Opinion: Automation means shopper-free shops

News that convoys of large trucks led by a single driver are about to hit our roads is the thin end of the wedge.

Driving along the M3 yesterday, there were actually relatively few lorries, owing to the fact that logistics is still a Monday-Friday, or maybe Saturday at best, business.

But even allowing for the relative paucity of such vehicles and the somewhat average behaviour (par for the course) of those that were being driven, it was hard to imagine a future in which some trucks are driven remotely, or even the shock of looking up to gesticulate at a lorry driver only to discover an empty cab.

“The problem is what happens when things go wrong, or don’t work. Waiting for the couple of staff in such a store to head your way could be a lot more time-consuming than joining a queue at the checkout”

The same is probably true of assistant-free stores. Everybody bemoans the checkout experience, although some systems are a lot better than others, so the idea of being able to pick up an article and then go, while your bank account is automatically debited, has an obvious appeal.

The problem is what happens when things go wrong, or don’t work. Waiting for the couple of staff in such a store to head your way could be a lot more time-consuming than joining a queue at the checkout.

Face to face

There is also the matter of impersonality and why we go shopping. A human face is something that almost anybody involved in shopper-facing retail tech is at pains to emphasise.

When a retail environment is stripped back and we are faced by a row of machines (or even none at all because everything will be done wirelessly) against which to rage, then exiting the store may actually be the natural option. The retailer will have succeeded in turning a store into a 3D laptop.

“This is not a Luddite moan – there is a lot to be said for technology – but rather a question mark about the direction that some retailers appear to be taking”

It might actually be better to focus on making checkouts better or, God forbid, engaging, than looking to banish them altogether.

It is also worth noting that automation carries with it the fear of loss of control for the shopper and leaves them in a position where they are at the mercy of a series of metal widgets.

This is not a Luddite moan – there is a lot to be said for technology – but rather a question mark about the direction that some retailers appear to be taking.

Shops with fewer assistants may save a bit of money, but keeping staff on hand to direct, help and welcome remains a major part of the shopping experience, and no amount of programming will alter this.