.' Other comments urged rival supermarkets to follow suit, with one saying: 'Self checkouts are c**p, especially the ones in Sainsburys, every second item scanned requires an assistant. It takes you twice as long to check out.' A further reader wrote: 'Always have to wait ages for staff in Sainsburys as they are nowhere to be seen. Often, I see three or four other customers with flashing red lights above their checkout standing there like lemmings.' And another said: 'I wish many of the others would follow suit. I actually enjoy speaking to staff rather than being one and putting through my own goods.' It comes after Mr Murray revealed that the change by Lancashire-based Booths has brought a reduction in theft and a faster checkout experience. And he told The Grocer of their customer satisfaction rating: 'We're at 74 now, up from 70 (out of 100). Not all of that is due to the fact that we've taken self-service checkouts out of many of the stores. 'But when you look at things like service, into the 'promise of things to come' section, we've scored brilliantly.' He added: 'In really simple terms if you've got somebody who is doing a job repetitively for six, seven, eight hours a day, they are going to do it faster and better than if you are just turning up to do it once every three days. 'Over the last year, where we've put more self checkouts in, we're always making sure that the traditional kind of belted checkout is there.' Booths was founded in 1847 by Edwin Henry Booth and has remained a family owned and run business ever since. From a single shop to the present day, the company now has 27 stores across the North, employing around 3,000 people. The decision to return to fully-staffed checkouts came at a time when many supermarket chains have been bringing more self-checkouts into their stores. Last month, Tesco continued to rollout further self-checkout measures with their new Scan As You Shop (SAYS) measure. While some were delighted with the advanced new system, many likened it to airport security, and some thought the move was a step 'too far' from traditional, staffed tills and described it as 'dystopian'. Shoppers using SAYS pick up a scanning device when they enter the store, and then they scan each item as they put it in their trolley or basket. When they have finished, they can pay for all their items without having to scan them through the staffed or self-serve checkouts. Upon paying, SAYS customers may be randomly selected for a 'service check' where a staff member makes sure each item has been processed correctly. The new checkouts are said to weigh the trolleys of those using SAYS to ensure the weight is the same as the items scanned. Meanwhile, last year Sainsbury's claimed its shoppers love their self checkout machines and value the 'speedy checkout'. Boss Simon Roberts said that Sainsbury's had invested in more self checkouts in recent years but was committed to having non-automated belt checkouts as well. Discussing the importance of self checkouts in April last year, Mr Roberts said: 'If you visit one of our supermarkets, what you'll see is definitely more self checkouts than a number of years ago, because actually a lot of customers like the speedy checkout. 'Over the last year, where we've put more self checkouts in, we're always making sure that the traditional kind of belted checkout is there.' Other supermarket chains in the UK, including Amazon Fresh use 'Just Walk Out' technology which uses cameras, sensors and AI to track what customers have picked up and bought. It allows customers to walk out with their items without using a self-checkout or a fully-staffed till.
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
What customers really think of major supermarket's decision to scrap all self-checkout tills
A supermarket chain which became Britain's first to return to fully-staffed checkouts after axing most of its self-service till has revealed what customers really think of their bold decision. Going against the grain, Booths made the decision to ignore what rival supermarkets were doing by favouring staffed tills over self-service checkouts in November 2023. All but two of the store's 27 locations have made the change in a bid to improve customers' experience. Nigel Murray, managing director of Booths, has now revealed how customers are responding to their decision. He revealed that the move has helped play a major role in driving customer satisfaction up. Mr Murray told The Grocer: 'We're at 74 now, up from 70 (out of 100). Not all of that is due to the fact that we've taken self-service checkouts out of many of the stores. 'But when you look at things like service, into the 'promise of things to come' section, we've scored brilliantly.' The Booths boss also revealed that the supermarket chain, whose headquarters is in Lancashire, has brought a reduction in theft and a faster checkout experience. He added: 'Because in really simple terms if you've got somebody who is doing a job repetitively for six, seven, eight hours a day, they are going to do it faster and better than if you are just turning up to do it once every three days. 'Over the last year, where we've put more self checkouts in, we're always making sure that the traditional kind of belted checkout is there.' Booths was founded in 1847 by Edwin Henry Booth and has remained a family owned and run business ever since. From a single shop to the present day, the company now has 28 stores across the north, employing around 3,000 people. The decision to return to fully-staffed checkouts came at a time when many supermarket chains are bringing more self-checkouts into their stores. Last month, Tesco continued to rollout further self-checkout measures with their new Scan As You Shop measure. While some were delighted with the technologically-advanced new system, many likened it to airport security, and some thought the move was a step 'too far' from traditional, staffed tills and described it as 'dystopian'. Tesco has rolled out the Scan As You Shop (SAYS) system in a select number of stores across the UK. Shoppers pick up a scanning device when they enter the store, and then they scan each item as they put it in their trolley or basket. When they have finished, they can pay for all their items without having to scan them through the staffed or self-serve checkouts. Upon paying, SAYS customers may be randomly selected for a 'service check' where a staff member makes sure each item has been processed correctly. The new checkouts are said to weigh the trolleys of those using SAYS to ensure the weight is the same as the items scanned. Meanwhile, last year Sainsbury's claimed its shoppers love their self checkout machines and value the 'speedy checkout'. Boss Simon Roberts said that Sainsbury's had invested in more self checkouts in recent years but was committed to having non-automated belt checkouts as well. Discussing the importance of self checkouts last April, Mr Roberts said: 'If you visit one of our supermarkets, what you'll see is definitely more self checkouts than a number of years ago, because actually a lot of customers like the speedy checkout. 'Over the last year, where we've put more self checkouts in, we're always making sure that the traditional kind of belted checkout is there.' Other supermarket chains in the UK, including Amazon Fresh use 'Just Walk OUt' technology which uses cameras, sensors and AI to track what customers have picked up and bought. It allows customers to walk out with their items without using a self-checkout or a fully-staffed till.
Daily Mirror
21-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Major UK supermarket removes self-checkouts from most stores
Booths first removed self-service checkouts in November 2023 and has since seen customer satisfaction scores rise, the supermarket chain has said - now more are being axed A major UK supermarket has removed self-checkouts from most stores and it seems customers couldn't be happier. Booths, the grocery chain based in Lancashire, first made the move back in November 2023, and now managing director Nigel Murray has revealed that customer satisfaction ratings have been soaring. He told The Grocer: "We're at 74 now, up from 70 (out of 100). Not all of that is due to the fact that we've taken self-service checkouts out of many of the stores... But when you look at things like service, into the 'promise of things to come' section, we've scored brilliantly. "Because in really simple terms if you've got somebody who is doing a job repetitively for six, seven, eight hours a day, they are going to do it faster and better than if you are just turning up to do it once every three days." This change comes as other retailers are tweaking their checkout experiences. Home Bargains, for example, is tackling theft by implementing a significant update to its self-checkouts. Home Bargains is testing new anti-theft software where AI integrated with CCTV will detect whether items at self-checkout have been properly scanned. The retailer is working with tech companies SAI, Storewide Active Intelligence, and Everseen to embed this technology into its security systems. SAI has described this advancement as transforming standard security cameras into "specialised and capable in-store AI assistants." Meanwhile, Aldi has announced customers will now be able to purchase lottery tickets at self-checkout machines as part of its expanded services. Previously, these were only available at manned checkouts. In contrast, Asda is planning to increase the number of staff on checkouts, acknowledging that it has reached a limit with self-service tills. The supermarket stated that while self-checkouts are efficient for customers, it aims to invest more hours into having manned checkouts. Asda insisted this decision was not influenced by shoppers' preference for human assistance over machines. It comes as a poll last year found 60 per cent of Britons prefer to use a traditional cashier as opposed to self-checkouts. The survey, by UK consultancy Daemon, found just 14 per cent said the former was their favourite method of shopping. Daemon said this highlighted 'the lasting appeal of personal touch-points in the evolving customer shopping experience '. Jimmy Headdon, head of delivery excellence at Daemon said: 'Cashiers will always have a place, offering a human touch and familiarity, which may be why they are the preference of older generations. Generally, people who feel confused or unsure about using self-service checkouts may avoid them, opting for the reassurance of personal interaction when something goes wrong, like an error with scanning or payment.'
