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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Rachel Pugh & Zahra Khaliq

Sainsbury's shoppers are being banned from leaving stores without showing a receipt

Supermarket giant Sainsbury's has come under fire with angry shoppers over a checkout rule being implemented in stores. The grocery retailer has upset some shoppers with the rule so much, they're threatening to boycott it.

Shoppers reported being forced to scan their receipts before being allowed to leave Sainsbury's stores. Self-checkout areas in several Sainsbury's supermarkets now have barriers which will only open when you scan your receipt.

Without a receipt, you will be banned from leaving. Needless to say, shoppers are furious.

READ MORE: Martin Lewis' MSE names cheapest supermarket for Christmas dinner in 2022 and finds Tesco cheaper than Lidl

Unhappy Sainsbury's shoppers have taken to Twitter to voice their outrage at the new system. One user said: "I'd be buggered. I've never once hit the 'receipt' button on the self-service till."

Another added: "Essentially they are holding [people] hostage against their will as they refuse to let people leave without scanning a receipt that not everyone chooses to get in the first place. What will they do? Hold someone hostage and rifle through bags before releasing you?"

One shopper described the move as an "appalling way to treat customers", while another agreed, saying: "I’ve been loyal to Sainsbury’s for 30 years. Now it stops. How dare you insult me, by scanning receipts to leave.

"Not even the discounters to this. No warning, no instore signage and it doesn't work, my receipt had to be reprinted.

"Farewell you untrusting store." Another Twitter user said: "So it appears that Sainsbury's Redhill no longer trust you and a till receipt is required to get out of till areas.

"Not only do they expect you to do your own bagging & own till work for free, they want you to prove you have done it!"

A Sainsbury's spokesperson said that this is "not a new security measure and features in a small number of our stores at the self-service checkout areas."

But the supermarket giant isn't the first to introduce the measure - some retailers have had the same rule in place for its customers. Primark recently began trialling self-checkout tills in their stores, which required shoppers to scan their receipts to exit the store. Ikea and Costco customers are also required to provide proof of purchase before being able to leave shops.

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