ALDI shoppers shocked by little-known checkout policy that could change your grocery experience

As we navigate the bustling aisles of our local supermarkets, many of us have come to expect a certain rhythm to our shopping experience.

But for those who frequent ALDI, the checkout process can sometimes feel like a sport, with items being scanned at a pace that would make even a seasoned athlete sweat.

However, a recent revelation by an Aussie mum has brought to light a little-known ALDI checkout policy that might just change the game for shoppers everywhere.


The mum's simple request during her shopping trip has peeled back the curtain on a surprising aspect of ALDI's customer service.

The woman recounted she was finishing her grocery shopping at one of the chain's stores on Sunday, November 24, when she nervously approached the register.

‘I said to the guy working, “Hey, can you like, just go a bit slower for me today? I’m obviously not the in the mood to get my groceries kung fu flung at my f****** head,”’ she narrated on a video she posted online, alluding to ALDI’s well-known fast-paced checkout staff.


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An Australian mum revealed ALDI's little-known policy allowing checkout staff to adjust scanning speed upon request. Credit: Shutterstock and Tiktok / @fergiesdiary


To her astonishment, the employee complied without hesitation, explaining that if a customer asks for a slower pace, they are obliged to oblige.

The surprised shopper, who seems to be from NSW, shared, ‘He said, “Yeah, of course, we can go as slow or fast as you want. If you ask us to go slow, we have to go slow,”’ as she slowly took off her sunglasses and stared at the camera in disbelief.

‘Sorry. So, did anyone else know that? Like, why the f*** do they choose to go 100 miles an hour?’


This eye-opening encounter was shared in a video that quickly made the rounds, racking up views as shoppers across the country resonated with the sentiment.

The mum candidly expressed her ‘hate’ for the ‘pressure at the checkout’ and encouraged others who felt the same to simply speak up and ask for a slower scan speed.

‘Easy as that,’ she concluded, leaving viewers with a newfound sense of empowerment for their next ALDI visit.

In response to the video, an ALDI spokesperson confirmed that, indeed, workers are instructed to adjust their scanning speeds to accommodate customers' requests.

‘At ALDI, our commitment to quality doesn’t stop with our products—it’s our brilliant people who help make what we do possible,’ the spokesperson said.

‘Whether it’s expertly navigating shoppers to their must-have Special Buy or adjusting their scan speed based on how quickly or slowly each customer packs their shopping, our team members help make every grocery shop Good Different.’


The revelation has sparked a wave of reactions from Aussies, with many admitting that the speed of ALDI checkouts can be nerve-wracking.

While some shoppers ‘love’ the challenge, others have expressed a preference for self-serve checkouts to avoid the rush.

Unfortunately, not all ALDI stores are equipped with self-serve options, leaving some customers longing for a more leisurely pace.

Former and current ALDI employees have chimed in on the conversation, explaining that their scanning rates are indeed ‘monitored and timed’.

‘That’s why we do it fast generally,’ one commenter explained.

‘Husband works for them. They get warnings for going too slow. Only supposed to slow down for old/disabled or, when asked,’ another shared.


While one ALDI shopper's request for a slower checkout process highlighted the store's little-known policy, it also sheds light on a growing frustration among some customers who feel that the fast-paced environment can be overwhelming.

As more shoppers share their experiences, it’s clear that the rush at checkout isn’t the only aspect of ALDI shopping that’s causing stress.

Many are now voicing their concerns about the challenges of dealing with other customers, leading to some interesting discussions online about how the shopping experience could be improved.
Key Takeaways
  • An Australian mum revealed a little-known policy at ALDI where checkout staff will adjust scanning speed on request.
  • The shopper shared her experience in a video, indicating that customers can ask cashiers at ALDI to slow down if they find the checkout process too fast.
  • An ALDI spokesperson confirmed that employees are instructed to accommodate customers' scanning speed preferences.
  • Whilst some customers enjoy the challenge of ALDI's fast checkout, others feel pressured, and staff are monitored on their scanning performance, with adjustments mainly made for the elderly, disabled, or when specifically requested.
We'd love to hear from you, our Seniors Discount Club members, about your experiences at ALDI or any other supermarket checkouts. Have you ever felt the pressure of a fast-paced checkout? Would you consider asking the staff to slow down now that you know it's an option? Share your stories and tips in the comments below, and let's help each other make the most of our grocery shopping trips!
 

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I asked an aldi employee where something was located, answer, " There's 118 baskets, how am I supposed to know", but in Aldis staff defence I must say, 99.9% of them are fantastic, I bought a battery operated tool, 20 volt, but no store from Wollongong to Sydney west had batteries to make it work, disgraceful Aldi, get your act together.
 
Why do they go so fast???

Wow, people cannot be this dumb. Obviously it's to get through each customer faster, stops others waiting so long and reduces the time extra staff are needed at the checkout.
 
Regardless of the supermarket chain, I will unload my purchases at MY pace and not be governed by the "whims" of staff and other customers alike.

At self serve checkouts, I will scan as fast or slow as I like, sometimes to give other customers the shits. I am sick of the foot tapping eye rolling self centred twits who are behind me. If you can't organise your day better, then more fool you. The world does not revolve around you!

I might go grocery shopping today, just for the fun of it!
 
But they don't slow down when they see much older people in the queue which is the shame. They clearly don't know to ask. I don't have a problem with it and usually only have a few items each time . They could be doing a great service by automatically slowing down for obvious older people. It is not hard.
 
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Reactions: Kahlan28 and Winks
OMG.... two articles up people are complaining about lining up to show a docket at KMart because it is sooooo time consuming, now people are complaining Aldi's are too fast at the checkout....what is wrong with people these days, are they so entitled that everything has to be perfect for THEM everywhere they go, can't they adjust to different situations. Maybe they should just stay home and do everything on their phones/computers. We also wouldn't have to listen to the fowl mouthed rants either, what an adorable mother she is, can't say a sentence without using the "F" word.
 
OMG.... two articles up people are complaining about lining up to show a docket at KMart because it is sooooo time consuming, now people are complaining Aldi's are too fast at the checkout....what is wrong with people these days, are they so entitled that everything has to be perfect for THEM everywhere they go, can't they adjust to different situations. Maybe they should just stay home and do everything on their phones/computers. We also wouldn't have to listen to the fowl mouthed rants either, what an adorable mother she is, can't say a sentence without using the "F" word.
I agree, people don't seem to be happy these days unless they have something to whinge about.
The only thing you achieve with an attitude like that is to make yourself miserable.
I look at my daughter and despite having been born with an intellectual disability, developing schizophrenia in her teens,both feet operated on, 3 bouts of oral cancer resulting in the loss of her tongue, all her food has to be blended and yet she is happy with the smallest pleasures and always says there are people worse off than her.
She puts most people to shame
 
When we shop at Aldi I try to encourage my husband to put ‘like’ items together- cold along with cold, vegies and fruit last; on the receiving end when everything has been scanned I tell my husband he doesn’t have to rush to keep up with the checkout operator’s speed & dump everything ‘Willy-nilly’ into the trolley. There’s no great hurry, but we don’t deliberately slow down, we gently and calmly/coolly put things into the trolley in the order we will be loading them into bags or the car. Like items together. What annoys me more is Coles & Woolworths check out staff putting loaves of bread one on top of the other instead of standing upright alongside one another.
 
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Reactions: mylittletibbies
I find them great they don’t start scanning til I have everything on the belt and am ready to pack if things pile up the stop for a minute for me to be able to clear it. Satisfied customer
 
I regularly shop at Aldi, it's the only store where I use the self-checkout where I can do it at my leisure and pack my bags as I go.
 
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Reactions: freedy50
"I’m obviously not in the mood to get my groceries kung fu flung at my f****** head,”

What sort of ignorant stupid person talks like that to someone? 🙄
I would have scanned her goods faster. 😁

Doesn't bother me anyway as I only use the self checkout in my local Aldi. Has lots of space to put all your shopping and obviously you scan at your own pace.🙂
 
Kung fu flung at my f*****n head yes what a charming young lady. We had a young Indian guy at our Aldi that would scan your stuff so rapidly that stuff would end up on the floor thankfully he didn’t last and all of our check out people pause if you are getting behind.
 
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Reactions: Kahlan28
I regularly shop at Aldi, it's the only store where I use the self-checkout where I can do it at my leisure and pack my bags as I go.
At our Aldi store the self serve checkouts (which I never use) only allows payment by card, and then slugs you a fee for using the card, check the bottom of your receipt to see if you are being charged to use your card
 
At our Aldi store the self serve checkouts (which I never use) only allows payment by card, and then slugs you a fee for using the card, check the bottom of your receipt to see if you are being charged to use your card
Swipe your card, don't tap it and you won't get a surcharge if you are using a debit card.
I'm not sure about a credit card, I don't use one.
 
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Reactions: Beezzzy
Regardless of the supermarket chain, I will unload my purchases at MY pace and not be governed by the "whims" of staff and other customers alike.

At self serve checkouts, I will scan as fast or slow as I like, sometimes to give other customers the shits. I am sick of the foot tapping eye rolling self centred twits who are behind me. If you can't organise your day better, then more fool you. The world does not revolve around you!

I might go grocery shopping today, just for the fun of it!
You and my Missus must be related, sounds exactly like her🙀😸😸
 
I think these shoppers who think the Aldi check out operators are going too fast are the ones who INSIST on packing the groceries straight into the bags instead of moving over to the side. I loved how they were so fast I just stood there putting all my stuff back into the trolley then moving to the side to put them into the bags how I wanted them. I actually love their self serve checkouts they work so much better than all the other shops combined!!
 

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