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Supermarket implements slower 'chat checkouts' for the elderly to help fight loneliness

By Positive Thoughts
December 31st, 2022

Many older folks struggle to keep up in our fast-paced, technologically advanced society. They frequently get left out as a result, or they just choose to watch from the sidelines.

Seniors all around the world struggle with loneliness because the majority of them live alone or in retirement communities.

They get excited about the little things.

Grocery shopping is one of the things they look forward to, yet they can’t do it at busy times for fear of clogging up the queue at the checkout registers.

Most senior citizens want a shopping experience that is joyful and less stressful. They want to shop as comfortably as they can while enjoying the company of other customers and store personnel.

These kinds of activities extend their sense of freedom.

For this reason, Jumbo, a sizable grocery chain with over 700 locations located in the Netherlands, introduced the Kletskassa concept to its stores.

The phrase translates to “chat checkout,” a designated area where senior or elderly consumers may check out their products without feeling rushed and even engage in a regular, leisurely conversation with the cashier.

This can be therapeutic for the elderly.

In Jumbo supermarkets, “slow lanes” were implemented in the summer of 2019 to assist the Dutch government’s One Against Loneliness campaign.

The first Kletskassa opened in the town of Vlijmen in the province of North Brabant.

The loneliness among the elderly is apparent.

In the Netherlands, there are 1.3 million people who are 75 or older. And 33% of people said they felt at least somewhat lonely, according to Statistics Netherlands.

In addition to the Kletskassa, Jumbo also features a discussion zone where residents—not just seniors—can congregate and converse while sipping coffee. Jumbo’s CCO Colette Cloosterman-Van Eerd said that it is a family-run store with a significant social impact.

The campaign has worked great so far.

Jumbo supermarkets are fantastic gathering locations in addition to being places to buy goods, thus they may aid those who are lonely.

One of the numerous things they can do to lessen people’s loneliness is the Kletskassa. The helpful employees at Jumbo’s chat checkout stations.

The employees deserve a lot of praise.

They are the ones who approach older clients face-to-face, engage them in conversation, attend to their concerns, and ensure that they leave the store satisfied.

Although it may seem strange to have a slow lane at a grocery store, the idea is not totally new. In order to accommodate their aged customer base, the neighborhood grocery chain Maiya Takizawa in Takizawa, Japan, likewise implemented a relaxed checkout lane in 2019.

The concept truly works.

The Kletskassa received such a great reception from the public that Jumbo intends to add 200 more of these slow lanes to their stores around the nation.

The need for these chat checkouts will only grow as more and more individuals enter their golden years. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a family that will support them and provide for their everyday necessities.

Hopefully, additional nations with aging populations will follow suit in supporting elders and reducing their sense of isolation and loneliness.

A little kindness and a short chat truly go a long, long way.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: Positive Outlooks, Upworthy

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Positive Thoughts
Healing through positive words, art and light.
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