To think giant supermarket scales to spot shoplifting won't work?

[SwanOfThoseThings]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0rzvrjkklko

Tesco are trialling these giant scales to check trolley contents match what has been self-scanned. Surely this is going to be nothing more than a giant pain in the arse? They're never going to be sensitive enough to weigh small items, e.g. cosmetics, bar of chocolate etc. plus you might have your own shopping bags in the trolley to complicate matters.

This is not the way to go. Supermarkets need to increase the number of staffed checkouts.

Even better, 1 member of staff to supervise the tills and also do other jobs around the store so you stand there like a lemon trying to get someone’s help. M&S on a Saturday morning, I’m looking at you.

They did say to customers go to the checkout with number lit in green. It looks like the staff member puts till in secure mode. If sign off, I think number goes red.

They remind me of airport security scanners. I would definitely go to a manned till instead.

I was in a shop (not in the UK) where every single loose item (vegetables, fruit, bakery etc) gets checked at the self scan. It actually wasn’t that bad - the store know most people are going to have at least one item checked and have the staff member standing by, plus shoppers know and do the loose item last so they can finish packing while the item is approved.

In British stores, what annoys me is that in a lot of shops, whoever assigns staff seems to have no idea that checks might ever be necessary so it never occurs to them to assign sufficient staff.

In British stores, what annoys me is that in a lot of shops, whoever assigns staff seems to have no idea that checks might ever be necessary so it never occurs to them to assign sufficient staff.

Yes, they're just so desperate to cut staff.

In the Sainsbury's near me there are 8 trolley self checkout tills, 8 basket self checkout tills, and 4 scan and shop tills, and only ever one woman trying to cover all of them. If someone gets flagged for a full trolley rescan, the whole thing is fucked as eventually every till requires some sort of assistance but she's stuck rescanning an entire shop.

I can't see it working. Many is the time I've put something really light like a birthday card,or a packet of crisps on the bagging area for it not to register.

When I saw the title of this thread,I thought it was going to say that they were weighing people on giant scales as they entered the store then weighing them again on exiting,to check whether they had anything hidden about their person! That would go down a treat! 😂

Yeah. None of this has anything to do with making things easier for the customer, though. It’s all about saving money - not that the customer benefits from those savings in the form of lower prices, of course.

This is what it comes down to. You either trust us to do the jobs staff should be doing, or you don’t. But don’t put all this onus on us and then treat us with contempt.

Great idea - would catch anyone who had sneakily eaten a cake as they wandered round the aisle. Absolutely no hiding with that technique! 😂

It's a really crappy way to treat their staff. They absolutely cannot do their job properly in the circumstances. And presumably leads to lots of grumpy customers.

I often have other items in the trolley and in my bags, like recycling I am carrying about and stuff like that. Bags of batteries, books and water filters, often stuff I carry around for weeks in my shopping bags without actually getting rid of!

I get checked every so often. Sometimes it's just a few items. I think recently it was 60 items and once was a full scan on a £160 shop. The staff at Tesco have always been courteous and have repacked for me.
Today I did self scan for the two items I was buying and got selected for a check. That seemed silly but the staff have no control over who gets selected or how many items need checking.

I don't understand this. I always pack as I go. If I'm selected for a rescan then the staff just pick out a selection of items and then put them back in the bag.

Ah because it’s using the scanning machine thing. I seeeeee.

Can’t they just use the Amazon Fresh technology? I felt like a shoplifter when I was in there, just walking out and not paying for anything!!

Yes I always pack into a bag. What’s the point in doing it otherwise?!!

Omg yes this, I've always wondered why they don't turn off unexpected item in bagging area and just ask you to scan photo ID that is digitally compared to who is stood there.

They could do with something like that for pick-your-own strawberry farms!!

@Fluffy fair enough if some prefer self scan. But it seems the supermarket wants a way of checking the self-scanners - in which case why not use humans rather than scales?

But they have to scan a good selection of items and may not be happy just with the items at the top of the bag.

Especially as actual thieves would probably plan ahead and make sure the top items were scanned but chance it with a couple of unscanned dear items right at the bottom.

I suppose I could just pack as I go and resign myself to the fact that I've wasted my time on the occasion that I'm chosen for a re-scan.

Incidentally, does anybody know what happens if they do find one or two unscanned items? Do they prosecute, give you a warning, ban you from using Shop & Scan again or just let you pay for the missed items and accept your (truthful or lying) apologies for making a mistake?

I'm sure there are plenty of people who do make genuine mistakes - after all, we haven't been trained in scanning groceries; and you could have any number of distractions as you go.

Incidentally, does anybody know what happens if they do find one or two unscanned items? Do they prosecute, give you a warning, ban you from using Shop & Scan again or just let you pay for the missed items and accept your (truthful or lying) apologies for making a mistake?

I presume that if you've got say, an £100 weekly shop, and you've missed off a £1 shower gel or something, they'll probably just accept it was a mistake. Although you’ll probably automatically have a period of more frequent rescans.

If you've got a few things in your bag - a loaf of bread and a bottle of milk that you scanned, and a £50 bottle of champagne that you haven't, they probably won't believe that you genuinely thought the whole lot was only going to cost a couple of pounds, and suspect it was deliberate.

With any error they do a full rescan. I don't think I had rechecks any more frequently after that though.

Sometimes it can just be a few items.
The staff have a couple of prompts to make them check the bottom of bags and other hiding places but they'll lift items out and put them back in.