Booths, a famous UK grocery chain known for its top-notch quality and excellent customer service, is making a big change. They are removing most of their self-service checkouts from their 27 stores in Northern England.
Often called the “northern Waitrose,” Booths is deciding to focus on personal customer care instead of relying on machines, bringing back checkout lanes staffed by real people.
The decision to get rid of self-service tills was heavily influenced by what customers had to say. Nigel Murray, the managing director of Booths, explained that customers often complained about self-scan devices being slow, unreliable, and impersonal. “People have told us they prefer a friendly face over a machine,” he said.
This move goes against the current trend in the retail industry, which is leaning more and more toward automation. But for Booths, it’s all about sticking to their core values of offering “high levels of warm, personal care.”
Booths’ decision has started a lively debate about the pros and cons of self-service checkouts. One big issue is shoplifting. According to the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA), retail theft is a major problem for stores that use self-service tills.
“Automated systems are not as good at preventing theft,” BIRA pointed out, highlighting a key concern for retailers.
While most Booths stores will now have only staffed checkout counters, there are two exceptions. The stores in the Lake District—Keswick and Windermere—will keep their self-service tills. These locations have a high volume of customer traffic and the self-service options are seen as convenient for many shoppers.
By listening to their customers and making this bold change, Booths is reinforcing its reputation for caring service and showing that sometimes, the human touch is the best touch.
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