Supermarket giant Woolworths is introducing a “new front-of-store experience” that promises to revolutionise how Australians shop for groceries. As automation becomes more prevalent, Woolworths is launching a series of hybrid stores that combine self-serve and manned registers, catering to changing customer preferences.
With a growing trend towards smaller, more frequent shopping trips, Woolworths recognises that many customers prefer the convenience and speed of self-service checkouts. A spokesperson for Woolworths stated, “As customer buying habits have shifted, we are seeing more frequent, smaller basket sizes, and a strong customer preference for a quicker and easier self-serve checkout experience.” They added, “For a basket with 20 items or less, 83 percent of our customers choose self-service check-outs, whereas, for a basket with more than 20 items, the majority of our customers select a staffed checkout.”
However, Woolworths acknowledges that some customers still prefer the traditional experience of being served by a team member. To accommodate this, the new front-of-store design uses data to ensure that each store offers the right mix of checkout options for its community. The spokesperson explained that the new format would provide “a great customer experience for customers to continue to be served by” staff members if they choose, noting that express lanes are already available in about 800 stores.
Photos of a recently opened Woolworths store in Spotswood, located in Melbourne’s southwest, showcase this new setup. The store features dual service desks with multiple staffed conveyor belt checkouts alongside the increasingly common self-service kiosks.
This initiative comes as major supermarkets adapt to a population facing rising cost-of-living pressures. In response, Woolworths and other chains are making changes to loyalty programs, offering discounts, and continuing popular services like the Covid-era “direct-to-boot” pickup option. Woolworths’ new front-of-store experience aims to meet customers’ evolving needs, providing a seamless and convenient shopping experience.
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