Derby residents in Osmaston, Sinfin, and Allenton are threatening to stop shopping at Sainsbury’s after the supermarket increased the number of its self-service checkout tills.
Residents have described the decision to reduce staff-operated tills to three as “coercive”, saying they are being bullied to use self-service tills. A post on a popular Spotted group, from two months ago angered as many as 60 people.
On the group, which focuses on issues in Sinfin, Allenton and Osmaston, Kevin Winson urged people to reject the self-tills in protest. He wrote: “Apparently from September, Sainsbury’s on Osmaston Park Road, is planning to reduce the number of staff-operated tills to three.
“The plan is to coerce the public to use self-service facilities. This impacts on staff jobs and quality of customer service.
“I am completely opposed to this move and I hope others are too. People need to share their concerns and use the staffed checkouts as a form of protest. The next step will be more cashless tills as they fight to remove cash.”
Gerry Belmore weighed in, saying: “It’s ridiculous I have a friend working there. Now the packers have to fill Uber orders with up to 50 items in an order. I have stopped going there prefer M and S and the prices are better.”
Kelly Gee added: “I stopped going there when they shut the pharmacy and Argos. Be shut soon at this rate.”
Dan Fetherston said: “Already bad as it is with maybe 1 person on checkout and nowhere to refund items like clothes unless you spend ages queueing up at the tobacco counter”
But, despite worries about the impact less staffed tills would have on jobs and other concerns, the self-tills still found some support. In the same group, Toni Fletcher hit back, saying: “Well sorry but I like nothing more than using the hand scanners at Sainsbury’s as I shop, bags packed as I go round the store and a simple swipe and pay at the end”
Steve Hughson added: “Your shopping is much cheaper when using a self-service till”
But Sainsbury’s told Derby Now the supermarket was striving to ensure customers get the most satisfying and convenient experiences at their Osmaston shop. A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We regularly review the services available in our stores to make sure we offer the most convenient experience to our customers.
“We have slightly increased the number of self-service checkouts at our Osmaston Park store so that we can meet customer demand for this service.
“Our colleagues are on hand to help anyone who may need support using them and we continue to offer serviced checkouts for our customers who wish to use them.”
Derby Now understands that despite customer fears that they would see less staff at the shop, Sainsbury’s will not be reducing its workforce and customers will still be able to see the same number of staff inside the shop as before, although they will not necessarily be sitting on the tills.
Three visits to the Osmaston shop across the weekend and during peak hours on a weekday all showed the store was decently staffed and there was a huge demand for self-service tills.
