To be really annoyed by this at Sainsbury's

[dcsp]

I was at a large branch of Sainsbury's yesterday evening. None of the staffed checkouts were open, so I went to the self-checkouts. On the way out of them they have fitted gates which don't open until you scan your receipt.

If there was a person barring my exit from a shop until I showed them my receipt, I'd feel insulted by what was effectively an accusation of theft. Having a machine perform the same role felt similarly insulting.

I appreciate that retail theft has increased, but treating every one of your customers as if they're a thief until they prove otherwise is not the right thing to do! (also I expect most theft at self-checkouts happens by people who do still check something out therefore have a receipt).

I did get caught out here at an unfamiliar Sainsbury’s, as I pressed “ I don’t need a receipt” on the checkout. ( my local branch doesn’t have barriers) Then I was trapped . So had to persuade a security guard to let me out. I think they should have to remove that option from the machines if they install barriers.

I think they should have to remove that option from the machines if they install barriers.

It's madness if they still do that. If anything, it should flash up in big letters "You will need your receipt to exit the store" before printing it; not give you the option to decline it.

My local sainsburys has self checkouts and also the bar code reader check outs, the alarms by the door beep all the time, so when it goes off nobody takes any notice.
I often wonder how they stop shop lifting.
I haven't seen a security guard since covid was declared less problematic.

I'm amazed by the posters defending big supermarkets. Are they on the PR teams or something?
These big shops have destroyed the highstreets (for better or for worse) they have the monopoly in lots of towns, they are making massive profits, have cut staff numbers for self service, so give us a lesser service and now have the cheek to barricade us in until we prove we aren't thieves (because they wanted to cut tills and staff!)
Stop boot licking multi billion dollar companies and see this decline in civilised society for what it is! More profit for them!

Have you really got worked up by this? So much so you’ve posted on mumsnet. I’d be happy to scan a receipt if it prevents theft and would in no way be offended and made to feel like a thief.

It’s not personal OP.

If no checkouts are staffed, I request one, otherwise I’d walk out and leave the trolley and never return.
However, so far staff have always been available

Exactly what I would do - I have been assured that if you ask - a checkout will be opened.
I resent the proliferation of self-checkouts in supermarkets where I would normally do my big shop.

If I was using a basket with 1 or 2 items fine but I cannot be doing with lifting from trolley, scanning, moving to carrier bags, paying, taking receipt, lifting bags into trolley to wheel to the car park.

I want service so I insist on a normal checkout. .

Retail has a very high staff turnover, it is an unpleasant environment to work in. At my store no one wants to do checkouts or self service because of the constant complaints and hassle with "Think 25". It's a horrible job, so no one will miss it.
Our store takes a lot more money online and this is the way forward, checkouts will soon become obsolete.

It’s not personal OP

There is a issue with this attitude though. We justified things like this by saying it's not personal - everybody is being treated this way. The fact that everyone is being treated with equal suspicion doesn't make it right. At a previous job when I was a student, staff were searched before leaving after a shift. It wasn't personal - everyone was treated the same - but I thought it was appalling. It is a slippery slope.

I'm amazed by the posters defending big supermarkets. Are they on the PR teams or something?
These big shops have destroyed the highstreets (for better or for worse) they have the monopoly in lots of towns, they are making massive profits, have cut staff numbers for self service, so give us a lesser service and now have the cheek to barricade us in until we prove we aren't thieves (because they wanted to cut tills and staff!)
Stop boot licking multi billion dollar companies and see this decline in civilised society for what it is! More profit for them!

Agreed. They are raking it in. They could offer more employment but would rather pay less and have the customer do the work.

Once/If checkouts become obsolete with main stores, I’ll be shopping elsewhere 100%

A security guard jumped into the lift with me when I was on my way out as someone entering the store from the lift triggered an alarm and he thought it was me. He asked to see my receipt and apologised, he said there had been a lot of thefts lately, I think he was more embarrassed than I was! I wasn’t offended, he was doing his job so scanning my receipt when leaving the self checkouts doesn’t offend me at all

I had this at ikea recently . And I’d selected
to have the receipt emailed to me but had to wait about ten minutes for the email to come through. So there I was standing at the barrier like a plum for ten mins!!

Once/If checkouts become obsolete with main stores, I’ll be shopping elsewhere 100%

I think it's coming fast. Using a staffed checkout will probably still be available on request, but I bet it will be met with the same sighing and eye-rolling as when a (usually) older person prefers to withdraw cash over the bank counter, rather than use a cash machine.

Most of the big supermarkets seem to have a lot of standard checkouts that they never, ever open - even on Christmas Eve. It's only a matter of time until they just rip them out and use the space for something else instead.

They have them in supermarkets abroad a lot already.

If self check outs are such a problem, which they often are for customers as well as apparently loss to the supermarket through theft, supermarkets should just scrap them start employing more people on tills again.

Many can’t get work because of these machines, including young people 16+ as mentioned by PP.

Supermarkets like Sainsbury created the problem in the first place by replacing people with machines, now creating new problems to deal with that one.

I agree, just looked up Sainsbury made 207 MILLIONS profit AFTER tax in the last financial year and people struggling to pay their prices (now officially most expensive) and being treated like thieves 😂

I mostly do my big Sainsbury’s shop on line but when I do go into store I rarely request a receipt as I’d rather save the paper.So always have to ask a member of staff/ other shopper to let me through the barrier. Such a faff!!!

I honestly think that Sainsburys will be the next one to go bust. Or local one is almost bare, has no one on checkouts, all the counters have closed....it's like a ghost town!

My local Next has a guy on the doors all the time. I’d been in the store for quite a while, I’d had a coffee in Costa, picked up parcels, bought a bag and lipstick and had a good wander around.

Upon leaving the store I was asked if I’d bought anything, which I had and told him so. He then asked me to show him what I’d bought and the receipt. I can honestly say I was flustered, I felt like a criminal. I couldn’t remember where I’d stuffed the receipt, and was emptying the contents of my bag on the floor for everyone to see, so embarrassing.

I have never stolen anything in my life and found this experience uncomfortable. I know shoplifting has increased, but really?

Not condescendign at all, and really, just because you dont understand it, doesnt mean it makes no sense.
You also need a "permit" to leave the shop with goods, its called a receipt.

Upon leaving the store I was asked if I’d bought anything, which I had and told him so. He then asked me to show him what I’d bought and the receipt. I can honestly say I was flustered, I felt like a criminal.

That's a stupid setup as well, as if you had been shoplifting, you could quite honestly answer the question "Have you bought1 anything?" with a firm, genuine "No" - because you didn't buy it; you stole it!

There are some subtle issues with self-scanning shopping that don't seem to be appreciated. Certainly by the stores.

One is what if someone mistakes your trolley for theirs and drops an item in that (a) you haven't scanned, and (b) they have scanned but won't have when they get home.

The other is what if someone takes something out of your trolley you have scanned and pay for but don't have when you get home ?

Both can easily happen if you leave your trolley at the end of an aisle ...

Divide that number by the number of stores, or the number of staff, or the number of customers, or square footage of shop space, and you're pretty close to profits of smaller chains, even small independent stores!

Obviously a huge company with a couple of hundred thousand staff, I think 1400 stores, millions of customers, is going to have a "big number" for profit.

But it makes no sense to get hung up on a number. Do you expect a company the size of Sainsbury to make the same number net profit as Joe Smith's corner convenience store?

You also have to appreciate the most of the shareholders in the big companies are the likes of pension schemes, i.e. private/stakeholder pension funds, local government pension schemes, etc. So it's not all lining the pockets of "Mr Big", the profits are actually paying off debt, being used to fund new stores, and paying dividends into pension funds that will benefit millions of private individuals in retirement!