It's interesting, as since our trip, we've swapped retail outlet for our groceries...the change has been to a place with a self check-out.
The new place actually employs more checkout staff than where we were before, and has an express lane which is manned(ladied as well), which is a genuine 12 items or less, and policed).
Old place was lucky to have 3 tills available, frustrated staff, and queues a mile long. New place has more, cheerful staff, and the self service area functions to control the queue length...when the line gets long, people use the self serve more.
I like it.