Supermarket self-checkouts have always been a point of contention but now, automatic doors that prevent customers from leaving have only added fuel to the fire. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
Last year I wrote a silly little opinion piece about Coles’ new automatic doors that lock customers into the self-checkout area if the supermarket’s ‘smart’ technology determines they haven’t scanned all their grocery items.
At the time it was a means to vent frustrations about adding time to the already mundane task of shopping for groceries. Twelve months on, I wish to bring up the subject once more. Not as a means for a laugh but instead with genuine concern.
In the past week I’ve had three National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants and their carers reach out to express their concerns about the anxiety it causes them and the people around them. Each group who reached out have wished to remain anonymous, but their experiences are eerily similar.
“As someone with PTSD, getting locked into a busy and tight location, it’s quite a triggering experience. I feel like I’m being accused of a crime I haven’t committed,” one person shared.
“My son gets really overwhelmed. Going to the supermarket is already a challenge with his different sensory issues. We spent a lot of time teaching him, to scan your items, pay for your groceries and try and get out of people’s way. To have that thwarted by a gate, that he’s not allowed to touch or move goes against everything we’ve taught him,” another shared.
The gates themselves were integrated in late 2023 as a means to prevent shoplifters from leaving without paying. The issue plaguing the thoughts of many other shoppers however, is the question of whether it’s ethical.
The smart gates use AI technology to determine whether people have purchased items.
If you walk up to a self-serve checkout and pay for your items, the gates, in theory, determine the next customer to walk out and if they have paid for their items. If it determines you have, you walk free. If not, it will lock you in until an attendant lets you out.
Annette, a regular Coles shopper who didn’t want to share her surname, has experienced the negative effects of this first-hand.
“I went into the store; I was looking for a Coke and they weren’t cold so I wanted to leave. I walked through the self-checkouts and was blocked by these doors,” she said.
“I have complex PTSD and really struggle with confined spaces, so when this machine didn’t open, everyone was looking at me and it wouldn’t let me out. It turned a quick trip to buy a Coke into a nightmare.”
The gates can also be controlled by a switch, held by a staff member monitoring the self-checkout. In theory, they can determine whether someone is only passing through and open the doors manually, eliminating the need for the AI to make a decision.
The question then becomes, how is this any different to a security guard monitoring the entrance and blocking someone from exiting?
Region reached out to Coles’ media team for comment about the new gates, the guidelines Coles is required to follow and the concerns customers have.
“These gates are designed to open automatically for customers after they have completed their shop at the checkout. While the gates don’t automatically open if a customer doesn’t make a purchase, we have team members in the checkout area who can manually open the gates for people who were just browsing,” a spokesperson said.
“In regards to the gates being triggering for people, we have carried out extensive reviews specifically focused on Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliance – and our smart gates fulfil all requirements to ensure accessibility for all customers, including those with disabilities.
“The new smart gate technology is designed and tested to global and Australian standards. The technology has sensors and inbuilt detectors to ensure the gates open for customers after their transaction is completed, and our team are always available to manually open the gates for any customers who were just browsing.
“Safety is always our priority, and we take all concerns seriously – we encourage customers to share their feedback with us directly so we can investigate and work with the team on how we can improve their experience in our stores.”
Independent support worker Jacob Howard expressed his contempt for the gates, explaining that while he himself has not had a participant experience trouble with the gates, he believes it is a disaster waiting to happen.
“I hate them already,” he said.
“I can’t imagine someone with sensory issues who is already overstimulated in a shopping mall wants to leave, just for a big flashing door to say no.
“If you were someone who was locked in with an intellectual disability, there is no way they would understand what would be going on; it would just be a wild experience.”
Writing this article and researching this matter, there is just no way I can comprehend how these gates are ethical or pass any kind of disability guideline. The fact that Coles says it has passed every compliance it needs to is a blight on the system that regulates what is and isn’t suitable for shoppers, with or without a disability or mental health-related issue regarding confined space.
Region reached out to the Federal Government department administering NDIS for comment on the issue and its stance on the gate, but it declined to comment.
In my view, this is a pathetic stance from the scheme of the Australian Government that funds reasonable and necessary supports associated with significant and permanent disability for people under 65 years old.
But I’ll say what they’re afraid to say – these gates have got to go.
