Woolworths unveils new coronavirus feature at self-serve check outs
Woolworths is set to roll out yet another feature to keep both customers and essential workers safe amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In an email to customers, Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci revealed by early next week 200 stores will have new clear screens installed between self-serve ‘assisted’ checkouts.
The announcement of screens being installed at self-serve checkouts comes just weeks after Woolworths installed glass screens at staffed checkouts across the country, a protective measure Mr Banducci says was “well-received”.
“We continue to work on additional ways to keep us all collectively safe, with more to come on those as we roll them out,” Mr Banducci said in his email.
Additional coronavirus measures at Woolworths
Customers will also have access to hand sanitiser stations at the entrance of 95 per cent of Woolworths stores by Sunday, Mr Banducci said, with the remainder of the stores getting the stations next week.
“We’d encourage you to use these to sanitise your hands before you start your shop,” he said.
Mr Banducci acknowledged at the start of his email, Australia was entering a “kind of ‘new normal’”.
“It’s incredible to see the changes to how we all live and shop,” he said.
“And in turn, we at Woolies are working hard to adapt our business to meet these changing needs.”
While Australians adjust to social distancing restrictions, supermarkets have been forced to implement changes within stores.
In the lead up to the Easter long weekend, Woolworths and Coles both announced they would be counting how many people were in each store at a certain time.
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To adhere to the government’s advice of keeping a distance of 1.5 metres between people, supermarkets encouraged the use of trolleys to maintain a safe distance.
“We are all getting better at managing social distancing, so thank you to everyone for keeping a trolley-length apart, and for your patience,” Mr Banducci said.
Changing habits of shoppers
Since the coronavirus outbreak, Australia has seen a significant reduction in movement, and Mr Banducci said the pandemic has even influenced shopping habits.
“Australians are shopping less often, but buying more when they do,” he said.
“We are shopping more locally, more in the mornings and less on Saturdays and Sundays.”
Not only has there been changes to when and where people shop, but also how customers go about getting their groceries, with Mr Banducci saying use of the Woolworths App was up 320 per cent.
The app not only allows people to place orders from the comfort of their home, but allows customers to plan their next shopping trip and organise a shopping list by aisle, which could limit the time they have to spend in a store.
Traffic on the Woolworths website has also doubled, the company says.
Although Mr Banducci admitted home delivery remains in high demand, Woolworths now have “significantly more windows available”, while the supermarkets continues to prioritise the “most vulnerable customers”.
In April, cash payments at Woolworths have gone down 35 per cent, as more customers are opting to tap-and-go.
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