God, I hate self-checkouts. That moment when the machine screams "UNEXPECTED ITEM IN BAGGING AREA" while a queue forms behind you? Pure hell. So when I heard about Booths—this fancy-pants Northern grocery chain—removing their self-checkouts, I nearly spilled my morning coffee.
Turns out I'm not alone in my hatred of these soulless machines.
The Bold Move Nobody Expected
Back in November 2023, Booths (a posh supermarket chain headquartered in Lancashire) made what seemed like a backwards move in our tech-obsessed world. They yanked out self-service checkouts from almost all their stores. Only two locations kept them. My first thought: these people are either mad or brilliant.
I called my cousin who lives up North to get the scoop. "Best thing they've ever done," she texted back. "Got tired of fighting with those bloody machines while my ice cream melted."
Their managing director, Nigel Murray, recently spilled teh beans to The Grocer magazine about how this seemingly counter-intuitive decision actually paid off. Customer satisfaction scores jumped from 70 to 74 out of 100. Not earth-shattering perhaps, but in retail, that's like winning an Olympic medal.
Wait... fewer machines = faster service?!
Here's the bit that made me laugh out loud in my kitchen at 11pm last night. Murray claims checkouts are now FASTER. His explanation makes painfully obvious sense: "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."
Well, duh.
I mean, I can barely scan my own loyalty card without fumbling it three times. And don't get me started on produce codes. Is a red apple 4033 or 4032? I never remember.
The Theft Nobody Wants to Talk About
Remember when self-checkouts first appeared and everyone joked about "accidentally" scanning expensive avocados as onions? Turns out that wasn't just banter.
Booths has seen a reduction in theft since making the switch. I spent $75 on groceries yesterday and wondered how many items walk out of stores unpaid for every single day. My friend who worked at a major supermarket (won't name which one) told me over drinks in 2018 that their shrinkage numbers were "absolutely terrifying" after installing self-checkouts.
Meanwhile, the rest of the industry seems determined to go the opposite direction.
Swimming Against the Tide (While Everyone Else Drowns?)
Booths isn't exactly a retail giant. With just under 30 stores concentrated in Northern counties like Lancashire, Cheshire, Cumbria and Yorkshire, they're a regional player at best. They've been around since 1847, focusing on selling premium local food and drink.
The irony isn't lost on me that while Booths embraces human connection, other chains are doubling down on automation. Tesco and Sainsbury's claim their self-checkouts reduce costs and—wait for it—improve customer service! I nearly choked on my sandwich reading that part.
Listen. I've never once thought, "Wow, that self-checkout experience really made my day better." Have you?
The AI Surveillance Nightmare Coming to a Store Near You
While Booths zigged, Home Bargains zagged in the most dystopian way possible. They're installing AI cameras that automatically flag unscanned items leaving the store. The tech company behind this calls it turning regular security cameras into "specialised and capable in-store AI assistants."
I showed this to my roommate (who works in tech) and his response: "already updating my resume." Poor guy looked genuinely disturbed.
What happens when these systems inevitably flag innocent mistakes? I once forgot to scan a $3 pack of gum at the bottom of my cart... does that make me a criminal? In the AI's cold electronic judgment, apparently yes.
The Human Touch Still Matters
Maybe Booths is onto something fundamental here. In our rush to digitize everything, we forgot that sometimes people just want to interact with... other people.
I spent an embarrassing amount of time last week trying to explain to a self-checkout that yes, I did put the item in the bagging area, and no, I wasn't trying to steal a £2.50 box of cereal. The woman at the next till over caught my eye and we shared that universal look of technological despair.
That moment of human connection? Priceless.
Booths seems to understand this in a way the retail giants have forgotten. And their customers are happier for it.
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