Asda is pioneering changes with its self-service systems, aiming to enhance customer convenience and efficiency.
- Customers at Asda’s Ashton-under-Lyne store can now return products through a self-service drop box, streamlining the refund process.
- The store trials aim to reduce the need for receipt verification, though staff assistance remains available if needed.
- A novel pilot allows the purchase of tobacco products without queuing at service desks, utilizing advanced dispensers.
- These initiatives by Asda align with broader trends in retail towards automating and expediting customer interactions.
Asda has launched a trial for a self-service returns drop box, allowing shoppers to return unwanted or faulty items with ease. Located at the Ashton-under-Lyne store, this service enables customers to scan their receipts and barcodes at a machine, and deposit their items into a chute or cupboard. This method aims to make returns quicker by automating the refund process. However, if an automatic refund cannot be processed—perhaps due to lack of a receipt—customers can still seek manual assistance from staff. Additionally, this system can handle item exchanges, expanding its utility.
In another forward-thinking move, Asda is testing a system that enables customers to purchase tobacco and vape products without the usual queuing at kiosks. Initiated in October, the trial addresses customer dissatisfaction associated with long waits at service desks, particularly when they’ve already completed their grocery purchase. During the first phase, staff dispense these products from kiosks. As the trial progresses, customers will select items at self-service tills, undergo age verification, and then use a receipt to collect their items from an automated vending machine. This initiative reflects Asda’s response to customer feedback about service efficiency.
There are notable parallels in the retail sector, with Sainsbury’s and M&S making similar strides in enhancing self-checkout services. At Sainsbury’s, larger self-checkout tills are being tested to improve efficiency, while M&S has incorporated self-checkouts into changing rooms across its clothing stores. This trend indicates a wider industry shift towards improving customer service experiences through technological means. Asda’s manager of retail front end service, Alexander Lacy, noted the trials aim to address the issue of congestion at customer service desks, a common complaint among shoppers.
Asda’s trials represent a step forward in retail automation, reflecting both customer expectations and technological advancements.
