ALDI tip that slows down checkout process sparks heated debate

ALDI is known for its lightning-fast checkout process.

It's a race against time as customers scramble to pack their groceries while the cashier scans at a breakneck speed.

But one ALDI shopper in Australia has devised a controversial tip to slow down the process, sparking a heated debate online.



Shopping at ALDI is a unique experience.

The supermarket chain's efficiency-focused model means that cashiers scan items rapidly, leaving customers scrambling to pack their groceries.


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An ALDI customer shared a tip on how to slow down the checkout process. Image source: Shutterstock.


The idea is to speed up the checkout process and keep the queues moving.

Customers are then encouraged to pack their bags at a designated packing bench away from the till area.

One shopper shared a tip on how to slow down the process which has left the community divided.



The tip involved spacing individual items far apart on the conveyor belt, forcing the cashier to wait for them to reach the till.

The shopper posted a picture of their groceries—fruit, milk, orange juice, and other items—drastically spaced out on the conveyor belt, with the caption: 'In your face ALDI. Just so we got time to pack.'

The reaction to the hack was mixed.

Some hailed the shopper as a genius, with one commenter saying, 'Round of applause—this is genius.'

While another added, 'Oh, I love it! Packing at ALDI should be an Olympic sport.'



However, others were less impressed and argued that the tip was an inconvenience to other shoppers and a violation of ALDI's packing etiquette.

One critic pointed out, 'People like you packing their bags at the register are so annoying and selfish. Try packing at the bench like everyone else.'

Another added, 'I despise when people do this.'

Interestingly, some ALDI staff members responded to the post and revealed that they had seen this before and had strategies to counter it.

One staff member replied, 'I have customers do this, I just put my arm up to move the belt, let it all build up, then start scanning.'

'When I worked at ALDI, and people did this, I would hold the first item back from the sensor with my arm until everything piled up,' another commented.



Meanwhile, another ALDI shopper shared a different hack that has been well-received.

Instead of using bags to pack away her shopping, she used laundry baskets.

This method allowed for quick packing at the checkout and easy unloading at home—a simple, yet efficient solution.
Key Takeaways
  • An ALDI shopper shared a hack for slowing down the packing process at checkouts by spacing items out on the conveyor belt.
  • The technique has divided users, with some considering it clever and others calling it inconvenient and selfish.
  • ALDI staff members also shared that they have methods to deal with such tactics by allowing items to build up before scanning.
  • Some shoppers have come up with their own alternatives to using bags, such as using laundry baskets to carry their groceries.
What do you think of this tip, members? Do you have other tips you’d like to share? Share them with us in the comments below!
 

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I often wonder why people complain about Aldi yet continue to shop there!!! If you don't like their policies please go elsewhere and let the rest of us enjoy the benefits. Amazing prices, top quality and great staff. The process is fast and if a shopper follows the guidelines by replacing items back into the trolley as soon as scanned, then pack on benches provided, there is no problem.
 
My 3 local Aldi stores have installed 2 rows of self-serve checkouts. Only 1 manned checkout if it gets busy.
There is often a queue at the self serve checkouts.
 
I think it is a good idea. I have no idea why Aldi want you to re pack at the counter. That is just double handling for us. I take a good size foldable basket & pack everything except fridge goods in it. Fridge goods go into an insulated zip up bag. I can pack very fast. At the register NOT the counter. Not wasting my time packing twice.
 
"A violation of etiquette".

WHAT? Someone care to explain what this crap is supposed to mean?

And just forget about "store policies". Another suggestion masquerading as law in an attempt to make the masses conform.

Show me a person who has been charged with "breaking" a store policy and I will introduce you to the Easter Bunny.
 
After I unload my trolley I open my bags in the trolley and fill them as the staff scan them. I also take a marker pen and when I buy more than 1 of anything I write it on one box and prepack the extras instead of taking everything out when I get to the checkout. The operator can see the pre bagged items. This saves clutter on the checkout and the staff appreciate it. Saves a lot of time.
 
I group similar items all together at the checkout for eg packs of tissues, tinned salmon etc so the operator can scan them all in one go instead of scanning one item at a time. This makes it easier and faster for them and easier for me to load my trolley. Plus it makes it easier for me to check my receipt in case of any discrepancies.
 
Make sure you put the items on the belt the way you want to pack them straight into your bag...eg fruit and vegetables (eg-baby spinach) last so it doesn't get squashed, also all the frozen and cold stuff together... makes it easier to plonk this directly into bags at the counter.
 
If you don't like the way Aldi do things, take your complaining self off to Woolies or Coles, your choice .
People are never happy unless they have something to whinge about.
If it really bugs you so much, put your hand in your pocket and purchase one of the trolley dividers so you can at least
pack faster so your privileged self doesn't hold everybody else up
 
Stuff ALDI and their packing etiquette. What if it is an older person who has trouble with mobility and packing. And to the person who despises the slow packers, you know what you can do. Go shop at Woolworthless or Coals.
No, if the person has mobility problems then it would seem more appropriate for them to shop at Woolies or Coles where the packing would-be done for them.
Same for you, if you have a problem with ALDI, take your own advice and shop elsewhere.
 
I‘ve got a basket ( not sure how or where I got it from ) but I put that in the trolley ,empty it onto the belt the viola it goes back in the basket in the trolley but I like the clothes basket idea too
 
We have Aldi bags that clip over the frame of the trolley, so that when the items come through the register, we just load them into the bags, simple. Just put items on the conveyor belt in order eg. cold stuff, soft stuff, vegetables, and so on.
 
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I have never experienced an over-fast checkout operator: I can always get the items back into the trolley to be packed at my leisure at the provided shelf.
If a person wants to create this sort of selfish hold-up, they should use a self-service machine!
 
Being elderly beyond my use use-by date, I recall when the Price-gouge People employed not only check-out chicks at all check-out outlets, but also bagger-chicks who put your purchases in plastic bags for you. That was in the 1980s; gee, you're old, grandad! Now we have to work, unpaid, for the Price-gouge People to operate their bloody self-check-out machines and also pack our stuff in whatever bags we bring to the Duopoly.

And prices rise every week. Must be the war in Ukraine.
 

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