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The Rise and Rise of Self-Checkout:
UK Retail’s Big Experiment

Picture of Danny Rappaport

Danny Rappaport

Director of Consulting, PMC

To self-checkout or not to self-checkout - that is the question​

If you’ve ever been berated by a robotic voice for an “unexpected item in the bagging area,” you’ll understand why these machines provoke responses ranging from admiration to outright fury. But, love them or loathe them, self-checkout is here to stay, reshaping the shopping experience one beep at a time.

Whether you’re an enthusiastic early adopter or still resisting the inevitable tide, one thing is certain—you can’t ignore it.

By the numbers: a checkout revolution

Self-checkouts made their UK debut in the early 2000s, promising speed, convenience, and fewer human interactions for those who prefer to avoid eye contact with cashiers. Fast forward to today, and self-checkouts are a staple of UK supermarkets, even expanding into non-food retail. According to YouGov, 87% of UK shoppers have used self-checkout, and larger retailers now dedicate up to 50% of their tills to these machines.

The appeal for retailers is obvious: lower labour costs, faster transactions, and smaller footprints. It’s no surprise that the global self-checkout market is projected to reach £8 billion by 2027. But while retailers reap the rewards, customers are often left grappling with the quirks of an ever-evolving technology.

But maybe it’s not just the technology that’s evolving—perhaps we, as shoppers, are too.

Tales from the checkout frontline

Few phrases strike fear into the resilient British consumer quite like “unexpected item in the bagging area.”

Personally, the judgmental-sounding ones are the worst. The ones that resemble a mellow Joanna Lumley impersonation? Less offensive.

Whether it’s a bottle of wine that won’t scan until someone barely old enough to buy it assesses my age (sadly, no one has sincerely questioned this in decades) or a rogue leek deemed “suspicious,” the frustration is universal. As a friend put it, “I went to self-checkout to avoid human interaction, and now I’m waving at a staff member like I’m drowning at sea.”

The speed myth

Self-checkout promises efficiency and speed—but only in theory.

Like a watched pot that never boils, a watched checkout assistant is never as fast or efficient as we think we’d be. That is, until we try.

The reality? We tolerate our own slowness in finding a barcode but have no patience for someone else’s. And certainly not for the inevitable tech glitches—barcode errors, unresponsive screens, misread weights, payment failures, and scale issues.

This is, after all, still a relatively young technology (compared to PoS systems) and is evolving. And change—especially in retail tech—always comes with glitches. Research tells us that 41% of UK shoppers have experienced delays at self-checkouts due to technology failures or user errors.

The scanning rebels

Despite its flaws, self-checkout has unlocked a peculiar form of British rebellion: “accidental” theft.

A survey by VoucherCodes found that 1 in 4 Brits has admitted to skipping the odd item while scanning—whether out of frustration or for the sheer thrill of "beating the system."

Whether it’s a bag of Percy Pigs or an extra avocado, self-checkout "shenanigans" cost UK retailers an estimated £500 million annually.

Personally, I think a missing barcode on a bag of chocolate coins at 9 p.m. on a Friday in Marylebone Station after a long week more than explains—if not excuses—the felony.

OK, officer, I’ll come quietly...

The bigger picture

So why do both technologists and customers persist with self-checkout?

Well, if Henry Ford had abandoned the Model T just because someone complained about having to crank-start it every morning, we’d never have progressed to the sleek and desirable Ford Capri that defines motoring perfection.

Doesn’t it?

(Okay, so I don’t know much about cars, but you get the idea…)

Love them or not, self-checkouts are getting faster, smarter, and more reliable. With AI, advanced scanners, and improved camera technology, they are becoming more intuitive and seamless.

They won’t replace humans entirely, but like most tech advancements, they can free up staff for more valuable roles—making the customer experience better in the process.

So the next time a self-checkout demands that you “remove your bagging area item,” take a deep breath.

Remember: you’re not just scanning groceries. You’re participating in the grand experiment that is British retail.

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