The Checkout Girl – By Tazeen Ahmad

Having worked in a supermarket myself, I’m all too aware of the types of customers that are found lurking within the contents of this book. With this in mind, I delved into its pages with an undisguised glee, hoping that Tazeen’s own experiences were just as memorable as mine were. I wasn’t disappointed.

2008 saw the UK fall arse first into a deep recession. It was during this time that the author of the book decided to take on a job at Sainsbury’s. Her goal was not only to earn some extra cash, but to see firsthand how the recession affected the general public through their spending habits. Over the course of a six month period, Tazeen observed the unsuspecting customers and shared her experiences with us, the reader, with all the wit and tact required of a checkout girl.

In what should have been a very uninteresting book (let’s be honest, scanning items through a checkout isn’t what you’d call exciting) its Tazeen’s own honesty about her customers, colleagues and at times, even herself that drives us through its pages, laughing and sympathising all the while.

The recession hits and with it, a true account of modern Britain is revealed. The view from the till side provides a highly personal account of the struggles most consumers face when forced into redundancy, or simply having to meet the rising costs of living. Families, students, pensioners, single people, the employed and self employed – all are affected and no one is left untouched by the growing financial crisis in the UK.

Despite all the doom and gloom, there is a sense of hope and resiliency amongst the customers and colleagues. The humour is spot on and is a much needed relief both for the reader and the author.

I rarely venture into the reading world of non-fiction but Tazeen has a likeable writing style which instantly hooked me from the beginning. If this book teaches you one thing, let it be that checkout workers never miss a thing.

A review by Teesee