"Scanning at Sainsbury" video

Video about the introduction of barcode scanning checkouts at Sainsbury’s stores. The video was for cashiers and of general interest to staff in stores before conversion to scanning. Presented by Martyn Lewis (television newsreader).

The video covers: barcodes and their history; an introduction to scanning; an overview of checkout operation; store conversion to scanning and the training involved; and the branch computing and scanning systems.

Includes footage of: barcodes; product displays in a Sainsbury’s store; scanning checkouts at various stores; use of a pricing gun to manually label items; shelf edge price labels; a branch office with computer systems; demonstration of scanning on a training checkout; branch computer; staff counting money in cash office; “Scanning at Sainsbury’s” leaflet; "Vox pop" interviews with customers about the advantages of scanning checkouts; and a brief interview with store manager Martin Whitty. The video appears to have been filmed (at least in part) at Worple Road, Wimbledon store (the receipt printed on the demonstration checkout refers to ‘Worple Road training centre’).

Three different tapes are included in the file with similar titles - dated 30 April 1985, 16 June 1986 and 2 July 1987. It is unclear whether the three tapes are identical or not - the 16 June 1986 video is the only one which has been digitized.

Duration: 15 minutes. Produced for J Sainsbury by WSTV.