Tesco has been nothing if not prolific when it comes to reinventing great British traditions of late – and, no, we’re not talking about Ribena.

This time it’s the veritable conveyor belt of ideas to change the experience of the great British love - or should that be hatred - of queueing.

Supermarket checkouts, as any parent knows too well, can be one of the most stressful experiences on earth.

Tesco appears to be ahead of the curve in knowing this and its latest move to get rid of one of the single most miserable phrases ever invented is likely to be a welcome new landmark.

Customers have had a love-hate relationship with the automatic till, first introduced by Tesco way back in 2003, believe it or not.

To some, the lack of human contact, the reliance on machinery, however well oiled, and the mindblowing pressure of the eyes of the person behind burning into your back add up to complete dread.

Yet surely it is that one phrase that is the ultimate horror. How many people have been driven to the edge of smashing the machine to bits by this voice, which Tesco has rightly decided is ‘shouty’ and ‘irritating’.

And this is just the latest in a long line of till trials pioneered by the retailer.

A year ago super-slim tills were launched in London to slash queuing time for the time- pressed City worker.

And last month Tesco even launched its first dementia-friendly checkout at a store in Chester, complete with visual reminders of the value of coins and advice leaflets on memory loss.

Tesco even launched a full automatic till at its Lincoln Extra a year ago, although these were a bit too much like checking in at Gatwick for some.

One might suspect there is a wider message in all this from Tesco CEO Dave Lewis. His mantra is that changing one shopper’s experience a day, multiplied across all its staff, is a game changer.

So it’s perhaps not just the machines he wants to be more friendly. Lewis has set great store by the interactions human checkout workers - and other colleagues - have with shoppers, and has been urging them to be chatty and engaging wherever possible to make the shopping experience more pleasant.

And, of course, to never, ever mention the unexpected item in the bagging area.

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