Morrisons is trialling an ‘unmanned’ cashless store with no staff

In an eerily Black Mirroresque move, Morrisons will be trialing the first ever ‘unmanned’ supermarket which will have no members of staff.

Their first test store – located a stones-throw away from their headquarters in Bradford – isn’t currently open to the public, but is undergoing the final touches to welcome customers, according to Yorkshire Live. 

The experiment, which could result in a revolutionary change for the grocery giant’s stores and its staff, will be using cameras to monitor the shop, with reports saying that customers will be required to download an app that is scanned upon entry.

The cameras will then monitor and track where shoppers are and what items are being dropped into customer’s baskets.

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And with no tills, shoppers can leave immediately after getting what they need, with payment arranged through the app.

If the experiment is successful, unmanned shops will be gradually rolled out across the rest of the country, Greater Manchester included. 

The trial comes amid a huge change in supermarket shopping, with more and more customers wanting less contact whilst doing their shop.

Research conducted by Ubamarket found that 43% of shoppers across the UK wanted minimal contact during their shops.

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They also found that 62% of people wanted to complete their shopping in under 20 minutes with 34% of customers also commenting that self-service tills caused them anxiety over hygiene.

Will Broome, CEO of Ubamarket said: “The research clearly shows that the pandemic has completely transformed both retailer and consumer behaviour- in particular when it comes to purchasing their goods.

“Ultimately, if retailers are willing to implement retail technology, we could make the weekly shop far more safe and hygienic for everybody in the UK.”

Morrisons are yet to comment on their unmanned store experiment.