M&S to open DIY checkouts

QUEUES are to be banished at Marks & Spencer supermarkets with the launch of a series of new self-service tills. The tills, which will enable shoppers to avoid the tedium of queuing endlessly to pay for their shopping, will be tested in stores in London's Oxford Street and Uxbridge before being installed in 312 M&S outlets across the country.

The checkouts - called Scot, or Self Checkout Tills - have a touch-sensitive computer screen. The shopper passes products over the barcode scanner before placing them in bags. A picture of the product appears on the screen each time it is passed over the scanner, to reassure the shopper that it is the correct item. The till also weighs loose fruit and vegetables. The shopper then pays the total amount to a member of staff who covers a 'pod' of four tills.

M&S said the facilities will reduce queues for shoppers while freeing staff to work elsewhere in the store. 'It's a really fun way of shopping,' a spokesman said. 'We believe this gives customers extra choice and we are very keen to find out if they agree.'

At least 55% of shoppers would be likely to opt for the self-service scanner, according to a poll carried out by manufacturer NCR. The system is already employed by more than 30 retailers across the US. Alberto Camuri, NCR vice-president, said: 'Shoppers there are choosing to go to stores that offer it over those which do not.'

The system is designed to ensure people do not shoplift or add up amounts incorrectly. CCTV cameras are mounted all over the checkouts to monitor shoppers and make sure every item is scanned. The shopping is also weighed after it is added up, to ensure the weight tallies with the products scanned.

Self-service checkouts are already used in a number of Waitrose and Safeway stores. The shoppers pick up a hand-held scanner and run it over the barcode of each product before placing it in their trolley. The entire list is then downloaded from the scanner at the tills, where payment is made. There are spot checks to ensure that people do not fail to scan their items.

A new self-service checkout system has also been developed by British company Optimal Robotrics. It is likely to be tested at other supermarkets and High Street stores later this year.

The M&S announcement of the new technology comes two days after a turnaround was announced in its retail performance. It was named the number one clothes retailer in Europe, showing how its recovery plans are starting to pay off.

The Mintel report revealed how M&S is back in fashion due to its increasingly popular clothes line per una and a new childrenswear collection designed by David Beckham. Despite its mixed fortunes, the High Street giant remains the biggest womenswear retailer in the country.