Coles shopper notices unusual self-service checkout feature
A number of Coles shoppers have been left perplexed and intrigued by a feature at a self-service checkout.
Supermarket shoppers around the country are all too familiar with self-service checkouts at both Coles and Woolworths supermarkets allowing consumers to dash into a store and checkout their groceries without having to queue at a counter.
But some Coles shoppers are fascinated by a self-service checkout which has appeared at a supermarket in Western Australia.
The checkout features a conveyor belt which self-service checkouts don’t ordinarily have.
They also come in card-only, and cash and card options. It means shoppers can take a trolley through the checkout and unload it onto the conveyor belt.
“We will always have team members available to help customers on our main lane checkouts, but for those who prefer to self-checkout, in some stores we offer a self-service option for customers with trolleys,” a Coles spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia.
“This includes self-checkouts with lower basket shelves so smaller trolleys can fit right over the top, or introducing belted self-checkouts.
“All options offer the ability to weigh fresh produce, scan Flybuys, and pack shopping bags easily.
“Not all self-checkouts will be available in all stores and we are continuing to listen to customer feedback to help us meet their needs.”
While it might seem like a new feature to some people, Coles began trialling at two Melbourne supermarkets in 2015.
Back then, the plan was to install 200 of them across 672 Coles supermarkets, the SMH reported. It’s not clear if this came to fruition though.
'Just beautiful': shoppers in awe of checkout
On Facebook, the new feature seemed to be news to a number of staff and shoppers.
One woman wrote she likes the checkouts because it will keep trolleys out of the smaller self-service checkout area.
“It’s just beautiful,” another woman wrote.
Another woman wrote “they look awesome”.
Some other people, claiming to be Coles staff members, including one from Loganholme in South East Queensland, claimed they are expecting their supermarkets to introduce them.
Either way, how we all shop could be set to change.
In March, Coles launched its first sustainability concept supermarket at Moonee Ponds in Melbourne, which features a fresh-pressed juice station, seafood market, Vietnamese street food vendor and a packageless Omo and Surf refill station for people looking to purchase laundry detergent and cleaning products.
The refill station will allow shoppers to refill old containers in store without having to purchase new ones.
There is also a station with a dedicated fruiterer to slice and dice vegetables and a hot pizza vendor to provide a hot slice in two to four minutes.
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