Supermarket Sleuths: Aussie shoppers' most common self-service checkout gripe

Supermarket self-service checkouts now account for majority of grocery transactions in Australia, not that customers have been given a choice but to use them.

These days there are more self checkouts than staffed checkouts at Woolworths, Coles and Aldi, with Aussie shoppers left to scan and weigh and even bag their own groceries each week.

One of the most common gripes about self-service checkouts is the feeling customers are essentially doing the work of staff for free, all while being hit with record-breaking prices at the register.

Alas, in a world where technology is only advancing, it seems self-service checkouts are here to stay.

Let's take a look at how supermarket self-service checkouts rolled out in Australia.

The first supermarket self checkout

The first supermarket self-service checkout opened at Woolworths in Northbridge in New Wales in 2008. It began as a trial, to gauge customer's willingness to adopt the new technology.

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By 2008 Woolworths had expanded the checkout option to more than 70 locations across the country.

Coles followed shortly after in 2008, introducing the checkout option for shoppers at limited locations before expanding nationally.

It took some time for Aussie shoppers to embrace the new technology, with many preferring to use staffed checkouts, not to mention the multiple social media posts and Reddit threads filled with complaints about self-service checkouts.

ALDI Australia officially introduced the new technology in June 2021, while Costco Australia added them in August 2023.

Quickly seeing the benefits of the new technology to their businesses, supermarkets moved quickly to install them at all locations and reduce staff checkouts, leaving Aussie shoppers with no other choice.

Fast-forward to 2026 and supermarket self-service checkouts are now commonplace, but are they liked, or even preferred to staff checkouts?

Most common customer self checkout complaints

Consumer psychology expert Gavin Northey, Associate Professor at the Department of Marketing at Griffith University, told nine.com.au that according to a "huge amount of research" the consensus is that "consumers typically dislike self checkouts".

"The most common gripe is that many consumers feel it is a form of unpaid labour," he confirmed.

"Previous research has labelled this 'coproduction resentment' where consumers have a negative feeling when they are asked to perform work that was previously handled by employees."

He said some people never get past the idea that a self-service checkout is "some form of unpaid labour" and when problems arise while using them, leaving customers to wait for a staff member to assist them, this resentment can increase.

Northey said while self checkouts aren't necessarily liked, they are now "accepted as part of the retail landscape" and some customers, in particular younger shoppers, see them as a more efficient way to make smaller purchases.

The Aussie shoppers embracing self checkout technology

Some older shoppers, particularly those with accessibility issues, continue to see self-service checkout technology as a "functional obstacle rather than a convenience".

"In addition, most people will probably agree that if you're doing a large weekly or fortnightly shop, a self-service checkout can be extremely tedious," he explained.

"There is a huge body of research that basically tells us most consumers fall into one of two groups. There's the group that loves the self-checkout system, and those that don't love it, but accept it is part of the modern experience.

"For lovers of the technology, speed and efficiency are by far the dominant reasons for their adoration. And don't forget, the covid pandemic also made people much more accepting of checkout options that reduced human interaction.

"Meanwhile, the other group of consumers accept it as an unavoidable 'social obligation' associated with grocery shopping, and they're fine with that."

The future of supermarket self checkout technology in Australia

By 2022, self checkout purchases accounted for nearly "60 per cent of grocery transactions" and today that figure is closer to 69 per cent, according to the latest research.

"Staffing costs are often the largest variable expense in supermarkets, so any technology that can reduce that expense will be popular with retailers," Northey said.

"As a result, over the past 10-15 years supermarkets around the world have all tended to alter their service delivery, by limiting availability of staffed checkout lanes and increasing the number of self-checkout terminals to increase efficiency and in-store traffic at peak times."

He said there will "always be consumers that prefer human service, as well as those that actually require assistance during the checkout procedure", but he thinks the future of self checkout technology is secure, and will even expand.

"I think the future will see increasingly more self-checkout options across a broad group of retailers outside the supermarket environment."

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