"We pride ourselves on great customer service, and you can’t do that through a robot."
Booths has become one of the first UK supermarkets to strip out self-service checkouts from most of its stores, according to The Manc.
In a bid to keep its reputation for providing a high-end and premium store shopping experience intact, the Northern-based supermarket retailer - which is often dubbed "the Waitrose of the North" - has made the decision to call it a day on self-service checkouts and make a full return to having staff behind its tills.
The retailer is currently in the process of removing the technology from all but two of its 27 supermarkets, The Grocer reports.
As part of its current ongoing store renovation programme, Booths - which has dozens of stores in Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and one here in West Yorkshire over in Ilkley- appears to be going against the wider industry shift to self-service that's been happening over the past few years by planning to increase the number of staffed checkouts and pay points across all its stores.
Booths becomes first UK supermarket to strip self-service checkouts from stores / Credit: Booths
While many supermarkets' bosses claim shifting over to self-service has helped them to cut down on key costs, and ultimately speed-up the time it takes to serve customers, it's fair to say some shoppers haven't been so keen.
Some have even claimed self-service detracts from overall service levels in store - which is why Booths has decided to do away with them.
Booths' Managing Director, Nigel Murray, told The Grocer that the retailer is basically just "not great fans of self-checkouts".
"We pride ourselves on great customer service, and you can’t do that through a robot," he added.
The supermarket says it's in a bid to provide a premium customer service experience / Credit: Booths
Mr Murray put the company's decision to scrap self-service down to voiced customer concerns such as having to wait for a staff member to verify ID when buying alcohol, or issues with checkouts registering the correct items or weights.
Despite the the backlash from its customers in recent years, Booths said it "made sense" to keep self-service an option at two of its busiest stores in Windermere and Keswick.
This is because these two Lake District outlets are often known to get “quite busy” at certain times, especially if large numbers of tourists turn up during a short time period.
Featured Image - Booths
Shopping
Aldi brings its viral garlic bread-flavoured crisps back to stores across the UK
Aldi has brought its viral garlic bread-flavoured crisps back to stores across the UK, and for a bargain price too.
The budget supermarket chain is absolutely no stranger to bringing out some weird and wonderful food concoctions, many of which have seen shoppers flocking to their nearest store - but judging by reaction on social media and their popularity over the years, it sounds like Aldi has properly knocked it out the park with this creation.
By combining two of Brits' most beloved food obsessions, garlic bread and crisps, Aldi has created the ultimate snacking combination, and they're now back on shop shelves across the UK after going viral when they were first released back in 2024.
And they'll only set you back £1.15 per sharer bag, too.
Aldi's viral garlic bread-flavoured crisps are back in UK stores / Credit: The Manc Group | Rawpixel
If you're looking to get your hands on a bag, then you can expect the crisps to be 'packed full of fin-gar-lickin’ good flavour', according to the retailer.
Shoppers are then hit with the delicious taste of smoky garlic, all while 'experiencing the hearty crunch' that's known to come with Aldi’s premium Specially Selected crinkle cut crisp style.
When the crisps were first released a few years back, a couple members of The Hoot team headed to our local Aldi store to grab a packet of the new creation - and we can confirm that they are, in fact... garlicky.
Aldi's calling them the 'perfect dinner party nibble' or the 'ultimate partner to any summer picnic', and to be honest, we couldn't agree more.
We're gonna say it... run don't walk to your nearest Aldi store.
Featured Image - The Manc Group
Shopping
New and improved LEGO store with Yorkshire-inspired models announces opening date
Clementine Hall
The 456sq m store will give shoppers the chance to fully immerse themselves in the world of LEGO building.
No matter what age, you just can't beat a bit ot LEGO.
And it's safe to say that excitement is well and truly building (get it?) as the LEGO Group has announced its new store will open at Trinity Leeds on Thursday April.
To celebrate the opening there will be specially-designed, Yorkshire-inspired LEGO models available to see and pose with on launch day.
The new and improved store will include a LEGO Pick a Brick Wall, where shoppers can search for the perfect piece to complete their masterpiece, start a brand-new build, or customise an existing LEGO set.
Images: Supplied
There will also be free build challenges and events in-store, as well as a create your own LEGO Minifigures area giving customers the chance to mix and match from a wide selection of pieces, with ‘Brick Specialists' on hand to offer expert advice.
Steven Foster, Centre Director at Trinity Leeds, said: “The new LEGO store is bigger and better than ever before with some incredible interactive elements that will allow creativity and imaginations to flourish. As the only LEGO store in West Yorkshire, it has already proved incredibly popular here at Trinity Leeds, and this new store will bring even more of what LEGO fans love.”
The new LEGO store comes alongside a whole host of new openings inside Trinity, including schuh, Jerk Junction, Lane7 and Footasylum.
Emily Sergeant -
13th November 2023 
