Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Our free email updates are the best way to get headlines direct to your inbox Something went wrong, please try again later. Our free email updates are the best way to get headlines direct to your inbox Booths, the regional supermarket chain with roots in Lancashire, has made the strategic decision to remove self-checkouts from the majority of its stores, leading to an apparent boost in customer happiness levels. The managing director, Nigel Murray, revealed to The Grocer that their customer satisfaction scores have impressively climbed from 70 to a notable 74 out of a maximum 100 points since November 2023. Murray said: "We're at 74 now, up from 70 (out of 100). Not all of that is due to the fact that we've taken self-service checkouts out of many of the stores." "But when you look at things like service, into the 'promise of things to come' section, we've scored brilliantly." Additionally, Murray emphasised the effectiveness of staffed checkouts, stating: "Because in really simple terms if you've got somebody who is doing a job repetitively for six, seven, eight hours a day, they are going to do it faster and better than if you are just turning up to do it once every three days." Meanwhile, amid these changes at Booths, other retailers like Home Bargains are shaking up their own checkout systems. In an effort to tackle theft, Home Bargains is reportedly trialling innovative anti-theft technology for self-service checkouts, reports the Express. Home Bargains is enhancing their CCTV systems with AI technology, designed to ascertain if items at self-checkout have been properly scanned. The retailer has joined forces with SAI (Storewide Active Intelligence) and Everseen to integrate this sophisticated software into its security setup. SAI has praised the innovation for turning conventional security cameras into "specialised and capable in-store AI assistants." In a significant service expansion, Aldi has declared that shoppers will now have the opportunity to buy lottery tickets at self-checkout machines— a convenience once reserved for manned checkouts alone. Contrastingly, Asda recognises the need for the human touch at checkouts and plans to boost staff numbers in this area. Acknowledging they've maxed out the potential for self-service tills, Asda sees value in investing more time into staffed checkouts, dismissing the notion that the move was influenced by customer preference for personal interaction over automated assistance.