Vocal Voices

There used to be two sets of sliding doors and either could be used to go in or out.

Tonight I found out the change - a one-way system. One set of doors lets you in but will not let you out. The other set has become exit only but with a twist. Asda has created a one trollley at a time almost sterile area by the exit. You go through a chest high automatic barrier and if there is no 'beep' the main doors open and off you go. If there is a 'beep' the exit doors do not open and the barrier shuts behind you so that you cannot get back into the store until security have checked you out.

Such is modern life.

Presumably they are only going to catch "tagged" items like scotch at the automatic barrier (the "beep") ? Are they tagging a lot more stuff these days?

Our Waitrose went to a one-way system a couple of years back, but it's not enforced and I still see trollies being pushed out of the "entrance". Whether they've been through the checkout, goodness only knows.
Interestingly our Iceland has just reduced the number of their checkouts from 4 to 2; mind you, it's never busy and I don't think I've ever seen more than one checkout manned whenever I've been in there ......

TheOstrich wrote:Presumably they are only going to catch "tagged" items like scotch at the automatic barrier (the "beep") ? Are they tagging a lot more stuff these days?

They definitely are: fresh meats, fish, baby formula, ready meals, frozen meals and so on, you name it it's tagged... and also recorded on your purchasing habits on your payment card - debit or credit. And don't forget their 'loyalty" cards and offers.

They know and own you. Use cash.

The odd times I go to Asda I do not get a lot and go to the self service tills as there is usually big queues at the check outs.

But I always call for assistance as I say the item is not being scanned or I am trying to do it the wrong way. It has always worked for me evenif the staff don't like doing it.

Went to Booth's at Chorley last week where there is only manned tills. It has been mentioned in the national press. No queues at the tills and helpful and frienmdly staff.
It is a supermarket chain which operates mainly in Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Have seen a woman being stopped witha very full trolley as the alrm sounded as she was laing the store. Security were ckecking every tem against her receipt havein lookeed
in her hand bag.

It is happening everywhere, in smalll shops as well as big ones.

Not sure if Asda here have changed to that Frank, they closed the town centre entrance here a few years ago for security reasons and it never feels convenient to walk around to the other entrance if I only want a few things.
Quite a few are upping security on self service checkouts where you have to have your receipt either scanned or manually checked before you can leave. I know Sainsburys do it but I don’t shop there so don’t know how it works but Ikea now have solid gates which only open once you’ve scanned your receipt.

Aldi seems to have a problem with cheese being shoplifted, their £2.55 blocks of Cheddar are security tagged.

No checks on the self-service here. I often use them as the queues can be huge at the manned tills. I have even put a small trolley full through - in two goes as I ran out of space

Kaz, that's not possible at the local Asda. There is a hand basket only section and you cannot get in with a trolley - the gate is not wide enough. However, there is a self-service trolley section as well as four normal checkouts.

My old friend, Mo, absolutely will not use self-service tills. She will queue for ages with a basket to use a normal till or if none are in operation she will dump the basket and walk out!

Ah, plenty of room for the trolleys here