Sainsbury’s has announced it’s making a big change to checkouts as part of a new trial at some supermarkets across the UK.

The grocer is testing "hybrid checkouts” at a handful of stores, where a scanner has been placed on a normal checkout, providing customers with more space to place their bigger trolley items to scan and pack, according to the Grocey Gazette.

It’s thought this could be a useful addition for those who want to self-scan their weekly shop and have more than a basket full of items.

Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts revealed the news as part of the supermarket’s “Next Level” strategy to Grocey Gazette.

It comes as some of the company's “biggest challenges” include considering how to improve the checkout area, making it easier for people to buy a bigger shop using a trolley.

Roberts explained that “taking out more manned checkouts doesn’t mean we won’t have them, it just means we’ll give you more choice for how you pay”.

He added: “It’s an example of how you stare at the problem differently and give customer the choice back, rather than perpetuate either a high cost solution or one that doesn’t give customers choice. So, real credit to our team for the way they’ve done this with our technology partners.”

The “hybrid checkouts” are currently being trialled in the Witney and Cobham stores in Oxfordshire before Sainsbury’s decides whether to roll them out more widely across the UK.

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Some shoppers have since reacted to the news on X, sharing their thoughts about self-service checkouts at UK supermarkets.

One said: “I'm not a fan of self-checkout tills. Not only are they often finicky, but it's just another way to slash jobs and make customers do the work for free. What's next, stocking shelves?”

Another agreed: “This cost-cutting trend is eroding customer experience. In a world where AI's and self-checkout are the norm, human interaction's being undervalued. Can't wait to get my instructions on how to start restocking shelves.”