A rare photograph from a Woolworths has caused a stir after eagle-eyed onlookers noticed there were no self-service machines at the checkout.
A customer noticed dedicated server counters at a Sunnybank supermarket in Brisbane and shared them on Reddit on Wednesday.
‘Woozy without self-service. “Everything went well,” the buyer wrote.
Only two per cent of Woolworths stores nationwide do not yet have self-service checkouts installed, with Sunnybank being one of them.
The photo caused nostalgia in many buyers.
A shopper was surprised to discover that a Woolworths in the Brisbane suburb of Sunnybank (pictured) does not have a self-service area.
Across Australia, 98 per cent of Woolies stores have a self-service area and more will be rolled out in the future.
‘Ah yes, when Woolworths looked and felt just like browsing through an IGA. Good times,” one wrote.
‘Is it just me, or did the Woolies stores of the ’90s and early ’00s have a totally different vibe to today?’ said another.
“Bring this back,” wrote another.
“Ahh, back when the cashier cared about her job,” said one.
“You know, we’ve reached a point where we have a young generation that completely avoids face-to-face socializing,” wrote another.
Many shoppers said they preferred to scan items themselves because they are faster, don’t get stuck behind people, and couldn’t understand why other shoppers were missing out on the “good old days.”
‘Am I the only one who loves self-service? With headphones on, I don’t have to talk to anyone, I can scan and pack my bag however I want and run,” one shopper wrote.
‘Say what you want, but I HATE checks with workers. “I like to do my own thing and avoid talking and/or bothering anyone if I can,” said another.
‘Fuck that! I use a wheelchair and self-service makes shopping much easier for me. I can go at my own pace: unload without rush, repack without rush,” wrote another.
Self-service checkouts seem to be a love-hate topic among many shoppers.
However, many shoppers were quick to point out that the Sunnybank store could change soon, due to a sign in the background of the photo.
“The sign says ‘new look coming soon’ which means that, in Woolies parlance, all those checkouts will be removed and replaced by self-service very soon,” one wrote.
Some shoppers believed that when self-service checkouts were first introduced they worked better, but now the technology is slow, especially with bag weights detected, as well as getting stuck behind people scanning their weekly shop.
According to data from Woolworths and reported by 7 newsFor a basket with 20 items or less, 83 per cent of Woolworths customers choose self-service checkouts.
However, if a basket has more than 20 items, 66 per cent of Woolies customers chose a staffed checkout.
Woolworths has installed self-service checkout options in 98 per cent of its stores with more to be rolled out in the future.
Woolworths is also seeing strong demand for faster self-service transactions, as shopper habits have shifted towards more frequent and smaller stores.
For those who still prefer the experience of being served by a human, all Woolworths stores offer that option.