Innovation of the Week is a series highlighting retail initiatives that have caught the eye of our team.
What is it?
Supermarket giant Tesco has launched a trial where it is weighing trolleys at the till for Clubcard shoppers at one of its branches in Gateshead.
For those doing a ‘Scan and Save’ shop, the new tills can scan trolleys before the shop and then again at the end to identify where or if any items have been missed.
If the weight matches the items scanned, they pay as normal. If there are discrepancies, a staff member will then do a manual rescan of the whole trolley.
Why does it matter?
With retail crime remaining a growing problem, it’s clear that Tesco is using this trial as a way to cut down on people using self-scan technology to steal products.
The British Retail Consortium has said shoplifting is getting “out of control” in its most recent annual crime survey, which found incidents of customer theft reported by retailers across the UK rose by 3.7 million to 20.4 million in 2024 – costing businesses £2bn.
Similar trolley scales have been used by supermarket giants in Europe, with some success in cutting down on theft.
Strategic implications
The new trolley scales have caused quite a stir since they first appeared in a photograph on Reddit.
As a result, the BBC sent a reporter to the store to speak with customers. The scales have received rather mixed reviews from shoppers.
Some customers said the new gates are “10 times more convenient and faster” for shoppers, however others were critical – claiming their introduction meant “more and more honest shoppers are being treated like thieves”.
Others were critical of the fact that it’s clearly a trial which, if successful for Tesco, means the supermarket could utilise it to slash retail jobs in the future.
The future of self-scan technology is becoming increasingly debated. While some shoppers appreciate the speed and convenience, others prefer to shop at grocery stores with manned checkouts.
In August last year, northern England supermarket chain Booths announced that it had gotten rid of self-scan tills altogether in their stores.
Both Asda and Morrisons have said they will look to put more staff back on tills.
Either way, these new tills have certainly sparked interest and debate and could provide another weapon in Tesco’s arsenal to combat one of the biggest issues facing the retailer and the sector.
Winning strategies
- Technology to boost brand activity
- Focus on operational efficiency
- Focus on innovation
No comments yet