Angry shoppers have declared that they will "never shop at Asda again" following the supermarket's decision to increase the number of self-checkouts. The move, which comes just before the busy Christmas period, has been met with outrage from customers who believe that removing manned tills will be disastrous.
Outrage over Self-Checkout Expansion
Customers at an Asda branch in Cheltenham, Glos, have expressed their dissatisfaction with the increased reliance on self-checkout machines. Many believe that a self-serve future is not what people want, especially during one of the busiest times of the year. "I will no longer be going to your store and spending my money there because you have extended the self-checkout tills and removed nearly all the manned tills, right in the run-up to one of the busiest times of the year," fumed one customer on social media.
Abandoned Groceries and Long Queues
Shoppers at other Asda stores have also voiced their frustration with the self-checkout expansion. One customer in Cambridgeshire was so annoyed that they abandoned their groceries in protest. After finding no manned checkouts open, the customer requested a staffed checkout but was refused. In response, they left the store, vowing never to return. Similarly, a customer at Peterborough Waitrose complained about the long queues caused by the removal of face-to-face tills, predicting chaos during the upcoming Christmas period.
Growing Backlash Against Self-Checkouts
This rebellion against the increasing reliance on self-checkouts is not limited to Asda and Waitrose. A Facebook group called "Keep Cashiers" has nearly 18,000 members who blame unmanned tills for causing queues, being frequently closed, and even encouraging shoplifting. Asda and Waitrose have been approached for comment regarding the customer backlash.
