Crackdown at self-service checkouts - your views online

Supermarkets are set to introduce advanced self-service technology in an attempt to reduce shoplifting. Retail experts say the industry is being forced to consider advanced tech to tackle ‘swipers’ who are stealing over £500 million worth of items a year.

Goods worth more than £500m a year are being stolen by ‘swipers’ in supermarkets

Jason Malone: Here’s a radical thought. Why don’t they employ more staff to stop shoplifting. Anyone who uses a self-service till is playing into their hands. They barely save you any time and they cost jobs. I never use them and never will.

Kurt Blevins: Supermarkets – if you don't want what is most of the time probably a legitimate error to happen, then hire your employees back.

Alex Murphy Vickers: The internet you’ve used to post your comment has cost more jobs than a self service checkout. Internet shopping has closed high street stores and emails have drastically cut postal services.

William Hatton: Many supermarket chains accept a level of theft through shoplifting at self-service checkouts because it's still way cheaper than paying a full quota of staff on manned checkouts.

Tammy Sheila Johnston: I refuse to use a machine – I need and want human interaction.

Wendy McGuigan: I hand scan and it goes straight to my bags. No-one sees what is in my bags. I get stopped and checked every so often. I can see how easy it would be for shoplifters.

Paul Haggie: All the shops are the same, they would rather have one member of staff (likely overworked) manning all self-service tills than employ staff. Yes they take a hit in theft but it balances out – one wage for eight hours a day plus theft or six wages for eight hours a day with less theft. They’d rather save money. They don’t care about customers they care about getting money in the till and want to eventually remove checkouts altogether.

Helen McWhirter: Self-serve is a shoplifter’s paradise, along with the encouragement to bring your own bags.

Ian Black: I’m sick of going into shops and being made to feel that I’m putting someone out by not using self-service.

Chas Fuzz Murray: Try putting staff on your checkouts. Supermarkets have numerous checkouts unmanned, with only three operating if you are lucky. It’s not rocket science.

Michaela Snowdon: Shoplifting from self-service should be considered payment in lieu.

Kieran Davie: They’ll never outsmart me – putting a week’s worth of shopping through as “loose carrots”.

Ally Preston: I'm not employed in a supermarket so I don't scan my own shopping. If nobody used the self-service tills, the stores would have to put more checkout staff on, which would create more jobs.

Diane Will: I hate using them – nearly every time something goes wrong.

Jenna Wilson: It would be nice if they worked properly and were more user-friendly.

Price war at the pumps

Tesco has become the latest supermarket to cut its petrol and diesel prices. The retail giant has cut the price of a litre of unleaded by 6.5p and knocked 4.5p off the cost of a litre of diesel after rival chains Asda and Sainsbury’s dropped their prices.

Ewen Macleod: The big supermarkets should hang their heads in shame. Their fuel recently has been the same price as Shell, Esso and BP yet prior to all the recent big rises they were all 6p or 7p a litre cheaper. It is going to be interesting to see the year end profits of all the big retailers.

Robert French: That’s not enough. Prices should come down by at least 50p and the oil companies would still make a big profit.

Neil Mckinsley: Cutting fuel prices just in time for the gas and electricity to rise in October.

Carol Oliver: It’s pure greed. We spend loads in your shops. To get to you we sometimes need a car so it’s in your best interest to give a decent price on the petrol to get to the shop, Look after your customers.

Steve Leslie: Your anger should be directed at the oil companies, not the supermarkets.

Kenny Dickson: It’s not exactly a saving – it went up by at least 60p so coming down by 6p is still being ripped off.

Don O’sullivan: Only another 50p to go then it will be time to crack a smile.