Supermarket Self Service Tills

[philjo]

I have a fabric Waitrose bag with padded handles that I use for most shopping, including in Morrisons.

 

[ABB125]

I mainly use Tesco bags, in all shops, because the ones I have have much better handles than the other bags (Sainsbury's) that I have. The handles are separate pieces of plastic, rather than a hole near the top of the bag. Much better!

 

[birchesgreen]

I doubt you'll find any supermarket staff who really care what bag you use.

 

[GatwickDepress]

I wonder if the reason for the difference is that random rescans perhaps aren't done at Locals? I haven't tried it at one but there is one not too far away so I might give it a go.

Random rescans (and any other issues like approving restricted items) are done at Locals through an app on the TC51 handsets, so in theory any member of staff with one can check a customer out if required.

 

[jon0844]

I doubt you'll find any supermarket staff who really care what bag you use.

I doubt they'd even notice. In an Aldi, they're just scanning at lightning speed (which I prefer) and not looking what bag you have in your trolley. On the shop floor, they're stacking shelves and - again - not looking.

If you think other customers are looking, well - so what? Do you know any of them? Do they know you? Will you be talking later about what bag you saw someone with, or them doing the same about you?

I have a boot full of Aldi, Co-Op, Asda, M&S, John Lewis and Waitrose bags. Also a big strong Sports Direct bag and an Ikea cool bag. I think I might even have a blue Ikea bag also.

 

[dgl]

The current Waitrose "Bags For Life" are my preferred bag whenever I go, so much stronger than all the others for roughly the same amount of money. Though you'll see me use Lidl bags most of the time as I always forget to bring one with me and Lidl is the closest supermarket.

 

[birchesgreen]

Wilco bags are good, mine tend to be a mix of their's and Waitrose.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

If any supermarkets want me to use a bag that has their branding on, they'll have to start paying me. On the rare occasions I have to buy a "bag-for-about-three-months", they'll only be re-used as bin liners or for donations to charity shops.

 

[XAM2175]

If any supermarkets want me to use a bag that has their branding on, they'll have to start paying me.

You have literally just invented this "issue"

 

[Mcr Warrior]

If any supermarkets want me to use a bag that has their branding on, they'll have to start paying me.

You have literally just invented this "issue"

Indeed. And usually, you can almost always turn the bag inside out, if you don't wish to be seen parading around your local town centre carrying a particular supermarket's shopping bag / advertising.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

You have literally just invented this "issue"

Calm down... perhaps I should have included a winking smiley.

 

[XAM2175]

Calm down... perhaps I should have included a winking smiley.

Perhaps you should have, indeed.

 

[Busaholic]

Not directly on topic, but sufficiently close not to start another thread.

I needed to take my car to the garage to check a dodgy indicator connection, and wanted to go to a cashpoint beforehand. As my journey passed a Sainsbury, I decided to get the cash from outside there, but I was thwarted by my debit card not being accepted in their sole machine (the previous customer had the same problem.) As a very rare parking space was available as near to the store doors as possible, and as I'd run out of kitchen roll, I grabbed a trolley, put the rolls into it and then headed to customer service. I remembered I hadn't purchased the two newspapers I have subscriptions to, so got the paper vouchers from my wallet and paid for the rolls with my card, which was miraculously working now (I had just sufficient in cash to cover if necessary.)

It's a fairly recent and quite largeish store, with a lot of Tu clothing and an Argos straight on or to the right when you enter, whereas all tills are off to the left, bar customer service/newspapers/fags/lottery to the immediate right. So I went to exit the shop from the right with kitchen rolls and nespapers sitting in my trolley. As I went through the door an alarm I'd not heard before started emanating at floor level, with flashing light. It was distinctly different from the 'high value collared item' alarm that goes off regularly: immediately, one of my trolley wheels ceased to work, as if suddenly locked, and a few seconds later the security officer who had been lurking by the door appeared and directed a 'zapper' at the wheel which immediately unlocked it. I did notice there appeared to be a sort of cattle grid that my trolley had passed over which must have caused this. As the security guard had seen me paying for my items just previously, there was no issue, no receipt needed to be shown (luckily I had obtained one) and with a 'there you go, mate' I went on my way.

I've been pondering all this since lunchtime, and am concluding that anyone wheeling a trolley with uncovered goods that hasn't come directly from the till/bagging areas from the left is deemed suspicious, regardless of how much or little is in their trolley. I know that brazenly walking out of a store with goods not concealed is not an uncommon thing: I've seen it both done and attempted to be done, but not recently. Any thoughts?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Trolleys are certainly sometimes fitted with wheel locks, very often a wire to lock them is run around the outside of the car park to stop people taking them out.

 

[DelayRepay]

As the security guard had seen me paying for my items just previously, there was no issue, no receipt needed to be shown (luckily I had obtained one) and with a 'there you go, mate' I went on my way.

This is one of the things that slightly worries me about self-service tills - you don't usually get a receipt automatically, you have to press to say you want one. I get that they are trying to avoid waste paper (and who really needs a receipt for a newspaper and pack of kitchen rolls). But, combined with using your own bags and possibly packing your items as you shop, it could be easy to be suspected of shoplifting.

I assume if it came to it they could find the transaction record from your card details or the CCTV, but it could be a hassle.

One feature that would be helpful in the Sainsburys app is the ability to view receipts for previous shops. It may exist but I have yet to find it. The only record of a completed shop is the nectar points being credited.

 

[Typhoon]

This is one of the things that slightly worries me about self-service tills - you don't usually get a receipt automatically, you have to press to say you want one. I get that they are trying to avoid waste paper (and who really needs a receipt for a newspaper and pack of kitchen rolls). But, combined with using your own bags and possibly packing your items as you shop, it could be easy to be suspected of shoplifting.

Couldn't agree more. Asda is one of those supermarkets where you have to click 'yes'. I have twice been asked for my receipt on the way out (one of the checks was extremely cursory - he didn't even look at the receipt). I obviously look suspicious.
Our nearest Co-ops don't give receipts even when paying at the counter, you have to ask!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Having a number of convenience stores within a reasonably similar distance I use most of them from time to time. The Tesco Express in the roughest area issues receipts automatically while all the others ask you if you want one. I guess they do that in places where checking is often necessary.

 

[gswindale]

If I end up buying my lunch from M&S, then using the self service till results in a question about a receipt. If I select yes, then I get one and an email. If I select no, then I just get the email. On a couple of occasions the email receipt has been received whilst the machine still says it is processing the payment!

 

[najaB]

I assume if it came to it they could find the transaction record from your card details or the CCTV, but it could be a hassle.

If needed they would ask you which machine you used and then go into the transaction log and print out a receipt.

 

[Busaholic]

If needed they would ask you which machine you used and then go into the transaction log and print out a receipt.

Two dozen or so closely packed-in machines, and you'd be feeling stressed even if you were guilt-free. If I'd used a machine somewhere in the middle, I'm not enough of a nerd to be sure which one, and why should I be? Anyway, what I'm really interested in is why my trolley set off an alarm system and how that wheel got immediately locked. Only at the weekend, I'd gone into that same supermarket intending to buy a handful of items but, on finding it was a 'six bottles of wine at 25% discount' day (and they are often only for one or two days locally), I'd done my bit for the economy by taking it up. I had no box to put them in after the checkout (Sainsburys seems to have given up on leaving empty wine boxes to be used for that purpose) so put them back into the trolley ready to be transferred to one when I got back to the car. Might that then lead to my being intervened with at the door? If it ever happened, I wouldn't make a scene but almost certainly restrict my visits, given I do have other choices locally.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Anyway, what I'm really interested in is why my trolley set off an alarm system and how that wheel got immediately locked.

Presumably there's a "virtual one way gate" that prevents you leaving the store with a trolley via the entrance rather than through the tills. All supermarkets used to have physical one-way gates - a turnstile and a flappy thing to put your trolley under, which are presumably now rare for accessibility reasons, though the German supermarkets still have them in the form of "airlock doors" that prevent you leaving via the entrance or entering via the exit unless you're very quick, and presumably sound an alarm if you do manage it.

Talking of bags from other places, as I think that came up above, the German solution to this is the provision of swimming pool style lockers for you to leave them in, and you're expected to proactively show any bag you're carrying open to the checkout staff to show it's empty, or to explain the provenance of any items not bought there.

 

[route101]

In some European Countries you need a receipt to exit the self-scan area barrier, I learnt the hard way.

 

[jon0844]

In some European Countries you need a receipt to exit the self-scan area barrier, I learnt the hard way.

Some places here had that, like the Tottenham IKEA, but I think before it closed for good they had got rid of the extra checks.

 

[birchesgreen]

In some European Countries you need a receipt to exit the self-scan area barrier, I learnt the hard way.

Our local Sainsburys has that too, first time it caught me out, luckily i looked honest enough to the person at the gate!

 

[zero]

I've been pondering all this since lunchtime, and am concluding that anyone wheeling a trolley with uncovered goods that hasn't come directly from the till/bagging areas from the left is deemed suspicious, regardless of how much or little is in their trolley. I know that brazenly walking out of a store with goods not concealed is not an uncommon thing: I've seen it both done and attempted to be done, but not recently. Any thoughts?

This happened to me when walking into a Sainsburys with a(n empty) trolley.

In some European Countries you need a receipt to exit the self-scan area barrier, I learnt the hard way.

I have been to some European supermarkets, bought nothing so had no receipt, and then had to exit the barriers with my 70L backpack and wheeled luggage.

Some places here had that, like the Tottenham IKEA, but I think before it closed for good they had got rid of the extra checks.

I've had this in several IKEAs but not all the time, so maybe it comes and goes.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

If needed they would ask you which machine you used and then go into the transaction log and print out a receipt.

All this faffing about just so these massively wasteful companies can say "look how sustainable we are!" is really annoying. They want a pat on the back for making me request a receipt, but they'll also use way more plastic than is necessary to package a salad.

And don't get me started on all the food they throw away...

 

[najaB]

All this faffing about just so these massively wasteful companies can say "look how sustainable we are!" is really annoying. They want a pat on the back for making me request a receipt, but they'll also use way more plastic than is necessary to package a salad.

It's not as much about green cred as it is recognising that the vast majority of customers don't want a receipt, so they can save money on paper and wear and tear on the printers. Not to mention the slight increase in customer throughput.

And don't get me started on all the food they throw away...

I can only speak for Tesco locally, but they throw away very little. Most of their stuff that is approaching end of shelf life is first heavily discounted - usually down to less than 10% of the retail cost - or is made available for free through Olio.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I can only speak for Tesco locally, but they throw away very little. Most of their stuff that is approaching end of shelf life is first heavily discounted - usually down to less than 10% of the retail cost - or is made available for free through Olio.

My local Tesco is terrible for waste, stuff in the clearance section with about 2 hours left in date and they've reduced it by 20% at best.

Tesco are also the worst offender for only supplying perishable items in large packs- I live alone, so I don't want to have to buy six bread rolls when I'll only use three of them at most before they go stale. At least Morrisons (and larger Asda stores) sell them in twos too, so I don't have to buy more than I can use.

 

[Gloster]

I can only speak for Tesco locally, but they throw away very little. Most of their stuff that is approaching end of shelf life is first heavily discounted - usually down to less than 10% of the retail cost - or is made available for free through Olio.

In the last year or so they have started giving more stuff to foodbanks and the like. However, I read in the last couple of days that this has fallen away because more and more people are buying the reduced stuff.

 

[Busaholic]

My local Tesco is terrible for waste, stuff in the clearance section with about 2 hours left in date and they've reduced it by 20% at best.

Tesco are also the worst offender for only supplying perishable items in large packs- I live alone, so I don't want to have to buy six bread rolls when I'll only use three of them at most before they go stale. At least Morrisons (and larger Asda stores) sell them in twos too, so I don't have to buy more than I can use.

Often only 10% discount at my local Tesco, max 20% except evening/Sunday afternoon bread products significantly cheaper.
Sainsbury's here now discounting day before sell-by, fairly standard 32% (I think!) discount, never quite a third off for some reason. In the fruit aisle the other day, the manager was berating an employee who'd discounted all the raspberries, which cleverly don't have sell-by dates on the packages, as 'I told you not to do that!' Behind someone in queue five minutes later who'd bought such a pack, product refused to scan, manager came over and irately said it had been a mistake and the customer would have to pay full price or go without! Top customer service (not).