Woolworths has become the first food retailer in Tasmania to introduce self serve checkouts. 

Following their introduction on the mainland last year Woolworths in Sorrell will be the first store in the state to receive the new NCR FastLane self serve checkouts.

The checkouts will then begin rolling out to all refurbished stores, with around five new self serve checkouts to be installed in each Woolworths store.

Woolworths GM of supermarket support, Peter Heywood, said self serve checkouts were a convenient option for customers and have become the easy way for many shoppers on the mainland.

The checkout allows customers to scan, weigh and pay for their own groceries using cash, credit or debit cards. It also dispenses petrol reward dockets, mobile phone top up vouchers and allows customers to take cash out. Frequent Shopper Club cards are accepted at the new checkouts.

The screens feature animated instructions and voice prompts. with at least one member of staff to be stationed close by to talk customers through the technology and assistance.

"In all the stores where we have installed this new technology customers have really embraced it. It is now so popular that approximately a third of transactions go through the self serve checkouts where they are installed and in some stores it as high as 60 per cent.

"Of course they will never fully replace standard or express checkouts but they are certainly a handy alternative for the busy shopper," Heywood said.

He assured customers that the introduction of self serve checkouts would have no effect on staff levels in store.

"Self Serve Checkouts are great additional service for customers and take up the space of only two current manned checkouts. We need one person to man the checkouts and we always need more staff on the shop floor to help our customers."