Woolworths’ trial of cash handling technology divides shoppers, with some fearing a push towards a cashless society while others welcome the convenience. Learn more about the new checkout feature and its impact.
Australia, Bollywood Fever: A checkout feature being trialled at a handful of Woolworths stores has sparked a huge divide among shoppers, with some fearing it’s a push towards a cashless Australia.
The supermarket giant installed “cash handling technology” in all its Metro stores in 2020. This device, located at the front of checkouts, prevents employees from having to physically handle cash. Woolworths later began trialling the cash-counting gadget in two of its main supermarket stores but hasn’t expanded the technology any further.
While the automatic device — a depository safe known as a “cash recycling machine” that counts and sorts money — isn’t new, the little-known checkout feature has recently gained attention following the supermarket’s announcement it was rolling out a “new front-of-store experience.”
After learning of its existence, Australians have been left with mixed thoughts on the cash handling technology, with some claiming they will “boycott” their local store if the machines are fitted at checkouts nationwide.
“I won’t be shopping at Woolworths any more that’s absolutely for sure,” one customer raged on Facebook. “This is pure laziness,” someone else mused. Another stated: “Is Woolies OK? It’s not hard for their staff to count a few coins.” Another furious shopper wrote: “What a dumb idea. Absolutely no customer benefit to do this. They have lost their mind and any customer service.”
Others believed the move was a push towards becoming a cashless society, a claim Woolworths quickly refuted. Customers who want to pay with cash can still do so using a manned checkout. “The machines provide significant benefits to our Metro team members by removing the handling, counting, and transporting of cash as well as reducing the risk of theft,” a Woolworths spokesperson told news.com.au. “Customers using the machines go through the same process that they’d experience at one of our self-service checkouts, making it an efficient way to complete their shop.”
Despite reassurances, shoppers continued to express their fears online. “It’s our currency and we’re being denied to use it everywhere now,” one claimed. “I hate paying by card, the transaction fees quickly add up,” another shared. While one ranted: “This is disgusting we should be able to pay for our goods how we choose to pay cash or card and not be dictated by them.”
However, many welcomed the additional checkout option, stating it was a good way to use up excessive coins. “Why are people so mad? It doesn’t bother me at all,” said one. “Such a good idea,” another agreed.
The debate comes after Woolworths unveiled its “new front-of-store experience” that it claimed will transform how Australians shop for their groceries. The change will see a series of reformatted hybrid stores, mixing self-serve and manned registers together. This format caters to changing customer shopping habits, with a shift towards smaller but more frequent basket sizes.
“For a basket with 20 items or less, 83 percent of our customers choose self-service checkouts, whereas for a basket with more than 20 items, the majority of our customers select a staffed checkout,” a Woolworths spokesperson said. “But, we know there are some customers who prefer to be served by a team member and we’re gradually rolling out a new front-of-store experience where we are using data to ensure we have the right choices of checkouts for customers in each local community.”
The spokesperson added that the new format would provide “a great customer experience for customers to continue to be served by” staff members if they choose, and that express lanes were already in about 800 stores.
Pictures of a newly opened Woolworths store in Spotswood, Melbourne’s southwest, show dual service desks with multiple staffed conveyor belt checkouts, as well as the now more typical self-service kiosks.
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