Shocking discovery: ALDI’s self-checkouts break the mould compared to Coles and Woolworths!

In the ever-evolving landscape of retail, convenience reigns supreme. As consumers increasingly seek efficiency in their shopping experiences, self-checkouts have emerged as a game-changer in the Australian market.

But navigating the self-service checkouts at your local grocery store can be a frustrating task for some. However, a recent comparison suggests that ALDI patrons might be having a smoother ride when it comes to bagging their purchases.


Unlike Coles and Woolworths, where shoppers often encounter pesky error messages and require staff intervention, some ALDI stores seem to offer a more lenient approach.

Reports from five Sydney locations—Bondi, Broadway, Darlinghurst, East Gardens, and Waterloo—suggest that at ALDI, not all self-checkouts enforce the strict weight verification system typically found elsewhere.


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Aldi took a different approach to self-checkouts by not using a strict weight verification system.
Credits: Shutterstock



What does this mean for ALDI customers? Essentially, it appears that at these stores, shoppers can scan their items and bag them elsewhere without triggering any alarms if the weight doesn’t match up—unlike in other stores.

When asked about this observation, ALDI declined to comment, leaving consumers curious about the rationale behind this apparent laxity.



‘The only reason that would happen is, there is a technical fault or the business has intentionally switched off the plate,’ consumer expert Gary Mortimer as he shed some light on this matter.

‘It would seem highly irregular that they would establish new technology without that security mechanism built into it.’

‘We know that with ALDI, they do tend to “sweat their assets”. In other words, they like to not spend a great deal of capital refurbishing stores and putting in new technologies because that's how they keep their prices lower,’ he added.


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Self-service checkout used by customers for a more efficient shopping experience.
Credits: Shutterstock



Since introducing self-checkouts in May 2021, ALDI has steadily used them across its outlets nationwide.
However, amid a surge in supermarket theft, competitors like Coles and Woolworths have ramped up security measures, including AI (Artificial Intelligence) anti-theft technology—a move not adopted to the same extent by ALDI.

While ALDI did employ security cameras within its stores, the absence of advanced theft prevention technology highlights its distinct approach to security in the retail landscape.



There have also been debates on whether the self-service checkouts should be continued.

People say that while it speeds up the shopping experience for customers, it is also taking away some of the worker’s jobs. You can read more about this here.
Key Takeaways

  • ALDI implemented a more lenient approach to self-checkouts as it did not enforce strict weight limit verification systems in its stores in five locations—Bondi, Broadway, Darlinghurst, East Gardens, and Waterloo.
  • Consumer expert Gary Mortimer suggested that this is either caused by technical issues or ALDI deliberately switched off the weight limit plates.
  • While competitors like Coles and Woolworths introduced new security measures due to the recent rise of supermarket theft, ALDI opted not to mirror them but continued using security cameras in its stores.
What do you think about ALDI’s decision on this matter? Would you use the self-checkouts at ALDI? Let us know in the comments below!
 
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Coles have some of their Self Service without scales, used for trolley loads of shopping, works great, no waiting for the weighing and no errors popping up.
 
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It won't happen, keep waiting. Another pain in the ars* aren't you. What a childish thing to do, leave a trolley full of shopping.
Another DH that can't read. I care absolutely naught what you think ar**wipe. If you had even a modicum of intelligence, you would have just ignored me and scrolled on by.
 
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Another DH that can't read. I care absolutely naught what you think ar**wipe.
Can't read??? You said you leave your full trolley and walk out the door. That's childish, that's what a kid would do, "I want to do this" and stamp their feet and run away.

Obviously you don't care what I think, you never think of others, a narcissistic jerk.
 
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Can't read??? You said you leave your full trolley and walk out the door. That's childish, that's what a kid would do, "I want to do this" and stamp their feet and run away.

Obviously you don't care what I think, you never think of others, a narcissistic jerk.
Clearly I have hit a nerve. I have upset you but make no apology whatsoever. You are having a hissy fit over my comment and you call me childish. That is what a spoilt little brat would do. Take a good look in the mirror and get off that high horse of yours instead of being a self righteous imbecile.
 
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Clearly I have hit a nerve. I have upset you but make no apology whatsoever. You are having a hissy fit over my comment and you call me childish. That is what a spoilt little brat would do. Take a good look in the mirror and get off that high horse of yours instead of being a self righteous imbecile.
Clearly you don't like being called out for your bad behaviour
 
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Clearly you don't like being called out for your bad behaviour
If you think you are calling me out that is laughable. Who exactly do you think you are? A copper? You can call whatever you like, it will not change anything and will just reinforce my opinion of you DH
 

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