The weekly shop can often be something of a nightmare, especially for those who are impatient and like to get in and out of commercial property supermarkets in the quickest time possible. However, for consumers whose pet hate is standing in the queue for the checkouts – good news! A league table has been published revealing the supermarket commercial properties with the longest (and shortest) queuing times in the UK.
Waitrose has long been known for the high quality groceries and helpful staff manning the chain’s stores, and now it tops the list of shortest queuing times when racing for the tills. On average, customers in one of the John Lewis partnership owned commercial properties can expect to stand in line for two minutes and 51 seconds, according to trade publication The Grocer.
However, it narrowly avoided being beaten by Asda, where consumers queue for just six seconds longer than the table toppers, at two minutes and 57 seconds when visiting their local supermarket. Tesco followed with three minutes and five seconds on average.
In fourth place, with a tutting and foot tapping three minutes and 47 seconds, was Sainsbury’s, despite the commercial property chain implementing new techniques designed to help consumers use the self service checkouts more efficiently.
Sitting at the bottom of the table is Morrisons, where frustrated consumers can expect to stand in line for three minutes and 52 seconds before reaching the supermarket checkouts.
Supermarket chains are becoming increasingly aware of the frustrations shoppers face at the tills, and so are beginning to introduce queue-cutting incentives designed to attract consumers to their stores.
Asda, for example, is trialling a new type of hybrid checkout, which can be operated both by a member of commercial property staff or a consumer wishing to use the self service option. There are two main benefits of this – firstly, the consumer may take a trolley through, which is frowned upon in most commercial property supermarkets, and secondly, it could see the end of “This Till is Not in Service” signs that make even the most patient shopper grind their teeth.
The trial is currently taking place in the chain’s Keighley, West Yorkshire store, and an Asda spokesperson confirmed that four other superstores are due to begin installing hybrid checkouts in the next several weeks.
Do you find yourself frustrated when faced with a large queue at your local commercial property supermarket? In your opinion, will the hybrid checkout plan pioneered by Asda work, or is the solution for large supermarkets simply to hire more staff?
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