'Retro' Woolworths store's missing feature sparks discussion
Images of the old-style store have been met with delight from Aussies
A Woolworths shopper was stunned to discover a “retro” supermarket store that appears as if it hasn’t been updated in years.
One divisive feature in particular was completely missing from the store in Eastwood, Sydney – self-checkouts. “Haven’t seen an old Woolworths in so long,” the Woolies shopper posted to Reddit. “It had no self checkout! I felt like I was visiting an historic landmark”
Images shared of the store with an old Woolworths logo and a distinct lack of self-checkouts were met with excitement from Aussies. The red Woolworths wording with green stripes on either side first debuted in stores across Australia 35 years ago in 1987.
“Gotta be the only store with zero self-serve machines,” said another Redditor. “And that logo! How has head office managed to forget to update this place for over a decade.” Another said: “I think WW Eastwood may be the only one left in Sydney now [that doesn’t have self-checkouts].”
Reason behind 'old' store
Many were quick to speculate on the reason why the store is yet to be updated. “They don't want to spend the money when Eastwood Center was supposed to be knocked down 15 years ago. And still is still waiting,” said one person.
“I interviewed for and was offered a job at Eastwood Woolies in 2008, which I ultimately didn't take up. They warned me this was expected to [be]supermarkets a temporary role as they expected the store to trade for another 6 month,” revealed another.
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Self-service divisive among shoppers
Self-service checkouts have been divisive among shoppers since they were introduced, with some claiming they take away jobs. British supermarket Booths recently announced it was removing self-service checkouts as they were "impersonal".
But major Aussie retailers Aldi, Coles and Woolworths previously told Yahoo News they are sticking by the technology, overwhelmingly saying they are the checkout of choice for most Australians.
Woolies shared that while self-service is here to stay, for customers who prefer to be served by a team member, “there is always that option in all of our stores".
“We know there’s many different opinions on the use of this technology and that’s why we have a range of ways for customers to complete their shop,” a spokesperson said.
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