Is self-serve checkout turning the ‘middle-class’ into shoplifters? The Marks and Spencer boss thinks so!
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The advent of self-serve checkouts in supermarkets has been hailed as a triumph of technology, promising to make shopping faster and more efficient.
However, Archie Norman, the Chairman of the retail giant Marks and Spencer, raised concerns that these checkouts inadvertently encourage a surge in 'middle class' shoplifting.
Mr Norman's comments come in the wake of a decision by another supermarket chain to remove almost all self-serve checkouts from its stores.
He told a radio station that shoplifting was a 'global problem' and that the rise in theft was difficult to pinpoint.
Even so, he suggested that the self-serve checkouts contribute to the problem.
The Marks and Spencer boss noted a growing attitude among shoppers of feeling 'owed' something due to the impersonal nature of self-serve checkouts.
'With the reduction of service you get in a lot of shops, a lot of people think: “This didn’t scan properly, or it’s very difficult to scan these things through, and I shop here all the time. It’s not my fault, I’m owed it”,' he said.
According to Mr Norman, shoplifting is not a huge problem at Marks and Spencer. He explained that the company's emphasis on selling its own brand products makes them less desirable to thieves who typically target more popular brands that are easier to sell.
While other retailers resort to extreme measures to prevent shoplifting, the chain is attempting to use more subtle methods.
‘Our approach is to be open and welcome. We do little things like make sure the steak is positioned in the right place so people can keep an eye on it,’ Mr Norman shared.
He also stated that instead of reducing self-service checkouts, the company will actually increase their number as they are more efficient.
This is in stark contrast to the approach taken by Booths, a rival UK supermarket chain, which has decided to ditch self-serve tills in all but its two busiest stores.
‘We pride ourselves on great customer service, and you can’t do that through a robot,’ Booths Managing Director Nigel Murray stated.
The rise in shoplifting is not just a problem in the UK. Major Australian supermarkets have reported a 20 per cent increase in theft and food wastage in a year.
Recently, major retailers like Coles and Woolworths have stated that they have no plans to remove self-serve checkouts. They argued that these checkouts offer convenience and efficiency and are the preferred option for a lot of their customers.
IGA, on the other hand, remained firm in its decision to avoid implementing self-serve checkouts. An IGA spokesperson stated, ‘Although some of our IGA stores have a self-serve option, the priority is, and always has been, people first in our stores.’
Theft and the Self-Serve Checkout: A Global Issue
The theft issue at self-serve checkouts is not confined to the UK or Australia. Retailers worldwide have been grappling with this problem for years.
A study conducted by the University of Leicester found that the use of self-checkout lanes globally has resulted in a significant increase in revenue loss, amounting to nearly 4 per cent of total sales.
The study suggested that the design of self-checkouts, combined with minimal employee supervision, made theft more likely. It also found that customers who would not normally steal from a store might do so at a self-checkout because they felt it was less morally wrong.
Meanwhile, research by consumer group Canstar Blue revealed that shoppers have polarised opinions about the technology—41 per cent prefer staffed checkouts, while 34 per cent opt for self-serve.
Canstar Blue Editor-in-Chief Christine Seib shared: ‘While shoppers have some understandable objections to self-serve checkouts [...] the fact that a third of shoppers would rather use a self-serve checkout means rolling back their use would likely upset a big group of shoppers.’
What are your thoughts on this issue, members? Have you noticed an increase in theft at self-serve checkouts? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below.
However, Archie Norman, the Chairman of the retail giant Marks and Spencer, raised concerns that these checkouts inadvertently encourage a surge in 'middle class' shoplifting.
Mr Norman's comments come in the wake of a decision by another supermarket chain to remove almost all self-serve checkouts from its stores.
He told a radio station that shoplifting was a 'global problem' and that the rise in theft was difficult to pinpoint.
Even so, he suggested that the self-serve checkouts contribute to the problem.
Archie Norman, Chairman of Marks and Spencer, claimed that self-serve checkouts encourage middle-class individuals to shoplift. Credit: Marks & Spencer/Facebook
The Marks and Spencer boss noted a growing attitude among shoppers of feeling 'owed' something due to the impersonal nature of self-serve checkouts.
'With the reduction of service you get in a lot of shops, a lot of people think: “This didn’t scan properly, or it’s very difficult to scan these things through, and I shop here all the time. It’s not my fault, I’m owed it”,' he said.
According to Mr Norman, shoplifting is not a huge problem at Marks and Spencer. He explained that the company's emphasis on selling its own brand products makes them less desirable to thieves who typically target more popular brands that are easier to sell.
While other retailers resort to extreme measures to prevent shoplifting, the chain is attempting to use more subtle methods.
‘Our approach is to be open and welcome. We do little things like make sure the steak is positioned in the right place so people can keep an eye on it,’ Mr Norman shared.
He also stated that instead of reducing self-service checkouts, the company will actually increase their number as they are more efficient.
This is in stark contrast to the approach taken by Booths, a rival UK supermarket chain, which has decided to ditch self-serve tills in all but its two busiest stores.
‘We pride ourselves on great customer service, and you can’t do that through a robot,’ Booths Managing Director Nigel Murray stated.
The rise in shoplifting is not just a problem in the UK. Major Australian supermarkets have reported a 20 per cent increase in theft and food wastage in a year.
Recently, major retailers like Coles and Woolworths have stated that they have no plans to remove self-serve checkouts. They argued that these checkouts offer convenience and efficiency and are the preferred option for a lot of their customers.
IGA, on the other hand, remained firm in its decision to avoid implementing self-serve checkouts. An IGA spokesperson stated, ‘Although some of our IGA stores have a self-serve option, the priority is, and always has been, people first in our stores.’
Theft and the Self-Serve Checkout: A Global Issue
The theft issue at self-serve checkouts is not confined to the UK or Australia. Retailers worldwide have been grappling with this problem for years.
A study conducted by the University of Leicester found that the use of self-checkout lanes globally has resulted in a significant increase in revenue loss, amounting to nearly 4 per cent of total sales.
The study suggested that the design of self-checkouts, combined with minimal employee supervision, made theft more likely. It also found that customers who would not normally steal from a store might do so at a self-checkout because they felt it was less morally wrong.
Meanwhile, research by consumer group Canstar Blue revealed that shoppers have polarised opinions about the technology—41 per cent prefer staffed checkouts, while 34 per cent opt for self-serve.
Canstar Blue Editor-in-Chief Christine Seib shared: ‘While shoppers have some understandable objections to self-serve checkouts [...] the fact that a third of shoppers would rather use a self-serve checkout means rolling back their use would likely upset a big group of shoppers.’
What are your thoughts on this issue, members? Have you noticed an increase in theft at self-serve checkouts? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below.
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