Gold medallist shares alarming truth behind her fear of shopping at ALDI

Shopping can be a therapeutic experience for many. It lets shoppers stroll through aisles leisurely, carefully selecting items from the shelves.

However, for others, like Liz Ellis, former Australian netball captain and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, a trip to the supermarket can be a source of anxiety, particularly regarding the checkout experience at ALDI.


During a candid segment on The Project, Ellis shared her personal discomfort with the German supermarket chain's checkout process, despite ALDI's reputation for offering lower prices on a basket of goods compared to its competitors, Woolworths and Coles.

Research from the consumer group CHOICE highlighted ALDI’s cost-effectiveness. An average basket of household items costs $51.51 at ALDI, while the same items would cost $68.58 at Woolworths and $69.33 at Coles.


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Liz Ellis avoided shopping at ALDI due to the anxiety experienced during checkout. Credit: Shutterstock


However, the savings aren't enough to sway Ellis, who expressed unease with ALDI's efficient but frenetic checkout system.

'If I started a supermarket, I wouldn't do ALDI's way of doing the checkout. It gives me such anxiety,’ she explained.

The speed at which items are scanned and the expectation for customers to bag their own groceries quickly can be overwhelming for some shoppers, including Ellis.

‘All the stuff gets thrown at me! I'm like, "Okay!”.’ she added.


Her co-host, Georgie Tunny, echoed Ellis's sentiments, suggesting that the pressure to pack groceries rapidly might deter some customers from shopping at ALDI despite the potential savings.

‘I legitimately think that puts a lot of people off because, let's be honest, it is a convenience thing,’ she said.

Convenience, it seems, is still a significant factor for many when choosing where to shop.

The discussion also touched on broader issues within the Australian grocery market. Waleed Aly, another co-host on The Project, shared his observation:

‘The most revealing aspect of this report to me was Coles and Woolworths' prices seem to be higher in areas that don't have an ALDI,’

‘That says to me while there are all sorts of things with cost of supply and supply chains, ultimately it seems the prices we're paying are not out of necessity but out of competition.’


Aly advocated for introducing more supermarket chains in Australia, arguing that increased competition could help drive down prices.

‘Where you don't have anything beyond the two in your area, you'll pay a higher price because there's no reason not to. Why would they charge you less?’

‘You can say you want ALDI's market share to be greater, but then it's three. When you travel overseas and you see there's eight or something. You speak to people there, and they say you get slammed on groceries. I think it's clear why.’

In related news, most Australian grocery shoppers prefer Woolworths and Coles over ALDI, citing location and convenience as key factors.

A consumer psychologist suggested that Woolies and Coles provide a more engaging shopping experience. Read more about this story here.

Key Takeaways

  • Liz Ellis has expressed her dislike for shopping at ALDI due to the anxiety she experiences during the checkout process.
  • Consumer group Choice found that ALDI offers the lowest prices among major supermarkets in Australia for a basket of average goods.
  • The discussion highlighted the impact of ALDI on competition, with Waleed Aly noting that grocery prices tend to be higher in areas without an ALDI.
  • There is a call for more supermarket chains in Australia to challenge the current duopoly of Woolworths and Coles and potentially lower prices.

Does the checkout process at ALDI or any other supermarket cause you stress? Do you prioritise convenience over cost, or vice versa? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below.
 
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Coles and Woolworths have to pay for there overheads ,like never ending advertising campaigns and paying theretop people obscene renumerations , so have to pass on there expensive prices to us , at the end of the day it’s paying less for the same or similar items at Aldi , and if I have to pack my own groceries quickly , great , im outa there sooner and have paid less , if ya want to be pampered , sure go to the others , pay more , that’s great go there.Aldi , pay less , out quicker , grocery shopping is never a joyful experience
 
I don't ever shop at ALDI. I went twice... first time I was after a cordless mouse which was supposed to be on special. Second person in the door at opening I saw a man pick mouse up and asked where the rest were.... staff replied "oh they were all sold last week". Second time when new store was opened. It gave me the creeps. Walked right through the shop, turned and walked out. Never been back.
I’m not a fan of Aldi. Everyone says it’s cheaper and maybe it is but you get what you pay for and I don’t like the quality of what they sell. If I wanted goods of a lesser quality I could shop anywhere and buy home brand products. I go in and have a look at the middle isle but I’m not doing that quite so often these days.
 
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Picky , picky, picky! Use the self checkouts Liz if it bothers you so much..I organise my shopping with meat, frozen goods on the conveyor belt first. Then canned or bottled items, then fresh produce and soft items like bread last. As it comes off, not hard to to transfer to trolley, then go to bench and pack, and I'm 20 years older than Liz Ellis!
I always thought that was the aim at Aldi so you can pack your own things while at the bench ,Woolies and Coles don’t give you that option
 
I certainly feel "pressure" or "anxiety" - (similar meaning) at Aldi checkout. I am in no way slow or incapable of packing groceries. However, the checkout person can be much faster than I can pack and the pressure comes from them starting the next in line before I have cleared my goods and the next person moving down and crowding my space - thus applying pressure to be quicker...this surely makes me uncomfortable. I am happy with self-service facilities.
My Aldi checkouts never start totting up the next lot before I have cleared the area!
 
I like Aldi better than the other supermarkets, even with the way the teller work I think if efficiency rather than a bother.
 
So many judges here.

Her opinion.

Last time I looked we were in Australia, allowed to voice opinion.

The responses to this article clearly show we're not.
 
if lining up at the checkout scares your anxiety how the hell did you face other teams in matches. what a stupid article for you to have out in the public to be ridiculed. this is pathetic.
 
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I certainly feel "pressure" or "anxiety" - (similar meaning) at Aldi checkout. I am in no way slow or incapable of packing groceries. However, the checkout person can be much faster than I can pack and the pressure comes from them starting the next in line before I have cleared my goods and the next person moving down and crowding my space - thus applying pressure to be quicker...this surely makes me uncomfortable. I am happy with self-service facilities.
they can not start before finishing. they do their speed and you do your speed. simple ick.
 
if lining up at the checkout scares your anxiety how the hell did you face other teams in matches. what a stupid article for you to have out in the public to be ridiculed. this is pathetic.
Not wrong there👍
 
I also don’t shop much at Aldi, I find it hard to keep up with checkout scanning products and at our local Aldi the staff make people feel inadequate if they still have items on checkout area when the next customer is going through. It also annoys me if I have to put items back in trolley and pack into bags elsewhere. That makes four times handling each item. Customers should be given time to pack their groceries into bags at the checkout in their own time, not be forced to put back in trolley and repack elsewhere. Our Aldi does not have self checkouts and usually only has one open until at least 4/5 people lined up waiting to get out of the shop.
 
I made a suggestion to my local Aldi store not long ago,that to offset this panic period and to prevent delay to others waiting in the check out line,Aldi have a turn table device at the end.The idea being once your shopping is totaled, the turn table with your groceries is moved so that you can pack your shopping whilst the next customer is being checked out.Then the process is repeated.'We already have that' I was told.My question would be, if its such a good idea why isn't it the norm and in all stores?
 
Picky , picky, picky! Use the self checkouts Liz if it bothers you so much..I organise my shopping with meat, frozen goods on the conveyor belt first. Then canned or bottled items, then fresh produce and soft items like bread last. As it comes off, not hard to to transfer to trolley, then go to bench and pack, and I'm 20 years older than Liz Ellis!
exactly! easypeasy. it s just an excuse to not be seen shopping at Aldi. But I suppose she can afford to pay more...
 
So many judges here.

Her opinion.

Last time I looked we were in Australia, allowed to voice opinion.

The responses to this article clearly show we're not.
well said Anna. So many people who have NO anxieties. I refuse to go in their shops because they give me the creeps..... really bad feeling. My senses tell me not to trust them and I won't. How many write ups do we need about the quality of their stuff, mould in the meat fridges, rotten fruit. NO THANK YOU
 
they can not start before finishing. they do their speed and you do your speed. simple ick.
LOL...
“Ick…a feeling of disgust or aversion towards something or someone” - I had to look ick up! Nice LOL

OK then and to speak your language, I drop the wokeness - the anxiety comes from being in proximity of too many who don’t practice walking without dragging their knuckles on the floor as per some commenters here.
 
No one is forcing you to use the Aldi Business model. If you don't like it or it doesn't suit you, pick one that does. We are lucky with choice, so enjoy your freedom- not everyone is so lucky!
 
If you don`t like Aldi dont`t go there, I often shop at Aldi and have never had groceries thrown my way. It is a quick pace at times however you can tell the checkout operator to slow down and I have never had an experience where any staff member has been rude. Sure you do have to pack your own bags, so what? This has been my experience in Coles and Wooworths. What I do love abou Aldi is that you walk away with a trolly full of grocery lines that are great quality and apparently 25% cheaper than ;)at the other grocery stores.
 

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