Asda’s latest supermarket change has some shoppers feeling ‘disgruntled’

Over the last few weeks, supermarkets across the UK have unveiled some major changes and it’s fair to say shoppers haven’t been thrilled.

First, Sainsbury’s announced they are trialling a new, bigger self-service checkout that would reduce the number of human cashiers in its stores. They’ve also introduced touch screen devices in-store that show customers which aisle the product they’re looking for is on. Again, to reduce the need for staff to help customers. 

Then M&S revealed they were going to be putting self-checkouts in a rather unexpected spot in 180 of their stores across the UK. These will be located in changing rooms, so shoppers can try on clothes and pay instantly, avoiding the need to queue twice.

And now Asda has joined the list, as the retailer is currently trialling a self-service returns ‘drop box’ which allows shoppers to return unwanted or faulty items without speaking to anyone.

The trial is currently taking place at the Ashton-under-Lyne supermarket in Greater Manchester, and everything from grocery items and clothing, to electrical products can be returned via the machines.

Customers simply have to scan their receipts and the product’s barcode before depositing their return into either a cupboard (for groceries and electrical goods), or into a bin (clothing).

Alexander Lacy, Asda’s senior manager – retail front end service, said in a LinkedIn post that the changes would help reduce ‘queue times’ at customer service desks in-store, which were a ‘key pinch point’ for shoppers.

He added that a simple return via the machine should only take ‘around 30 seconds’.

The returns change will likely divide many, as some have already shared their upset over the continued loss of human interaction in supermarkets.

On X, Steve Dresser, the CEO of @grocery_insight, shared his thoughts on Asda’s trial, claiming it could likely leave people feeling ‘disgruntled’.

He posted: ‘The only challenge around the Asda returns system is that it de-personalises a key pinch point for customers. IE a colleague/manager taking ownership over a disappointing product, either through quality or even worse, sold out of code.

‘Only see disgruntlement increasing if they’re told “yes just stick it in the machine over there.”’

Over on Facebook, Janine Kelly joked that Asda had ‘vacancies’ going for employees as you can now scan your own returns, while Hope Lesley Healer said she would ‘boycott’ the machines. 

Similarly, Joann Daly posted that she’d only use the self-service checkouts if supermarkets paid her to work there, and Joyce Hunter thought it was ‘stupidity gone wrong’. She added: ‘Christ I’ve seen it all now. Do the machines examine all the things returned? Rips, stains, etc. No I don’t think so.’

However, there are some who liked the idea and said they would prefer to drop off a return without speaking to anyone.

@craftybison pointed out: ‘My wife uses Next *so* much more because she can quickly and easily drop off returns without having to needlessly speak to someone. It’s best to have multiple options, each well targeted for different customer segments and needs.’

And Harriet Blake agreed, writing: ‘Personally, I love self-scan. I use a handheld and only have to pack once rather than faffing about.’

Others were unsure what to make of it all as they could see both sides of argument. For instance, Helen Dewdney, who posts under the name The Complaining Cow, thought it was a ‘good idea in theory’, but could see so many issues arising. 

She said: ‘In Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, Asda is trialling self-service returns, so you just take your item with your receipt bung it in a box and get a refund. 

‘There will be a member of staff on hand to help if you haven’t got a receipt or something like that. I feel sorry for that member of staff, because it might just be me but I can foresee lots and lots of problems with that. There will be people who are not coping with an exchange or people who are not entitled to them.. I just can’t see it working very well really.’

The returns machines aren’t the only change Asda is trialling, as the supermarket is also going to be testing out a new tobacco and vape vending machine in the same Greater Manchester store.

This concept is also intended to help reduce queue time at customer service desks.

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