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German supermarkets fight loneliness with slower checkouts for chatting

Most people can't wait to speed through the checkout, but some German supermarkets have introduced 'tills for chatting' in a bid to combat loneliness.

Published: 7 May 2023 17:45 CEST
Updated: 8 May 2023 16:47 CEST

A cashier at a supermarket in Berlin. Some German supermarkets have introduced slower checkouts designed for chatting. Photo: John MACDOUGALL / AFP

The checkout is designed for people who aren’t in a hurry and might like a bit of chat, German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported.

‘Ratschen‘ is Bavarian for having a chat or a chinwag and that’s exactly what people in one Edeka supermarket in Memmingen in Bavaria are invited to do at the dedicated checkout.

The slower till is open Mondays to Thursdays from 9am – 11am.

The 12-week initiative was prompted by the pandemic, which led to people feeling increasingly isolated, with some still suffering the after-effects of this.

According to one EU study, reported loneliness levels jumped to 25 percent during the pandemic, from 12 percent previously.

This is where the Ratschkasse comes in, making it easy for lonely people to have access to more contact with others.

This is especially important given the link between loneliness and poor health: loneliness increases the risk of depression, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and dementia.

The supermarket’s owner, Ilka Abröll-Groiß, started the project with the Bavarian Minister for Health Klaus Holetschek (CSU).

“It’s the opposite to those self-scan checkouts that we think are really awful,” she said.

Of course the initiative isn’t for everyone, but for others, especially some elderly people, it can be a lifeline.

Going to the supermarket may be the only time they see or speak to other people.

And the Edeka supermarket isn’t the only shop fighting loneliness like this.

Another supermarket in Schweinfurt in Bavaria has been running a similar initiative – dubbed ‘Plauderkasse‘ (a till for chatting) for a couple of months now.

“The response has been fantastic,” owner Marius Hoechner told German regional newspaper the Merkur, adding that he wanted to make this a long-term initiative.

The checkout is open on one day for four hours, sometimes more.

And Germany isn’t alone in exploring such initiatives.

In Basel, Switzerland, for example, a supermarket and a chemist introduced ‘checkouts for chatting’ as part of a health initiative in autumn 2022.

The project was only intended to last six months, but the tills were so in demand, the project was extended.

Slowing down the checkout process may not seem a logical way for shops to make money, but it certainly seems to make sense, so maybe we will see more of these checkouts opening in the future.

Member comments

Anonymous - 10 May 2023 at 10:42 CEST

I used to work for a big airline in the US as a customer service agent. They permitted we spend 10 minutes on the phone with an elderly or other person who just really wanted to chat before letting them go to handle other callers. You knew right away they weren’t flying anywhere, just really wanted so human contact. Sad. Made me love my work and employer more though.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

Output is expected to expand 0.3 percent this year, the economy ministry said, up from a prediction of 0.2 percent in February.

The slightly rosier picture comes after improvements in key indicators — from factory output to business activity — boosted hopes a recovery may be getting under way.

The German economy shrank slightly last year, hit by soaring inflation, a manufacturing slowdown and weakness in trading partners, and has acted as a major drag on the 20-nation eurozone.

But releasing its latest projections, the economy ministry said in a statement there were growing indications of a “turning point”.

“Signs of an economic upturn have increased significantly, especially in recent weeks,” Economy Minister Robert Habeck said at a press conference.

The ministry also cut its forecast for inflation this year to 2.4 percent, from a previous prediction of 2.8 percent, and sees the figure falling below two percent next year.

“The fall in inflation will lead to consumer demand — people have more money in their wallets again, and will spend this money,” said Habeck.

“So purchasing power is increasing, real wages are rising and this will contribute to a domestic economic recovery.”

Energy prices — which surged after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine — had also fallen and supply chain woes had eased, he added.

Several months ago there had been expectations of a strong rebound in 2024, with forecasts of growth above one percent, but these were dialled back at the start of the year as the economy continued to languish.

‘Germany has fallen behind’

But improving signs have fuelled hopes the lumbering economy — while not about to break into a sprint — may at least be getting back on its feet.

On Wednesday a closely-watched survey from the Ifo institute showed business sentiment rising for a third consecutive month in April, and more strongly than expected.

A key purchasing managers’ index survey this week showed that business activity in Germany had picked up.

And last week the central bank, the Bundesbank, forecast the economy would expand slightly in the first quarter, dodging a recession, after earlier predicting a contraction.

German Economics Minister Robert Habeck

Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) presents the latest economic forecasts at a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday, April 24th. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Michael Kappeler

Despite the economy’s improving prospects, growth of 0.3 percent is still slower than other developed economies and below past rates, and officials fret it is unlikely to pick up fast in the years ahead.

Habeck has repeatedly stressed solutions are needed for deep-rooted problems facing Germany, from an ageing population to labour shortages and a transition towards greener industries that is moving too slowly.

“Germany has fallen behind other countries in terms of competitiveness,” he said. “We still have a lot to do — we have to roll up our sleeves.”

Already facing turbulence from pandemic-related supply chain woes, the German economy’s problems deepened dramatically when Russia invaded Ukraine and slashed supplies of gas, hitting the country’s crucial manufacturers hard.

While the energy shock has faded, continued weakness in trading partners such as China, widespread strikes in recent months and higher eurozone interest rates have all prolonged the pain.

The European Central Bank has signalled it could start cutting borrowing costs in June, which would boost the eurozone.

But Habeck stressed that care was still needed as, despite the expectations of imminent easing, “tight monetary policy has not yet been lifted.”

In addition, disagreements in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party ruling coalition are hindering efforts to reignite growth, critics say.

This week the pro-business FDP party, a coalition partner, faced an angry backlash from Scholz’s SPD when it presented a 12-point plan for an “economic turnaround”, including deep cuts to state benefits.

Christian Lindner, the fiscally hawkish FDP finance minister, welcomed signs of “stabilisation” in the economic forecasts but stressed that projected medium-term growth was “too low to sustainably finance our state”.

“There are no arguments for postponing the economic turnaround,” he added.