Woolworths and Coles will both return to packing customers’ bags at the checkout from Monday (June 1).
For “peace of mind”, Woolworths will offer a like for like replacement if a reusable bag isn’t hygienic for its team to handle.
The retailer thanks its customers for their understanding while it adapted its checkout process to minimise contact where possible during the height of the pandemic.
“We’ll continue to monitor the situation closely and make any necessary adjustments,” says Woolworths.
At Coles, a ‘Better Bag’ will be provided to customers who wish to swap an old, damaged or unclean bag that is presented at checkout.
Coles customers who prefer to continue packing their own bags are welcome to do so. They are also welcome to swap their existing bag for a free replacement bag.
Coles CEO Steven Cain hopes the new measures will help ease some of the stress and anxiety faced by customers and the team in recent months.
“It’s reassuring that we are returning to some sense of normality in everyday life, including when doing the grocery shopping,” he says.
“Our team have safely served more than 200 million customers with extra care over the past three months, and we have been amazed at the resilience of both our team and customers as they have faced some of the biggest challenges in our lifetime.
“With all product buying restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 lifted at Coles this week, our focus is still very much on providing a safe environment for team members and customers.
“We are grateful for the way customers have adapted to some big changes in our stores including packing their own bags. We hope that our team offering to pack them again makes life a little easier and that a replacement Coles ‘Better Bag’ will provide some peace of mind at a time when good hygiene practices and social distancing are as important as ever.”