Self-checkouts may be a common fixture in modern supermarkets, but one UK retailer is scrapping the trend. Booths, a regional supermarket chain based in Lancashire, has removed self-service checkouts from the majority of its stores, opting instead for a return to fully staffed tills. The result? A noticeable lift in customer satisfaction. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW Nigel Murray, Booths’ managing director, told The Grocer that since the move began in November 2023, their customer satisfaction score has jumped from 70 to 74 out of 100. While not all of that improvement is attributed solely to the change, Murray believes it’s had a meaningful impact. ‘We’re at 74 now, up from 70,’ he said. ‘Not all of that is due to removing self-checkouts, but when it comes to service — particularly in areas like our ‘promise of things to come’ — we’ve scored brilliantly.’ He also praised the speed and consistency of staff-run checkouts, noting that regular repetition leads to greater efficiency. ‘If you’ve got someone doing that job for six, seven, eight hours a day, they’re simply going to do it better than someone who uses it once every few days,’ he added. Booths’ decision comes at a time when other retailers in the UK and Ireland are also rethinking how customers pay for their shopping – though not all are taking the same approach. As more shops roll out self-checkouts and scan-free systems, could customers simply reject the shift to self-service altogether? As more shops roll out self-checkouts and scan-free systems, a question lingers: could customers simply reject the shift to self-service altogether? Pic: Getty For many shoppers, these machines represent more than convenience – they’re seen as a symbol of lost jobs and a devaluing of human interaction in retail. In January, a Carlow councillor voiced concern over the growing reliance on self-service checkouts and remote working, saying it reflects poorly on how Ireland supports its workforce. At a Carlow County Council meeting, Cllr Willie Quinn described it as ‘very sad’ to see so few staff operating tills at Penneys in Carlow, where new self-checkouts were introduced just before Christmas. Pic: Marc O’Sullivan ‘There were 13 checkouts and only five people working at them – the rest were machines,’ he said, recalling a visit during the festive season. ‘Is that the way our country has gone? Turning our back on our own people and jobs’ While plenty of people refuse to use them on principle, sticking to that stance is getting harder as self-service tills become nearly impossible to avoid.