MARKS and Spencer is kitting its changing rooms out with self-checkouts to prevent shoppers from having to queue twice.
The high-street giant is planning to roll-out self-service tills in 180 of its clothing stores by early 2028.
The Marks and Spencer store in Westfield Shopping Centre, Stratford, London[/caption]
It comes despite warnings from M&S chairman Archie Norman that theft is “creeping” among middle-class shoppers due to faulty self-checkouts.
The retailer’s operations director Sacha Berendji insisted staff will be present in fitting areas to make sure customers don’t leave without paying for their items.
He told The Telegraph: “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…”
He added: “Shoplifting is a major problem in this country, but there are things that we’re all doing to mitigate some of those losses.”
The new kiosks have already been introduced in 28 recently revamped stores.
Similar such is used elsewhere in the world, including Australia.
Department store Kmart Southland in Melbourne is trialling technology which identifies clothes taken into a fitting room and displays them on a screen, reports the Sidney Morning Herald.
Customers can then scan a QR code for the details and the price.
It also allows customers to request different sizes or colours from their changing cubicle.
Over the last 18 months, M&S has opened 31 new stores, while also spending tens of millions of pounds refurbishing 45 existing in London and the South West.
Larger self-service conveyor belt checkouts operated by staff will also have self-scanning tech for trolley shops.
The Fosse Park store has already seen four of its 10 staff-operated conveyor belt checkouts replaced with six new self-service versions.
All across the high street, self-checkout stations are being installed at retail shops, with Marks & Spencer, Primark and Zara some of the earliest adopters, The Telegraph reported previously.
That’s despite supermarkets, including Waitrose, Morrisons and Asda, reigning in their usage.
In the US, self-service checkouts are removing them at Target stores amid shoplifting concerns.
M&S opening first-of-its-kind store as part of a new trial
MARKS and Spencer is making a huge change by opening a first-of-its-kind store as part of a new trial.
The iconic British retailer is opening its first-ever clothing-only shop in the Autumn.
For nearly 100 years, M&S has sold both clothing and fresh produce.
While M&S has operated standalone food stores since 1987, it has never sold clothes in standalone stores.
However, a recent boost in fashion sales has driven the company to trial its first clothing-only store.
The shop will be located in London’s Battersea Power Station and will open to shoppers in November.
The new store will feature a curated selection of women’s and men’s clothing, focusing on premium lines and beauty products.
M&S chief executive Stuart Machin said the trial store would “showcase the best of M&S clothing and beauty at outstanding value”.
The shop will include items like lingerie, £99 cashmere jumpers, and pieces from the trendy Autograph line.
The new M&S store at Battersea is expected to create an estimated 30 new jobs, and recruitment was due to start in September.
If this trial proves successful, M&S plans to open more clothing and beauty stores across the UK.
The new store will co-exist with M&S’s existing food hall at the Power Station, which opened in 2022.
