Morrisons has announced it is to rip some self-checkouts out of supermarkets as it gets more staff back on the tills. Chief executive Rami Baitieh told The Telegraph that Morrisons "went a bit too far" in rolling out self-checkouts and will now reverse its policy on the technology. He said Morrisons is "reviewing the balance between self-checkouts and manned tills" and will remove some automated tills from its shops.
Mr Baitieh said: "Morrisons went a bit too far with the self-checkout. This had the advantage of driving some productivity. However, some shoppers dislike it, mainly when they have a full trolley.
" He said increasing the technology had improved staff productivity by freeing them up, but had also resulted in an increase in shoplifting. Around 20 stores will be in the first wave to reduce the number of self-service terminals. One branch in Brough, Yorkshire, has already removed four self-service checkout and replaced them with manned tills.
Asda chief financial officer Michael Gleeson said his chain is investing £30million in getting staff back onto tills. He said: "We have invested additional hours in manned checkouts and that's been within the existing physical infrastructure [of the stores]. It's not more checkouts, it's more colleagues on checkouts.
" Booths scrapped almost all its self-service machines and put staff back behind its tills. All but two of the shops will have fully-staffed tills. Booths, which has 28 stores, is making the move in all but two stor.