Dutch supermarket chain opens ‘chat checkouts’ to combat loneliness among the elderly
Some 200 Jumbo supermarkets will be opening up registers where clients can stop for a chat rather than pay for their shopping.

[Oct 1, 2021: The Brighter Side of News]
Some 200 Jumbo supermarkets will be opening up registers where clients can stop for a chat rather than pay for their shopping as quickly as possible.
The first ‘Kletskassa’, or chat checkout, as it has been dubbed, was opened in 2019 in Vlijmen in Brabant. Its success prompted the group to plan for another 200 to be operative by this time next year, particularly in shops in areas where loneliness is an issue.
‘Many people, the elderly in particular, can feel lonely. As a family business and supermarket chain we have a central role in society. Our shops are a meeting place and that means we can do something to combat loneliness. The Kletskassa is just one of the things we can do,’ Jumbo CCO Colette Cloosterman-Van Eerd said.
The supermarket chat checkout is part of a health ministry program to combat loneliness. The Netherlands has some 1.3 million people over the age of 75, over half of whom have said they regularly feel lonely.
The initiative is aimed at picking up the signs of loneliness among the elderly early and inviting companies, organisations and local councils to work together to come up with creative solutions, such as the chat checkout.
‘We are proud our staff want to work the chat checkout, ‘Cloosterman-Van Eerd said. ‘They really want to help people and make contact with them. It’s a small gesture but it’s a valuable one, particularly in a world that is becoming more digital and faster.’
Apart from the register, a number of Jumbo supermarkets also introduced a ‘chat corner’ where locals come to have a coffee and a natter.
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Tags: #Global_Good_News, #Loneliness, #Conversation, #Elderly, #Netherlands, #The_Brighter_Side_of_News

Joseph Shavit
Head Science News Writer | Communicating Innovation & Discovery
Based in Los Angeles, Joseph Shavit is an accomplished science journalist, head science news writer and co-founder at The Brighter Side of News, where he translates cutting-edge discoveries into compelling stories for a broad audience. With a strong background spanning science, business, product management, media leadership, and entrepreneurship, Joseph brings a unique perspective to science communication. His expertise allows him to uncover the intersection of technological advancements and market potential, shedding light on how groundbreaking research evolves into transformative products and industries.