Marks & Spencer (M&S) is set to implement self-service checkout systems in fitting rooms across more than 100 stores by early 2028. This initiative is aimed at enhancing the overall shopping experience by reducing queuing times and improving customer convenience. The rollout follows a significant store renovation project with a £30 million investment in London.
- Customers will soon be able to pay directly in the fitting rooms, eliminating the need to queue twice.
- Fitting room checkouts will be supervised by staff to address concerns about shoplifting.
- This plan is part of a larger store modernisation strategy to improve customer experiences.
- M&S aims to test stores that exclusively sell clothing, with the first debuting in Battersea Power Station.
Marks & Spencer has announced plans to integrate self-service checkout tills into fitting rooms in anticipation of enhancing customer convenience and operational efficiency. This initiative, expected to take place across over 100 of its locations by early 2028, allows customers to check out their selections directly after trying them on, thereby bypassing traditional queuing processes. The technological advancement will enable shoppers to enjoy a seamless experience, as they can now exit the fitting rooms with their purchases in hand, according to reports by The Telegraph on 28 October.
The proposed system ensures customer convenience by allowing payments to be made within the fitting room itself, removing the necessity for patrons to first wait for a fitting room and then queue again for the standard checkout. This streamlined process is envisaged to bolster customer satisfaction by significantly cutting down waiting times. M&S has assured that staff will supervise these zones to address potential shoplifting concerns, maintaining security alongside the improved shopping experience.
Additionally, this self-checkout rollout is part of a broader store refurbishment programme, which includes a notable £30 million investment aimed at modernising M&S’s London outlets. As part of this renovation, the company is also trialling stores dedicated solely to clothing, with the first such store set to launch in London’s Battersea Power Station this autumn. This strategic move underscores M&S’s commitment to refining its business model and staying competitive in a rapidly evolving retail landscape.
M&S Operations Director Sacha Berendji articulated the company’s vision, 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 emphasis on convenience and customer-centric service, core tenets of the brand’s current strategy.
M&S’s innovative fitting room self-checkouts represent a calculated effort towards operational efficiency and enhanced customer convenience, aligning with their broader modernisation goals in retail.
