When most of us go to the store to pick up a few items, we just want to check out and get home as quickly as possible. That isn’t the case for everyone, and there are some people who would like to linger at the checkout to have a good chat.
Jumbo is a grocery store company in the Netherlands that understands this all too well.
They have over 700 stores and recently, they’ve introduced what is known as a Kletskassa. When translated to English, we see that it is a “chat checkout” and is there for anyone who wants to have a talk with the cashier.
According to a Jumbo press release, these slower checkout lanes were introduced by Jumbo in 2019. The Dutch government had launched an initiative known as One against Loneliness, something that was designed to help the 1.3 million people who are living in the Netherlands over the age of 75.
According to the Netherlands in Numbers, surveying the older population revealed that about one out of three felt moderately lonely at times. Thus, the Kletskassa got its start in the town of Vlijmen in order to help those who might just need an ear to talk to.
Jumbo stores went beyond the slow checkout lane and also introduced an area where local residents could gather to have a talk and a cup of coffee. Known as the Chat Corner, this area of the store has been a great success. They also hope to open up some other slow checkout lanes in their other stores across the country.
According to Dutch News, the CCO of Jumbo, Colette Cloosterman-Van Eerd, said: “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.”
They went on to talk about how proud they are of their staff who works at the checkout. They are there to serve the customer and to provide that one-on-one contact they may be needing. These lanes have helped many people, both young and old to connect with others.
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