Booths, a UK supermarket chain famous for its high-quality products and excellent customer service, is making a bold move. The company is getting rid of most of its self-service checkouts across 27 stores in Northern England. Known as the “northern Waitrose,” Booths is choosing to focus on real human interaction instead of using machines. They’re going back to fully-staffed checkouts where people, not computers, will help you at the register.

The main reason behind this big change is customer feedback. Shoppers said they didn’t like self-service machines because they were slow, often didn’t work well, and felt cold and impersonal. Booths’ managing director, Nigel Murray, listened to what the customers had to say. He explained, “Our customers want more personal care and a better shopping experience. Machines can’t give you that warm, human touch.”

Booths’ decision also ties in with their core values, which focus on giving shoppers high levels of personal attention and care. In fact, this move goes against the growing trend in the retail world, where many stores are using more machines to replace staff.

But there’s another important reason behind the change. Many people believe self-service checkouts make it easier for thieves to steal things from stores. The British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) even said that shoplifting has become a big issue for stores using these machines. This raises serious questions about how good self-service tills really are at stopping theft.

Even though Booths is removing self-service checkouts from most of their stores, there will still be two exceptions. Stores in Keswick and Windermere, located in the busy Lake District, will keep self-service tills because they deal with large numbers of customers who find the machines more convenient.

Booths has been around since 1847 and has always focused on providing top-quality customer service. By choosing human cashiers over machines, they are showing how much they believe in the power of real, face-to-face interaction. “In a world full of automation,” Booths seems to say, “we still believe that a personal touch matters.”

This decision is shaking things up in the retail world. Booths is reminding everyone that good, old-fashioned customer service is still important, even in a time when technology is taking over. As stores around the world try to balance convenience with personal care, Booths is making it clear: real people make a difference. What do you think about this move?

Share your thoughts in the comments!