Looking to cut back on staff costs?

Well, how about having no cashier, and zero staff at all, relying instead on people’s honesty to pay for what they take.

It’s a bold strategy indeed, so let’s see how it works out for Honesty Box Retail in Melville, Johannesburg. The pop-up store sells fruit and veg, as well as other foodstuffs, and is an “experiment in integrity”.

Reporting below via Fin24:

Siggi Nonhono (32)…tells YOU they decided to open the pop-up because of their trust in South Africans’ inherent honesty. The result is this social experiment in ubuntu.

“We dreamt of a South Africa where you can walk down the street and come across a bucket with avos for sale. Next to the avos would be a small honesty box where you’d deposit your money, then take your avo – without anyone having to man the stand,” he explains.

“This type of thing is a reality overseas, so why can’t we do it too?”

I like Siggi’s optimism.

Honesty Box opened back in May, and so far it has relied mainly on return visitors who bring their friends. Shoppers can pay by putting cash in an ‘honesty envelope’, or use SnapScan.

When asked about whether they fear being robbed, Siggi responded:

“Not really,” Siggi says. “I must admit the centre is quiet – but mostly we believe the average South African to be honest and sincere.”

There was one customer who took a jar of jam that cost R80 and only paid R10 for it. “But we want to believe they paid with what they had rather than simply stealing it,” Siggi says.

Definitely going to try this the next time I go to Woolies. Sorry, I only have R100 on me, but I’ll be back with the rest soon.

The pop-up shop will be open until the end of June, so if you’re in the Melville area, and you want to exhibit some of that Ubuntu spirit, pop past and pay your dues.

[source:fin24]