Confused - automated tills.

[OldQueen1969]

Hello all, would like some genuine opinions on this subject as I'm a bit confused.

I went into a well know high street stationers today to buy a last minute card. There was a member of staff nearby pricing items on a trolley and I went to the counter to pay. The staff member guided me back to the automated till and walked me through using it, which made me feel a bit daft as I'm 50, not in my dotage.

I'm of the general opinion that I don't like automated tills for a few reasons, primarily I think it allows companies to cut back on employees and reduce the job market, and also I like interacting with people. I sort of said as much, pleasantly of course, but was then told by the staff member that automated tills are keeping shops on the High Street and if they hadn't been introduced everything would be online and shops would cease to exists. I haven't heard quite this argument before, but wondered what others thought? It left me a bit baffled to be honest because our town has retailers of all stripes moving out at a rate of knotts anyway - we even lost a big M&S from the Town centre a couple of years ago and the space is still unoccupied.

So is automation the saviour of the High Street? I know there are multiple factors affecting the economy and retail but it all seems a bit back to front......

Just me personally but there are 2 similar versions of the same sort of shop near me (think Boots and Superdrug only I’m not in the U.K.) and I actively avoid the one without the self checkouts. It has longer lines as there are never enough cashiers, the staff are slow and pressure you into buying tat on sale displayed on the counter. Self scan is quick and convenient.

I think automated tills speed up the paying process for those who want to use it.

I can get in and out of the stores in my high street a lot quicker when I use an automated till. It encourages me to carry on shopping in the high street anyway so I'm sure it does for others.

What evidence do you have that it reduces jobs?

Obviously it just reduce jobs but convenience will always win. Individual shoppers won't turn that tide.

One of the highest costs to a business is wages, and it's a sad fact retail is dying. So cutting staff down is already happening, at least with automated tills there are less angry customers.

www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/sainsburys-self-service-supermarket-retail-jobs-automation-impact-a8893491.html

So I googled, and it seems that yes, automation will reduce employment in the retail sector on a large scale, but there will be room for independent niche retailers who provide "an experience". Which I find ironic as I run a small independent niche market business and am having to leave our bricks and mortar premises because of the pressure to be online, as footfall is a distant memory in our neck of the woods, although people do rave about our decor and vibe..... can't win at the moment it seems......

More jobs will be lost if they have to close the branch due to high staffing/rent costs though 🤷‍♀️

I like the one in WH Smith depending on who is on the till, there is on,y ever one and one of the staff is slow, rude and awful.