M&S self-service tills for clothing

SHOPPERS at Marks & Spencer will be asked to use self-service checkouts when buying clothing and homeware as the retailer installs the new tills in dozens of its stores.

M&S said it was adding the checkouts, which are similar to those in supermarkets for groceries but can be used to pay for clothes, in 10 more stores before the end of March as it speeds up the rollout.

A spokesman for M&S said shoppers will still have the option to pay for clothing and homeware at its manned checkouts. They added: “We continue to offer customers new ways to pay to make shopping with M&S quicker, easier and more convenient.”

M&S said it began trialling the checkouts, which are currently in 20 shops, in 2021 and plans to install them in a further 10 by the end of this month before a wider rollout later this year.

However, the retailer has faced criticism in recent weeks that its selfservice checkouts were not accessible for all disabled customers. Last month, it faced a backlash on Twitter after one wheelchair user said the checkouts were too high for her to use, while others were too close together.

A spokesman told Charged Retail: “We are exploring adjustments we can make to our new tills, including altering the height of the basket and reviewing the positioning of the till so people with disabilities can shop independently.” It comes weeks after M&S said it was investing almost half a billion pounds in its stores, including opening 20 new shops this year.

Eight of these sites have been slated as so-called destination branches, which will have larger aisles, more spacious clothing and beauty sections, as well as free parking.

M&S plans to shrink its estate to 180 sites from 247 stores now, but to have those locations as “higher quality, higher productivity”. M&S has enjoyed a rebound in sales in recent months following years of decline.