Dutch Supermarket Opens Slow Checkouts For People Who Want To Chat

Loneliness is an issue people face around the world. There are certain groups who are affected it by it most, such as moms of young children and the elderly.

To help combat loneliness locally, a large supermarket chain in the Netherlands has opened “chat checkouts” to allow shoppers the opportunity to stop and talk!

So often, when you go to the store, you’re rushed through line. The goal is to pay as quickly as possible so the person behind you can checkout. But at certain Jumbo locations, there’s a line specifically for those who are looking to take things at a slower pace and maybe enjoy some good conversation.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The checkouts for chatting are formally known as Kletskassas. The first one was opened and tested back in 2019 in Brabant. It was so successful, they opened several more with a plan to open 200 in 2022 across the Netherlands and Belgium!

The company shared a video of its chat checkout on Facebook when it first opened, welcoming parents to come in for a chat:

Having an option for a slower checkout not only helps combat loneliness but can also be more welcoming for people with disabilities who move at a different pace, or for those struggling with something like memory loss or Alzheimer’s.

“Many people, the elderly in particular, can feel lonely. As a family business and supermarket chain, we have a central role in society. Our shops are a meeting place and that means we can do something to combat loneliness. The Kletskassa is just one of the things we can do,” Jumbo CCO Colette Cloosterman-Van Eerd said, according to Dutch News.

In addition to the chat checkouts, some Jumbo supermarkets also opened “chat corners,” where shoppers could pause for a moment and enjoy a chat with a fellow shopper or staff member.

It’s a nice way to slow the pace of the day and combat loneliness at the same time.

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