More and more « blah blah boxes » are developing in supermarkets, to the delight of buyers who are not in a hurry.
Generally, the drudgery of shopping is only moderately appreciated by consumers and many of us are reluctant to go to supermarkets, where the wait, the noise or the crowds put some people off.
But if for some, shopping requires an almost superhuman effort, for others, on the other hand, going to the store is a real outing where you can see people and chat occasionally.
This is why many brands have chosen to install « blah blah checkouts » in their supermarkets, where customers who are not in a hurry and who wish to talk can chat with the checkout attendants.
The « blah blah checkouts », where customers can pay for their shopping by talking and without rushing, are gaining followers
For three years now, this concept has been developing more and more and if so many supermarkets have decided to take the plunge, it is to » remind us of the extent to which commerce is a place of encounters and exchanges « , as the explains the management of a Carrefour store in Chartres (Eure-et-Loir)
It is in La Montagne, a small town of about 6,000 souls located near Nantes (Loire-Atlantique), that this concept of « slow boxes », inspired by a Dutch device, would have seen the light of day in the country, it three years ago.
Everything would have started in a Hyper U of the city, where the management made the choice to privilege the relationship with the customers, by insisting on the attention paid to the latter, to better build loyalty.
“ There are self-service checkouts for those in a hurry, and this one (the “blah blah” editor’s note) for those who want to take their time. For some customers, alone or elderly, this may be the only interaction of the day , ”explains one of the store managers, interviewed by 20 minutes.
“ The transit time is a little long, that’s for sure, but we’ve never measured it, on any of our other checkouts. The important thing is that customer feedback is all positive. Here no right to complain , ”adds the person concerned.
As for the checkout attendants, by their own admission, this system allows them to see their profession, which is too dependent on production rates and yields, differently.
In a world where we are always going faster at the risk of getting lost on the way, this concept stands out and could well make followers.