M&S plans to introduce self-checkouts in changing rooms across 180 clothing stores to enhance customer experience.
- The rollout aims to reduce customer queuing times by allowing payment directly in the changing rooms.
- M&S intends to implement this new system in over 100 stores by early 2028, following successful trials.
- The initiative is part of M&S’s broader strategy to modernise its stores, including a revamp of larger outlets.
- Concerns over potential shoplifting are addressed by stationing staff in changing room areas to assist customers.
M&S is embarking on a strategy to integrate self-checkouts into changing rooms within its 180 clothing stores. This move is designed to streamline the shopping process, aiming to eliminate the need for customers to queue twice. The plan is set to be operational in over 100 stores by early 2028, contingent on the completion of a broader store modernisation programme.
The initiative has already seen self-checkouts installed in 28 refurbished sites, including M&S’s flagship store in Fosse Park, Leicester. According to Sacha Berendji, M&S’s operations director, the goal is to enable customers to enter the fitting room without delay, try on selected items, and complete their purchase on the spot. Berendji stated, “We’d like customers to be able to walk straight into the fitting room with no queue, try on what they’ve chosen, then pay there and just walk out.”
Addressing potential concerns, M&S’s approach includes staffing the changing room areas to ensure items are paid for, thereby tackling the risk of shoplifting. This approach follows a warning from M&S chairman Archie Norman about the rise in shoplifting potentially linked to self-checkouts. Norman noted, “With the reduction of service you get in a lot of shops, a lot of people think: ‘This didn’t scan properly, or it’s very difficult to scan these things through and I shop here all the time. It’s not my fault, I’m owed it'”.
The introduction of self-checkouts is part of a wider effort by M&S to refurbish its larger stores, aiming to enhance customer convenience across home, food, and clothing ranges. This strategic shift reflects M&S’s ongoing commitment to improving the retail experience while maintaining service quality.
M&S’s introduction of self-checkouts in changing rooms is a strategic step towards modernising its retail experience while addressing shoplifting concerns.
