The Sobeys in Belmont has earned itself quite the positive reputation after the store owner and one of his employees started a “slow lane” to allow people more chat time while they check out their groceries.
Jerry MacLachlan, the store’s owner/operator, said he noticed one day that one of his cashiers, Jason, had an extra long lineup — people were waiting to talk to him.
He said he originally got the idea when a friend shared a video with him about a store in Europe that had adopted the more relaxed and connected way of shopping.
Having a slow, chat lane “allows us to really connect to our shoppers,” MacLachlan said. “It’s a real pleasure to serve our community. It enriches our lives… sometimes we’re bringing people out of a dark space.”
One customer said he usually waits for Jason if he sees him at the cash.
“If he’s on one of the checkouts I’ll come and I’ll wait for him because we always have things to chat about… always a man-to-man talk, or we talk about the weather or talk about sports. It’s fun coming here,” said one customer.
“Some people go through some good days, some people might have a bad day. And when you talk to a person who had a bad day, you might be able to cheer them up and make them a little happier. I’m all about talking to people cause I’m a person, person.”
“We make friends with our customers very quick. It’s a labour of love, really serving our friends and family in the community,” MacLachlan added.