B&Q self service checkout

[Peter Johnson]

At the local branch of B&Q for the first time in several months the other day, I saw that self-service checkout equipment had been replaced and now does contactless.

[Andy Burns]

Doesn't require balancing stuff on the weighing platform either, and the guard on the door doesn't demand to see your receipt, it's almost as though they trust people not to nick stuff ... I suspect we use the same branch.

[alan_m]

I used B & Q the other day for a bag of sand and used the normal staffed till because it had the shorter queue. I did notice that the staff member assigned to the 4 off self service tills seemed rather busy having to help almost everyone using them :)

[alan_m]

Yep the old system when scanning a bag of cement requiring you it put it on the scales or plants where the weight would have changed depending on what time of day they watered them :)

[Tim+]

Our B&Q has removed all their ?self-service? checkouts. Always seemed to need an awful lot of staff input.

Tim

[Dave W]

I never use a self-scan checkout in any shop - if they expect me to do the cashier's job I would expect some sort of discount. The only time I tried I was confused with "unexpected item in the bagging area", but I didn't know where the bagging area was.

[alan_m]

12.5kg or 25kg bags so its sold by weight and comes in bags.

The old B&Q self service system seemed to be a bit quirky and random about which items it wanted weighing for checking. From all accounts they were still using a 30 year old point of sales software.

[alan_m]

As per the original post, my local B&Q has introduced new terminals - the old ones went missing a year or two ago, possible way before lockdown.

I've only had one experience of self service tills worse than those used by b&q at a rural supermarket where there didn't seem to be anyone who could use it without it coming up with an error. It had a conveyor belt that took the goods through a covered tunnel after being scanned - two items together anywhere in the tunnel and the whole system would crash requiring a supervisor to use a physical key to unlock the touch screen and scanner. When I last visited they had removed these physically large tills and put in conventional staffed tills. Unfortunately I'm used to the Lidl/Aldi fast type checkouts and in this rural location it really is slow time with customers having a long natter with the checkout staff :(

[Jock]

Mad, what matters is which works quickest.

Even you should be able to ask the monkey and remember that for the next time.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Odd view to have in a self service store.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Trying to remember when last I used B&Q. Got rather fed up of not being able to find things - they never seemed to be in the slot they said they were in, out of stock, or bits missing. And they've closed my local ones anyway.

Much easier to do a click and collect with ToolStation or Screwfix. Both of which have now closer branches than B&Q.

[alan_m]

There is also no tie up between the store stock levels listed on their web site and what is actually in store. I only use B&Q a store* for things like a single bag of sharp sand or cement where it would be stupid driving any further to try and save a few tens of pence. They also tend to do a good range of plants at reasonable prices, and again a lot nearer to travel to than the local out of town garden centres.

I do use both and they are closer than the B&Q store. They are a 15 seconds walk away from each other in my area and share the same car park.

• Earlier in the year I purchased a plastic wheelie bin/garden tool shed online from B&Q mainly because they were the cheapest at 20% to 30% lower than Amazon and other retailers.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Oddly, although several sheds have closed round here (now housing) a few of the tradional builder's yards still exist. Although mainly Travis Perkins. Only shed still close is a Wickes - with a ToolStation.

B&Q never looked after their plants here. Homebase were better - and now Lidl are in that market. But garden centres (at higher prices) still plentiful.

I did like wandering around the big B&Q at Wandsworth bridge, though. With a decent sized Homebase across the road. Online just isn't the same. But much more efficient.

[alan_m]

My observation with Lidl is that they never water any of their plants so in the hotter weather if you don't buy them soon after they are delivered then don't bother.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Could be so. But Lidl tend to turn over such stuff quickly. B&Q would have the same bedding plants outside for weeks on end. Homebase the same - but did seem to water them regularly.

[Martin Brown]

Where I live it has been dismantled and thrown away!