Sainsbury's customers have raised concerns over exit barriers introduces in a number of shops which they say 'make everyone's life harder'. The grocer introduced receipt barriers in multiple stores late last year as a security measure, requiring shoppers to scan a receipt before leaving.
The move was criticised by many at the time, with some shoppers opting to boycott the supermarket. The security measure has since been introduced at several other stores since, prompting a new wave of backlash.
Last year, it was reported that Sainsbury's had implemented the barriers at self-service checkouts in selected stores. The Manchester Evening News reports barriers have recently been introduced at stores in Fallowfield and Salford in Manchester. The move has annoyed a number of people.
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The retailer told Retail Gazette at the time the security measure was only on place in a "small number" of stores and was not new. Customers in the Greater Manchester area have criticised the move with one shopper saying they were "not a fan of how [it] is spreading..."
Another shopper said: "Pointless waste of money and time, just makes everyone’s life harder." Some questioned the impact the scheme would have on the environment, with the need for receipts to be printed.
One person wrote: "Almost every self-service checkout I’ve used for at least a year has let me opt-out of a receipt. Guess we’re not doing less-waste-paper anymore?"
Another added: "What happens if what you came for wasn’t in? Therefore had no receipt."
The move comes in the middle of the cost of living crisis, with many families left struggling at soaring supermarket prices. Earlier this month, the chief inspector of constabulary told the Mirror police should use 'discretion' when deciding whether to prosecute desperate shoplifters amid rising poverty levels.
The Independent reports rates of shoplifting have increased alongside grocery bills. The Office of National Statistics figures for England and Wales show that shoplifting rose by 22 percent in the year to September, while the British Retail Consortium figures suggest the same, with 7.9 million cases last year, five million more than in 2016/17.
A Sainsbury's spokesperson told the MEN that the introduction of the barriers 'is one of a range of security measures in a small number of stores'.
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