FOR MANY older Aussies popping down to the local supermarket is not just about picking up milk and a loaf of bread - but also a chance to get out and have a chat.
But this familiar ritual looks set to change for many seniors, with international research suggesting self checkout machines are making grocery shopping "miserable" for elderly shoppers.
A survey for UK housing charity Anchor found automated tills were driving older shoppers away, with about a quarter of all older people put off going shopping describing the machines as "intimidating" and "unfriendly".
"Without someone to talk to at the tills, shopping can be a miserable experience," a spokesman for the charity said.
The report, produced by the UK's Centre for Future Studies consultancy group for the charity, revealed 1.7 million older people in the UK (23 per cent of those aged 70 and over) felt "shut out" from shops, while 60 per cent wished there were more seats available.
The charity also warned that automated checkouts could add to loneliness and isolation among the elderly.
Anchor chief executive Jane Ashcroft said older people needed to be valued.
"Going shopping is something most of us take for granted and yet many thousands of older people feel excluded from our high streets," she said.
"This is an issue not to be overlooked as it increases older people's isolation and loneliness, in turn affecting health and wellbeing. It's also important for retailers who are missing out on huge amounts of revenue."
Coles said it is focused on offering customers choice offering the choice of assisted checkouts or traditional staffed checkouts which are available at all stores.
"We encourage our elderly customers to speak to our team members if they need extra assistance," a Coles spokesperson said, adding there was a range of home delivery options for customers who find it difficult to visit the stores or take their groceries home.
They said park bench style seating is available at the checkout of all Coles made from recycled plastics including shopping bags.
Woolworths was also contacted for comment.
'More than half' Aussies prefer traditional checkouts
A 2016 Australian survey of 3000 shoppers by consumer experts Canstar Blue found a third struggle to scan and pack their groceries by themselves without frustration, and more than half prefer to use traditional checkouts.
While two-thirds said they find self-service checkouts easy to use, the automated tills were more popular with younger shoppers.
Nine out of ten consumers aged 18-39 said they were easy to use, but the number dropped to about half of shoppers aged over 60.
Only a quarter of people aged 70 and over said they preferred to use the self-service checkouts compared to three-quarters of shoppers aged 18-29.
The survey also found that seniors were the most honest, with just 2 per cent of adults aged 70 and over admitting to deliberately not paying for an item at a self-service checkout compared to 17 per cent of those in their 30s.
