DON’T MISS
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Expat Info
Swiss news & articles
A chat at checkout: Migros opens slow checkout where people linger and talk
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

A chat at checkout: Migros opens slow checkout where people linger and talk

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

Basel restaurant named best in the world by La Liste food guideBasel restaurant named best in the world by La Liste food guide
Spargel scandal: Veg in Basel twice the price compared to GermanySpargel scandal: Veg in Basel twice the price compared to Germany
Basel ranked as one of the best European cities for street foodBasel ranked as one of the best European cities for street food
How much do you need to earn to buy a house in Switzerland?How much do you need to earn to buy a house in Switzerland?
April 2025 in Switzerland: 10 major changes expats need to know aboutApril 2025 in Switzerland: 10 major changes expats need to know about
Basel Airport to near-double in size thanks to new megaprojectBasel Airport to near-double in size thanks to new megaproject
Basel to offer 1.500 francs to anyone who gives up their carBasel to offer 1.500 francs to anyone who gives up their car
Direct train from Zurich to Europa-Park to launch on April 12Direct train from Zurich to Europa-Park to launch on April 12
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Oct 20, 2022
Jan de Boer

Editor at IamExpat Media

Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016. While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more

A Migros store in Basel has launched a new type of checkout line, where instead of scanning items yourself or having a cashier scan them at speed, people are able to linger a while and talk. The new system is designed to combat loneliness, especially among the youth and elderly.

Special checkouts at Migros to encourage talking and slow pace shopping

Two special checkouts at a Migros store in Basel’s Gundeli district, and one at a pharmacy in Gellert, have now been opened to the public. The system, called chat checkouts (Plauderkassen), is designed to allow people to pack and pay for their shopping slowly and talk to the cashier. 

The scheme is funded by the local healthcare provider and organised by the health organisation Gsünder Basel, who say it is targeted at those that just need someone to talk to. “Studies show that around a third of the population in Switzerland is lonely. These are not always the elderly, but also young people,” managing director Stefanie Näf told SRF.

Chat checkouts originally come from the Netherlands

The idea of a chat checkout actually comes from Jumbo supermarkets in the Netherlands, where a number of cash registers are dedicated to taking things slow. At Migros, workers who have been at the store for many years are put on the Plauderkassen as they are likely to have already met the regular shoppers and can strike up more of a conversation.

If the line gets too long, employees of Gsünder Basel take over the chat. "Sometimes we even carry people's purchases home," Näf admitted. The aim of the project is to give people someone to talk to, help them link with social organisations or, in the words of Näf, even “find a suitable club for a person interested in chess."

Chat checkouts in Basel prove popular with the elderly

So far, the idea has gone down well with shoppers, with one elderly lady telling SRF she finds the checkout very useful. "Sometimes I can't find anyone to chat with, although I really enjoy doing it," she noted, with another saying the slower pace makes it more relaxing to pay for items, especially as she doesn’t have a bank card.

The new Plauderkassen will be in place in Basel for a trial period of six months. If they prove popular with shoppers, the tills will be made permanent and more projects will be started in other Migros stores.

By Jan de Boer