Booths is getting rid of their self service checkouts.

Oh aren’t you all being a little bit patronising about this? Yes, Booth’s is a very strong, quite upmarket range of shops in the north who are very customer centred and it’s lovely to shop in there, although more expensive, obviously!

The number of posters who have said ‘I’ve never heard of them’, I believe they are a northern company’ and ‘I thought it was a typo’ as well as ‘it took me a while to realise they were a company, I thought it should have read Boots’ etc etc. For goodness’ sake, there are good businesses in the north as well, you know! Just because it’s not Waitrose, Liberty or Selfridges, it’s just not in your consideration!

When I lived in the South Lakes it was my closest supermarket. Loved the choices and quality of the food and wine. I too applaud them doing away with self check outs, I hate them and consider them inventions of the devil.

There’s a Booth’s and a Waitrose close to where my DDs live, and Booth’s is a great store, definitely the more upmarket of the two.

We’re an hour’s drive away from either and they don’t deliver round here, in fact I don’t think Booth’s offer home deliveries at all. Probably just as well for the sake of our bank balance.

As for the self-service points, I agree with others that they should keep some, but I am very much in favour of the customer having the choice of a manned till, without having to face a huge queue at either. Companies need to get the balance right.

Apologies for all the apostrophes there - I’ve just checked and it’s Booths, not Booth’s.

I like the choice of both. I shop daily at Waitrose and not a full trolley and usually early. Sometimes the cashier tills are not manned. And sometimes manned by a very grumpy lone assistant. So having the self service till suits me fine.

But later in the day it is different and having both manned and self serve I am sure keeps the queues down. The Waitrose self serve area in our branch is quite spacious. But a nearby MS self serve area is crowded and noisy. I think that makes a difference.

I like being able to miss out the unloading onto a conveyor belt. Straight from trolley to my bag is so much quicker. Obviously I scan it as well!!!!

Self checkouts never like my bags, which are very thick cotton with good handles that don’t cut into my hand or shoulder. But I can’t put them in the bagging area, because every self checkout thinks there’s something in them, which I’m trying not to pay for.

Dollymixtures

Oh aren’t you all being a little bit patronising about this? Yes, Booth’s is a very strong, quite upmarket range of shops in the north who are very customer centred and it’s lovely to shop in there, although more expensive, obviously!

The number of posters who have said ‘I’ve never heard of them’, I believe they are a northern company’ and ‘I thought it was a typo’ as well as ‘it took me a while to realise they were a company, I thought it should have read Boots’ etc etc. For goodness’ sake, there are good businesses in the north as well, you know! Just because it’s not Waitrose, Liberty or Selfridges, it’s just not in your consideration!

Thanks Doooymixtures. I’m about to walk my lab and spaniel but of course, these are too posh for the north, they should be whippets or Lancashire heelers

Booths is more expensive but the quality and service excellent. I dislike the move to less human contact with apps or self service pushing everything to the customer.

never heard of Booths!

Witzend

Self checkouts never like my bags, which are very thick cotton with good handles that don’t cut into my hand or shoulder. But I can’t put them in the bagging area, because every self checkout thinks there’s something in them, which I’m trying not to pay for.

If I have only a few items at a self-checkout, I don't use bags on the bagging area. I put each item on it after scanning and only load my bag at the end. The bagging area machine seems to work better that way.

If I have more than a few items I use bags one at a time. When one is full I remove it, add an empty one and carry on scanning. It's a while since I've done that but I seem to remember there is a 'button' on the screen to tell the machine that that's what you're doing.

There is a very helpful and friendly bloke who works in the Co-op where we shop and it is he who has given me all these tips.

Another one is that when The Machine tells you to remove from the bag something you've just scanned, just ignore it and carry on.

In a funny sort of way I've enjoyed the challenge of beating The Machine at its own game.

Whenever I see anti-self-scanning threads the word Luddites pops into my head. This is not meant as a personal comment towards witz or anyone else, just a statement of fact.

I hate grocery shopping, not least because of muzak. MrB does most of it – actually likes doing it! – and I think he goes to Personned checkouts. He's a terrible packer but is improving with gentle tips from me about, for example, not putting several wine bottles on top of peaches 😂

My Mum shopped at Booths in Lancashire.

I think self service till have there place. I work in a well know supermarket so have plenty of experience in them.

But If I pop in "another supermarket" for a certain item or couple of items, it puts me off as they have no self service tills.

I then have to que in the line of piled high trollies, odd times a kind person may let me go through with my couple of items.

Hence I tend not to use this other supermarket.

Most machines have made life better for human beings.

Recently on Iona it was fascinating to see the cutting, baling and stacking of hay meadows done in one day. In the past, hordes of people would have been needed to do that back-breaking work. The hay meadows can be kept 'traditional' (which is a good thing) by just a few people and some machines.

I do understand the argument about personal contact. My hope is that we invent more ways to provide that within community services.

Living in outer SW London I’d only heard of them because a sister who lives in the Yorkshire Dales and regularly goes to Kendal (IIRC) for shopping, uses a Booths.

Morrisons was once relatively unknown down south, too.

Agree with you Dickens

Whenever I see anti-self-scanning threads the word Luddites pops into my head. This is not meant as a personal comment towards witz or anyone else, just a statement of fact.

But, Baggs, I think the "anti" is people don't want self-scanning to become the default - the only - option in supermarkets. Because there are situations where it's just not practical and for people who for one reason or another want or need the assistance of a human on a till. Same goes for online shopping - there are items that you physically need to see before you buy them... for example, I will never buy clothes online again after having to faff around returning them because the size - even tho' it's the right size on paper - is wrong. That doesn't make me a 'Luddite'.

We need a variety of options - including self-scanning -as customers because, as you know, one size does not fit all!

Automation is fine - until something goes wrong that needs human intervention, and there are few-to-none around to sort out the problem(s). And, even tho' it's not a commercial consideration - sometimes we just need to interact with a humanoid!

Just back from Boots. It's gone self scanning only. Big queue as do many items needed staff endorsement eg paracetamol etc.
Then to M&S shambles in the self scanning area. Staff rushing about from machine to machine due to problems.
People need people.

Aveline

Just back from Boots. It's gone self scanning only. Big queue as do many items needed staff endorsement eg paracetamol etc.
Then to M&S shambles in the self scanning area. Staff rushing about from machine to machine due to problems.
People need people.

People need people

Couldn't have put it better.

Self-scanning, self-service is fine if your needs are uncomplicated and few - other than that, we need to interact with people.

Booths is owned by Waitrose. They have a lovely store in Keswick and much loved around the Lakes.
I prefer self-checkouts as I dont always want to chat to anyone on a till but then, for my age, am pretty well "teched up but then I do very little shopping in shops.
I think the system is fiddled with avocados put through as carrots and some supermarkets have security to check your bill.

Booths is not owned by Waitrose as far as I know, despite being referred to as a northern Waitrose. There was talk of them buying the firm but I don’t think it went ahead.
I like a combination of self serve (especially with self scan) and serviced tills so I can choose.
Most people seem conscious of those waiting behind them in a queue at the serviced tills, but every now and then you get behind somebody who is telling their life story. I’m sorry if that’s their only interaction for the day, but if you’re in a hurry, it’s difficult.
Which is why I think you should have pay and chat serviced tills and pay and away serviced tills. I wonder which ones would have longer queues.

Booths is independent of Waitrose they are not the same company, they were a family-run business in Lancashire that has expanded.
I knew one of Waitrose staff who looked at where they would build their next store and was told they never go within a certain radius of Booths though I have been told both are to be found in Preston.
We have Booths no Waitrose our nearest is Hexham about 60 miles away. When I had a Waitrose on Humberside there were no Booths.

Is it a particular part of the North? I have lived in north east all my life except for one year in London, and I have never heard of it. I dont think I am snobby, love a B and M shop and my dad was a shopkeeper

But, Baggs, I think the "anti" is people don't want self-scanning to become the default - the only - option

Yes, I understand that, Dickens, and have not made an argument against it. I think both, or several, types of checkouts are needed.

Galaxy

Is it a particular part of the North? I have lived in north east all my life except for one year in London, and I have never heard of it. I dont think I am snobby, love a B and M shop and my dad was a shopkeeper

North-west maybe?

North-west -Lancashire and Cumbria. I love a B&M shop too. They sell long Soreen loaves for £1.39, instead if £1.75 at Booths😁

I believe in one of the Scandinavian countries they have as slow till which is for folk who like to talk to the till person. It’s helps elderly who see very few people to keep language skills going. If only we lived in a country which thought what would help enhance their citizen’s lives instead of lying ang fleecing them