Customers love our self-checkouts, says Sainsbury boss

Simon Roberts says Sainsbury's will not give up cashiers in stores. Photo: Henry Nicholls/Reuters

Sainsbury's boss insists shoppers love self-service checkouts as other supermarkets ditch them due to backlash.

Simon Roberts insisted that Sainsbury's customers «love the fast checkout» offered by self-service checkouts.

Simon Roberts insisted Sainsbury's customers «love the fast checkout» offered by self-service checkouts.

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His commitment to technology is evident even as rivals ditch the devices . Northern Grocer Booths last year replaced self-checkout machines with human cashiers at all but two of its 27 sites after a customer survey found they were difficult to use.

In the US, Walmart and Costco did so . the use of self-service checkouts has been canceled.

Mr Roberts said: «If you visit one of our supermarkets you will definitely see more self-service checkouts than a few years ago because the reality is that many shoppers like quick checkout.»

However, Mr Roberts Roberts said, he added, the supermarket would not give up having cashiers in stores.

“Over the last year, as we have installed more self-checkouts, we always make sure that the traditional look of belted cashiers is there.” .

Last year, Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy was forced to defend self-checkout machines after a petition calling for them to be stopped attracted thousands of signatures.

There have also been concerns that self-service checkouts are helping shoplifters. amid a wave of retail crime since the pandemic.

Mr Roberts said Sainsbury's was «ensure we protect ourselves from any theft.»

It comes as Sainsbury's, which also owns Argos, said on Thursday it expects to make profits of more than £1 billion this year as more customers sign up to its Nectar card scheme and inflation falls. .

reported underlying profit before tax rose 1.6% to £701 million for the 12 months ended 2 March. Profits rose as strong food sales offset weaker general merchandise sales.

On a legislative basis, preliminary — Tax profits fell 15.3% to £277 million due to a restructuring of the financial services division. Sainsbury's sold its mortgage portfolio to Co-op Bank in August last year, and in January the supermarket said it was looking to sell its entire banking division.

Sainsbury's shares fell more than 2% on Thursday in the morning.

Mr Roberts said the supermarket attracts customers from both discounters and higher-end supermarkets.

He said: “We are the only full choice grocer taking share from both limited choice supermarkets… , as well as from what I would call higher-end grocery retailers.”

Mr Roberts added that the supermarket was in talks with its suppliers about how to mitigate the impact of recent events. poor weather for crops such as potatoes.

He said: “We've already had a lot of discussions to make sure we can find a way to make the best use of the available crops, looking at different parts of the UK that have been less affected so that we could protect supplies.

“It's not just potatoes, it's onions and other other crops. So, we're working through all of that, and I think we're pretty confident that, number one, we'll do a really good job of supporting our farmers, and number two, protecting affordability without having any impact on customers.»