{"id":632091,"date":"2026-04-26T13:38:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T13:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/632091\/"},"modified":"2026-04-26T13:38:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T13:38:22","slug":"coles-shopper-disturbed-by-new-store-security-features-go-elsewhere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/632091\/","title":{"rendered":"Coles shopper disturbed by new store security features: ‘Go elsewhere’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shopping used to be a pleasure, but the Coles supermarket I walked into<\/a> this week felt like being stuck in a futuristic prison.<\/p>\n

The razor blades I was there to buy<\/a> were kept behind heavy glass doors.<\/p>\n

A voice from a loudspeaker above instructed me to push the red button if I wanted access.<\/p>\n

After I complied, it continued sternly, \u201cThe cabinet will be unlocked remotely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then added, \u201cWe thank you for shopping at Coles”.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong, I have a lot of love for Coles, which can mainly be traced back to shopping there as a kid.<\/p>\n

Its red tones have always felt more comforting than the harsh green of its rival, Woolworths.<\/a><\/p>\n

Some of the stores back in the early 1990s were even branded as Coles New World, which made my young mind think of space exploration and adventure.<\/p>\n

But what immediately came to mind as I walked into a store in Melbourne\u2019s west this week wasn\u2019t excitement.<\/p>\n

\"Left:<\/p>\n

The aisles were clean, ordered, and monitored with high-tech security. Source: Yahoo News Australia<\/p>\n

Supermarket experience like a science fiction prison<\/p>\n

The feeling was closer to that claustrophobic, empty, imperial prison in season 2 of the Star Wars series Andor, or for anyone old enough to remember it, the 1992 Christopher Lambert movie Fortress.<\/p>\n

New security was introduced into stores around Melbourne<\/a> to combat “record levels of shoplifting”<\/a>, but despite being a reasonably honest citizen, the store kept a close eye on me, too.<\/p>\n

Cameras tracked me wherever I walked<\/a>, and my ugly bald head, un-ironed T-shirt, and ill-fitting jeans were captured on screens in every aisle.<\/p>\n

Despite feeling uncomfortable, I couldn\u2019t ignore the image, as there was a red box placed around my figure.<\/p>\n

The store felt empty, ordered, and white.<\/p>\n

Every orange was perfect, each carton of milk perfectly aligned.<\/p>\n

In one aisle, there was a rare glitch in the matrix, with four packets of nappies strewn across the ground.<\/p>\n

There were no staff on the floor chatting or joking with each other, or ready to help customers as you\u2019d find in a smaller shop, but occasionally someone in a distinct red shirt would rush by to fill an item on a shelf to maintain order.<\/p>\n

Customers appeared to have accepted that shopping is now a solitary experience, as the one person manning a checkout had walked off to perform another task \u2014 everyone was simply self-scanning their items.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Nappies<\/p>\n

Even the mess on the ground appeared somehow ordered. Source: Yahoo News Australia<\/p>\n

\"Rows<\/p>\n

Barely an item was out of place in the immaculately presented store. Source: Yahoo News Australia<\/p>\n

McDonald’s replaces staff with screens<\/p>\n

Replacing customer and staff interactions with security devices and monitoring is part of a clear trend across Australia that\u2019s not only particular to Coles.<\/p>\n

It just appears to be leading the way.<\/p>\n

Instead of teenagers working their first job behind the counter, the McDonald\u2019s in the same shopping centre has colourful touch screens to place your order.<\/p>\n

\"Left:<\/p>\n

High-value items were locked behind glass doors that were remotely opened. Source: Yahoo News Australia<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a telling episode called Phones<\/a> in the children\u2019s TV series Bluey, which I\u2019ve watched with my son a dozen times, that highlights the change in the way Australians now order their food<\/p>\n

The title character and her sister Bingo play \u201crestaurant\u201d with their grandpa, and he expects to dine in, but the girls tell him to head home, order on the app, and watch content on his phone.<\/p>\n

RELATED<\/p>\n

When four-year-old Bingo arrives with his pretend food on a scooter, the grandpa expects to make conversation, but Bluey interrupts, informing him that, \u201cYou don\u2019t really chat to the scooter person\u201d.<\/p>\n

Maybe I’m the problem<\/p>\n

As I approached the security gates to leave Coles<\/a>, they stayed closed until the last moment, and I became anxious<\/a> that they wouldn’t open.<\/p>\n

I hadn’t stolen anything, but the situation made me feel like a criminal, and I wondered if other shoppers felt the same.<\/p>\n

\"Left:<\/p>\n

Other major chain stores like McDonald\u2019s have also replaced staff with computer screens. Source: Yahoo News Australia<\/p>\n

Now that I\u2019m in my 40s, maybe it\u2019s me that\u2019s the problem, as I\u2019m not keeping up with the times.<\/p>\n

Younger people might prefer not to be interrupted by staff, prefer screens, and accept what feels like invasive security measures to me.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve reacted by simply shopping elsewhere and frequenting markets and my local grocer.<\/p>\n

But I must admit, when I\u2019m waiting in line, and customers are having long conversations, there\u2019s a part of me that wishes for a self-serve checkout.<\/p>\n

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can also follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, Twitter<\/a> and YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n