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Cashier-free grocery store opens in Malmö

Sweden's first grocery store without cashiers has opened. At Green Matmarknad in Malmö, all customers pay for their weekly shop though automatic self-checkout systems.

Cashier-free grocery store opens in Malmö

“As far as I know, we’re the first in Sweden without any cashiers, but I think all stores will have self-checkout machines within a couple of years,” said the store’s founder Daniel Waidzunas to the Metro newspaper.

Supermarket chain ICA have also noticed the trend, but doubt that they’ll be doing away with their cashiers. Several of their larger stores do have self checkout machines, however.

“We see that there’s an interest among some customers for this technology.” said Jenny Egeland, ICA’s press secretary, told The Local.

Worries that new technology may put cashiers out of a job are unfounded, however, Egeland maintains.

“We’re not looking to replace our cashiers. Absolutely not. This is an additional service which appeals to some, and provides a better opportunity for our staff to perform other duties.”

Magnus Nelin, competitor Coop’s head of communications, agrees.

“Our self-checkout systems provide a service for our customers, and allow our staff to do other duties around the store,” he said to The Local.

“But even customers using the self-checkouts need help sometimes, so cashiers still need to be close at hand.”

Self-checkout systems may still be a tad too futuristic for many Swedish shoppers.

“It’s still pretty new. We’ve seen that many people still choose to use the traditional checkout, even though there’s a longer queue for it,” Maria Luthström, of Axfood’s communication department, explained to The Local.

“We’re hoping that more people will start using self-checkout, to reduce queues,” she said.

It may be some time yet before Sweden’s major supermarket chains replace their cashiers with self checkout machines.

“We think it’s important to have a mix of several types of checkout systems,” explains ICA’s Jenny Egeland.

“Both traditional checkouts and self checkouts are necessary.”

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RUSSIA

Spanish court probes Russian tycoon’s purchase of supermarket chain Dia

Spain's top criminal court said Thursday it has opened an investigation into whether Russian tycoon Mikhail Fridman artificially depressed the share price of supermarket chain Dia before buying the firm.

Spanish court probes Russian tycoon's purchase of supermarket chain Dia
File photo of a Dia supermarket. Photo: AFP

The Kremlin-friendly oligarch appeared in court in Madrid on Monday as part of a separate similar case in which judges are investigating allegations he acted to bring down the value of another Spanish takeover target, digital entertainment firm Zed Worldwide.   

He denied all charges in that case in a statement released after he was questioned in court.

An investigating judge with the National Court “has begun investigating a complaint” against Fridman and his Luxembourg-based investment company LetterOne “in connection with its acquisition of Dia”, according to a document from the court published Thursday.   

In May, LetterOne secured majority control of the struggling supermarket chain via a hostile takeover following a bitter dispute with its previous management as the firm's share price slumped.

The judge is investigating allegations made in an anonymous complaint that LetterOne “maintained a heightened financial tension to lower the share price, until it managed to buy the company,” the court document said.

Spain's Supreme Court had in September given the National Court a mandate to investigate this case which it said could constitute the crime of “market manipulation” and could have had “serious repercussions on… the national economy” given the size of Dia's supermarket network in the country, the document added.

It cited a police report alleging that Fridman acted in a “coordinated and concerted way” through a network of “criminal associates… to create a situation of conflict… and lack of liquidity in the short term” so as to lower Dia's price and buy the firm.   

In a statement, LetterOne called these allegations “totally false and defamatory”.

“The reality is Dia suffered from mismanagement and accounting irregularities were discovered, which negatively affected all shareholders, including LetterOne,” it added.

LetterOne said it was “committed” to investing 1.6 billion euros to protect jobs, suppliers and keep stores open.

Through LetterOne, Fridman also controls interests in telecoms, banking, oil and healthcare.   

The tycoon, who is reportedly close to the Kremlin and was listed by Forbes this year as London's richest resident, is also one of the founders of Alfa Bank, Russia's largest privately-held lender.

READ MORE: From Russia with love: Tycoon buys out ailing Spanish supermarket

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