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).

They’ve asked for receipts on exit at Costco for as long as I can remember and I’ve never taken it as an insult.

Be insulted if they pick on you for a check when everyone else can just go, but it’s clearly not personal when they’re checking everyone.

They could have more staff! Sainsburys made a profit of £327M, from that they could pay more staff.

Or they could open the barrier by using facial recognition to see if the person approaching the barrier has just used one of the self-checkouts (which all have individual cameras on them) - if it doesn't appear to be someone who's just used a checkout, then that would at least give them reasonable grounds to check a 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.

Hardly when the same is applied to everyone. What a drama over nothing.

So you think making it harder for someone who's trying to do the job they've been told to do? A supermarket worker on minimum wage. Well done, slow clap for you.

It's not an insult to you, they're not specifically targeting you 🤦

You need to start a protest group with the similarly offended shoppers who think Aldi shopping bag checks are some kind of person affront

It's not all about you

I find it annoying because there isn't the choice to have a staffed check out. If I had chosen to use self-scan and then there were a barrier, I wouldn't mind as much. But if I wanted to use an actual check out with a human being and they don't provide that, then I do feel that it's a bit rich to put up a load of extra computer-based security. Just employ people to do it!

DH and I went to a French petrol station where there was a barrier at the exit and you have to scan your receipt to prove you have paid for your fuel before leaving

It struck me at the time as a pretty sensible measure, but I will now retrospectively get insulted and offended that the French fuel industry thinks I’m a thief

It doesn’t bother me but you are probably right most people who steal from the self service still buy something (otherwise why would they bother going to the tills) so abit pointless.

To be fair, it's not any bit of paper, but a barcoded receipt.

But I read something ages ago which said the most common method of stealing at SCOs was to register expensive things as cheap weighed vegetables. That would still give the thief a receipt.

It doesn't bother me if I've bought something and have a receipt, but I had issues getting out of a Sainsbury's recently when I hadn't bought anything. No security guard or staff around, so I just had to push through the barrier, which didn't go off or anything.

I'll find it annoying when they bring this in in my local store because I generally don't take a receipt. But insulting? No, that's very silly.

If they barred everyone from exiting, including me, then I'd be equally insulted.

I would never feel insulted by something that wasn’t personally aimed at me! They need to do something to stop shoplifting - to me it’s no different from putting your ticket into the barrier in a station or showing your ticket on the train.

This was common practice when we lived in Copenhagen. If shoplifting is on the rise it's important it's monitored as it raises prices for all

I genuinely can't understand why people get annoyed about things like this
Scan a receipt and leave. Complete non issue

You're being ridiculous

Self Scan checkouts print the receipt automatically, no option for no receipt.

What’s insulting is sainsburys and other supermarkets making record profits but being too cheap to hire real staff on a FT basis and making the gig economy significantly worse.

Or they could open the barrier by using facial recognition to see if the person approaching the barrier has just used one of the self-checkouts (which all have individual cameras on them) - if it doesn't appear to be someone who's just used a checkout, then that would at least give them reasonable grounds to check a receipt”

Lots of shoplifters put some things through the checkout to get a receipt.

Yep was going to say it’s incredibly popular here in Copenhagen, and shoplifting has reduced. They stop people legging it out the door, they do spot checks and are v good at scanning a receipt and quickly jutdgibg wether that looks accurate with the Shiloh g bag size. It works and I cannot for a second be bothered to be offended by somthing like this

The french think everyone is a thief.
You routinely have to show them empty carriers at the till and they won’t let you return to the shop with your shopping bags if you’ve forgotten something, customer service take them from you.
Jean Valjean still wouldn’t get away with stealing a loaf 200 years later.

OP
I would be ok with this. What annoys me to boiling point is witnessing and it's happened countless times, people running out of stores with whatever they can cram in their jackets and even worse trollyfulls of unpaid for items. I know many shoplifters are caught but the majority get away with it.

😞😬

No, because that's how train stations and ticketed attractions have always worked for as long as I can remember.

Shops, on the other hand don't generally work on the assumption that shoppers need to prove they're not thieves. Checking people on exit where the shop have failed to remove a security tag is normal, checking every single person on exit is not.

Yes, I've already pointed out that this new check which I really don't like won't even stop a lot of actual thieves!