It’s one of the lesser known victims of the need for faster checkouts at supermarkets. More and more standard tills with belt conveyors are being replaced with faster, more efficient basket tills and self service points.
Self service till points have been popping up in increasing amounts over the last few years. This is due to the fact they can usually handle 4 people in a space usually taken up by or 1 or 2 customers. Not only is this space efficient but also helps save time serving individual customers.
Another benefit of self service tills is that often 1 member of staff can look after 2, or even sometimes 4, customers at a time. Some self service areas still make use of belt conveyors, but often they are usually just simple roller conveyors.
Belt conveyors have been a standard at supermarket tills worldwide for many years and although it isn’t likely they will be completely abandoned there is a definite sense that we are gradually moving away from this particular piece of equipment.
On the plus side, in exchange for less conveyor belts, customers and supermarkets are seeing benefits in smaller queue times and lower staff requirements on the tills.
Haws, reputed for their eye wash fountains and emergency equipment, have released what they claim is the worlds first hands-free water coolers.
Due to the appliance involving minimal interaction and physical contact it is said to be more hygienic in that way. To further ensure a high level of hygiene the dispenser itself is antimicrobially protected.
The water coolers feature special sensors that detect when a bottle, glass or cup have been placed in the cubicle and will automatically stop the water flow once the container is nearly full, preventing accidental overflows and spillages in the area.
The dispenser also includes advanced filtration technology and can be hooked up to a standard water flow to create pure drinking water.
It is hoped that creating easier and simpler water dispensers will help to dissuade more people from opting for sugar filled soft drinks and therefore help to better peoples diets.
While Haws have created water fountains in their previous product lines, most of their focus has traditionally been towards industries that require emergency appliances like industrial showers.
The water coolers are currently being rolled out to a number of universities across the USA. Pending a successful hit they may make it to broader institutions in the futures