Marks & Spencer plans to integrate self-service checkout facilities in fitting rooms across over 100 stores by early 2028.
- This initiative aims to enhance the customer experience by facilitating quicker checkouts, thereby reducing time spent in queues.
- M&S staff will supervise these installations to mitigate any risks associated with theft or damage to merchandise.
- The initiative is part of a broader £30 million investment aimed at modernising M&S stores, particularly in London.
- Additionally, M&S is experimenting with stores dedicated solely to clothing, with a launch set for London’s Battersea Power Station.
Marks & Spencer is embarking on a significant technological upgrade by integrating self-service checkout tills in its fitting rooms across more than 100 stores by early 2028. This strategy is primarily designed to expedite the checkout process for customers, allowing them to pay for their items directly in the fitting rooms and thus avoid traditional checkout queues. This move reflects M&S’s commitment to enhancing the overall shopping experience through strategic investments in technology.
The rollout will see M&S staff closely monitoring these self-service kiosks within the fitting rooms to prevent potential cases of shoplifting, ensuring that the technology maintains both efficiency and security. This model aims to streamline the shopping journey from selection to purchase, aligning with consumer demand for swift and seamless transactions.
Sacha Berendji, M&S operations director, encapsulated the retailer’s vision by stating, “We’d like customers to be able to walk straight into the fitting room with no queue, try on what they’ve chosen, then pay there and just walk out.” This statement highlights the company’s focus on optimising convenience and reducing friction in the customer journey.
The integration of self-checkouts in fitting rooms is part of a more comprehensive programme to revitalise M&S’s store environments, with a noteworthy £30 million investment directed towards modernising its London locations. This demonstrates M&S’s strategic focus on catering to urban customers seeking efficient and modern shopping alternatives.
In conjunction with these technological advancements, M&S is also poised to trial niche stores focusing exclusively on clothing offerings. The first of these ventures is scheduled to open in London’s Battersea Power Station this autumn, signifying M&S’s experimental approach to retail formats and its responsiveness to dynamic market trends.
M&S’s integration of self-checkouts in fitting rooms represents a strategic enhancement of the customer shopping experience through technological innovation.
