Food editor criticises rise of self-checkout: ‘Often left frustrated’

A leading Danish food editor has spoken out against the growing dominance of self-service checkouts in supermarkets, arguing that the shift towards automation is eroding human interaction and harming society.

In a column for Politiken and an interview with public broadcaster DR, Mette Mølbak, food editor at the newspaper, described herself as “dead tired” of scanning her own groceries. “Service and human contact are becoming almost a luxury,” she said, adding that she frequently becomes irritated by the self-checkout systems.

Mølbak argued that the broader trend—where customers handle more service tasks themselves, from banking to train ticket purchases—contributes to a “contactless society.” While she acknowledged that automation may save time, she warned of unintended consequences.

“Stress, loneliness, and dissatisfaction are rising. I’m not saying it’s because we scan our own groceries, but it’s part of a shift toward a more and more contact-free direction,” she said.

The critique comes as Danish supermarket chain Salling Group, which owns Netto and Føtex, continues to expand self-checkout options. Press officer Jacob Krogsgaard Nielsen defended the move, stating that customers “want speed” and the flexibility to choose between self-service and staffed checkouts.

“People want to handle things smoothly without necessarily queuing at a checkout,” Nielsen told DR’s P1 Morgen programme. He emphasised that staffed checkouts would remain, noting that human employees are essential for maintaining stores and assisting customers.

“We’ll never reach a point where our stores have no colleagues,” he said, adding that physical supermarkets still force people “into situations where they interact with others.”

Mølbak, however, remains sceptical of the trade-offs. While she occasionally uses self-checkouts, she described frequent technical frustrations and the need to “work around” system failures—often still requiring staff intervention.

The debate reflects broader tensions between efficiency and social well-being, as automation reshapes routine interactions in retail, banking, and public services.