Rise of the machines

It has been about 10 years since self-service machines were introduced to Irish supermarkets Róisín Burke finds that, while they’re here to stay, employees need not fear them... yet.

IT’S Thursday night, 9pm, and I have popped into Tesco to pick up a few things after training, as I do every week. I am tired, hungry and wearing a sweat-drenched T-shirt and shorts. I grab what I need and head to the self-service checkout.

One of the great advantages of self-service is you don’t feel awkward buying milk and bread in your gym gear. There is also a general perception that the DIY checkout is faster than the traditional route, a theory I put to the test.