M&S is rolling out new self checkouts in 180 of its stores in order to make the shopping experience a little quicker.
The beloved brand is aiming to put these self-service tills in its changing rooms so customers don’t have to queue twice – both to try on clothes, and then pay.
Sacha Berendji, M&S’s operations director, said: ‘We’d like customers to be able to walk straight into the fitting room with no queue, try on what they’ve chosen, then pay there and just walk out.’
Sounds like a great idea, right?
Well, not everyone is thrilled by the new tech. The change, which will hit at least 100 branches by 2028 but internally, has raised shoplifting concerns.
Speaking recently, Archie Norman, the retailer’s chairman, said the brand gets ‘very little help from the police’ when it comes to items being stolen from the store – and that the middle classes were largely to blame.
‘You get the sort of middle class… with the reduction of service you get in a lot of shops, a lot of people go in and think, “well this didn’t scan or it’s very difficult to scan these things through and I shop here all the time, it’s not my fault, I’m owed it”,’ Archie told LBC’S podcast Money with David Buik and Michael Wilson.
‘So you see with the self-checkouts… just a bit of that creeping in.’
Members of the public also criticised the retailer for its plans, branding it ‘stupid’ and ‘not a wise move’.
X user Peter Ackerley wrote: ‘Height of madness,’ while user Vanessa Smith said the store was: ‘Asking for trouble.’
‘I used to work for them, this is not a wise move. The theft is rife as it is, this will only encourage shoplifting. Absolutely stupid,’ wrote Lindsey (@Lulubelle1981).
But operations director Sacha assured this potential shoplifting issue would be combated by staff ‘hosting’ the changing rooms, to make sure no customers have the opportunity to take something without paying.
And, some customers who have seen self service tills pop up near or next to the changing rooms already have been pretty happy about the change.
X user Paul Gibson raved about M&S having ‘the best self service tills’ while others praised the retailer for having machines which ‘do the job properly’.
M&S shoppers won’t be forced to use self service tills, as they will still be able to head to a till manned by a member of staff – if that’s what they’d prefer.
The brand’s self service checkouts in its food halls are also getting a bit of a makeover.
Larger self service tills complete with conveyor belts – similar to the ones operated by staff members – are also being used to help customers with large trolley loads.
This change has already been implemented in 42 of its stores, claiming they had been ‘really popular’ with shoppers.
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