Would queuing be better if supermarkets had a system similar to banks (i.e. one queue for all)?

[TTG]

Biggest pain of shopping in supermarkets is looking for a checkout queue and guessing if one is quicker than the other.

Have any of them investigated having a "one queue for all" system similar to banks and some post offices?

[237SJ]

It would snake all around the supermarket and take up loads of space I would think

[redcrx]

no. Just think, you have a full trolley of shopping, you get called to the next available til.

How can you unpack your trolley and pack at same time? it would cause a huge backlog

[ummmm]

They could be called to the next available till when the person in front has finished unloading their trolley.

Anyway...I'm sure they have investigated it and ruled it out...

[squarebear]

Yes I would appreciate that with a bag of crisps and a sarnie stuck behind half the town doing their weekly shop(!)

[Fitzer]

The Tesco Metro on Cheapside in London has exactly this system, probably works because they only have baskets rather than trolleys, they even have an indicator of the average time it will take you to be served, at about 12:30 the queue does stretch nearly round the store but still takes about 2-3 minutes to get to the front! They've also got the self service ones as well but I always make an @rse of myself using them :-)

[bizzylizzy]

Imagine how long the queue would be, you'd be in the car park :-) especially at Christmas time. I just wish they'd police the 7 items or less tills, I've been behind people who regular try and take a trolley through. Once the check out person's started they can't really stop.