News

Tesco opens Britain's first all self-checkout supermarket

October 20, 2009

According to a report from Britain's Daily Mail Online, Tesco has opened the country's first all self-checkout store. Tesco Express, located in King's Langley, Northampton, has five self-checkout terminals and no traditional checkout lanes, the report says, a model Tesco refers to as "assisted self-service."

The U.K.-based chain already operates stores in the assisted-checkout model in the United States, with its Fresh & Easy brand in California, Nevada and Arizona.

Self-service adoption in European countries has traditionally lagged behind that of North America, though, and the Daily Mail reports that some in the United Kingdom are critical of the new model:

Local Liberal Democrat County Coordinator Richard Church, who represents the Kingsley ward, said he was unimpressed with the self-scan store.

He said: 'If you like to speak to a real person when you do your shopping, you won't like it. At the moment, there are helpful assistants to tell you how to swipe the barcodes and make your payments, but that won't last.'

But a Tesco spokesperson told the Daily Mail that staff always will be available to assist customers:

It's a lot quicker, but some people have never used them before, so a member of staff is there to assist. If needs be, there can be five members of staff assisting customers. We have had no negative feedback so far.

The Daily Mail says Tesco is the biggest supermarket employer in the country, with a workforce of more than 220,000.