What could Asda and Morrisons say about moving away from self-checkout?

After years of encouraging shoppers to scan their groceries, some supermarkets are piloting a move back to traditional farms.

Asda said it would put more staff at checkouts, while Morrisons admitted it could have “gone too far” with self-scanning. Northern upmarket chain Booths has done away with it altogether.

The dreaded “unexpected item in the baggage area” notice is among a list of customer complaints about self-service fees.

But some shoppers told the BBC they are happy to skip the queues and awkward chat if it speeds up their shop.

The staffed versus unmanned workers debate has continued to rage as the number of self-scanning scanners has grown over the past 20 years to around 80,000 in the UK.

Now Morrisons’ chief executive has claimed the store “went a little too far” with the self-service. Although they drive some productivity, “some shoppers don’t like it, especially when they have a full cart,” Rami Baitiéh, he told the Telegraph.

He said the chain was now “reviewing” the number of self-service checkouts, with plans to remove some in favor of staffed chairs.

His comments came next Asda pledged to put more staff at tills after admitting it had reached a limit with self-service fees.

Some have gone further. Booths – a chain of smaller and higher end supermarkets based in the North of England – got rid of technology completely last November.

For Beverley Hyrb, from Oldham in Greater Manchester, there’s a new quandary when it comes to negotiating self-scanning. She is especially turned off by the cameras on some of these boards that capture live user views.

“You see an image of yourself moving and I don’t like it,” said the 62-year-old. “I’d better get in line.”

Stores can use the technology to discourage shoplifting, then such cases in England and Wales have reached their highest level in 20 years in April.

Ms Hyrb added that there were mental health benefits to talking to someone when grocery shopping.

“Especially if you live alone. It doesn’t matter if it’s about the weather or the news or whatever, it’s good to talk.”

For others, self-achievements are not just annoying, but a challenge to use.

“As a deaf person, I can’t hear the beep when I scan items, so I’m always at a loss with them as they don’t always scan correctly,” said Anna Kenyon from Manchester.

She said that humans – as opposed to machines – are much better at adapting to her condition. Like Beverley, she appreciates the human touch.

“I’ve had some lovely interactions at Aldi where a checkout assistant spontaneously started signing with me. Little moments of connection like this are lovely.”

Julie Yates has two grown sons who have autism and said the self-checks allow them some independence.

“They don’t have to interact with anyone, they can be in and out and away,” she said. “They don’t need to make eye contact or small talk.”

“My mom and I go to one [staffed] checkout,” said Mrs. Yates. “It’s a little social interaction, it can be a nice part of the day.”

Others simply prefer self-control because they find it faster.

For 74-year-old Trevor Springford from Dunbar in East Lothian “it’s all about getting in and out quickly without having to queue, engage in a conversation or field questions”.

For people like Trevor, it’s welcome news that self-pay isn’t going away completely anytime soon.

As for the haters, they may start seeing some other employees in the future.

The British Retail Consortium, which represents most of the UK’s biggest supermarkets, would not comment on whether this was the start of a phase-out of self-scanning. A spokesman told BBC News: “Retailers will adapt checkout systems across their different stores to meet the different needs of their customers.”

Ged Futter, director of supermarket consultancy The Retail Mind, agreed that customer feedback is king when it comes to these kinds of retail shifts.

“Right now, I think it’s especially special for those two retailers [Asda and Morrisons]”, he told BBC Breakfast.

One of the benefits self-scans bring to supermarkets is that they reduce staff wage bills, but if it affects the customer experience, it’s bad for business.

“Retailers themselves will always look at costs, [but] sometimes when you look at costs, you can go too far,” Mr. Futter said.

“Successful retail is all about customer feedback. It’s about understanding your customer,” he added.

BBC News contacted all the major UK supermarket chains to ask if they were changing their structure. Tesco, Lidl, the Co-Op and Waitrose said they would continue to offer both.

Marks and Spencer said its stores had different formats for different customer needs, but all stores with staffed chairs always have at least one open for checkout.

Aldi and Sainsbury’s did not respond to requests for comment.

Tesco said it introduced self-checkout almost 20 years ago. A spokesman for the country’s biggest supermarket said: “We are proud to offer customers choice when it comes to checking out and customers can always ask a colleague to open a pilot.”

But Fazilet Hadi, head of policy at Disability Rights UK, said customers should not ask a member of staff to open up. “They’re not always that visible, these staff. What if I can’t see them?”

However, she acknowledged that reasonable adjustments for disabled people “must be proportionate”.

“What is reasonable for a multi-million pound chain may not be reasonable for a corner shop,” she said, but added that choice was important as everyone’s needs are different.

Mel Merritt, head of policy and campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said some people “may prefer the reduced level of social communication and interaction that a self-service checkout offers”.

“Others may need more support when shopping and may benefit from staff at checkouts who can help,” she added.