Chat-friendly tills known as “blabla caisses” are being created in stores all over the country in France, to allow customers to take a little more time to talk to staff.
The French word “blabla” usually means “waffle”, “prattle”, or to describe someone “rabbiting on”.
The idea behind the move is to recreate links between people, particularly after two years of the pandemic, that have left supermarkets concerned for the welfare of staff and shoppers alike.
It was noticed that at traditional checkouts, some customers wanted to engage in conversation, but if a queue had formed then exchanges had to be cut short.
Other large supermarket chains in France, such as Hyper U and Auchan, have also signed up to the scheme which was rolled out in full in January. Around 150 now have chat-friendly tills installed. The new scheme does hit the jackpot with elderly people in particular.
