Woman sparks heated ALDI trolley debate
If you feel overwhelmed when checking out at ALDI, you’re not alone.
The German supermarket is known for its speedy checkout process, something the company has previously said is part of the reason it can offer such low prices.
But a woman has sparked a heated debate after she claimed an ALDI cashier told her to “bring a trolley” next time she loads her groceries.
Taking to Facebook, the Melbourne woman explained she paid a visit to her local ALDI store to pick up a “few” items for dinner.
As she approached the register, she didn’t realise how frustrated she would feel afterwards.
“When the cashier starts scanning them through and I place them into a bag, he said to me ‘next time you come into the store bring a trolley to load your groceries into’,” she wrote in the post.
“I said ‘OK’, but then as I was preparing to pay I said ‘sorry, why do I need to bring a trolley?’
“He said ‘to load your groceries into, to make it faster for the other customers’.”
In her furious rant, she went on to say “I was so irritated by this. I HAVE 10 ITEMS MATE.”
She accompanied the post with a photo of her grocery haul, featuring 10 items.
The rant attracted plenty of attention with hundreds of comments from fellow shoppers.
“For only a few items like this I’d definitely only have a bag/my own basket as well. Very silly to get a giant deep trolley for only a bags worth,” one woman responded.
“That’s ridiculous with how many items you had! Fair enough if you were trying to load a whole belt full into bags but that shop is tiny!!!!” another shopper said.
“I went in for three items once. And the lady said the same to me and I laughed at her,” a third added.
“I agree with you. If you want to load a small number of items into a bag that’s fine. Faster for other customers ... that is their problem, (ALDI's) NOT yours. Stick to your guns (bag),” said a fourth.
But not everyone shared the same sentiments, as some commenters agreed with the staff member.
“I grab a trolley every time. Regardless of how many or how few items I’m getting. Straight into the trolley and out to the car to pack. Don’t pack at the register,” one woman said.
“ALDI staff are told to encourage customers to use trolleys to save time at the registers. The poor guy was just doing as he is told,” a former Aldi employee said.
“I know this because I used to work there. If you want express lines, trolleys without coins and everything else you all whinge about go to Coles or Woolworths … simple really.”
Speaking to news.com.au, a spokesperson for ALDI Australia said while trolleys aren’t a store policy, it is “recommended” to use one when purchasing “multiple products as it saves time at the register”.
“While I know that this is supposed to make things ‘faster’, it really doesn’t work for me,” one customer said.
Instead many have suggested other alternatives to speed up the process, including an introduction of express lanes and self-checkout registers, saying it is “really needed”.
“I have always said they need an express lane because there is (sic) times I only have two or three things and I have to wait behind full trolleys,” one shopper said.
But these additions won’t be happening anytime soon as ALDI have confirmed they currently have “no plans” to trial stores with self-service checkouts.
“Feedback has told us that our shoppers prefer face-to-face interactions at registers, and that they are an important part of their in-store experience.”
The spokesperson said the current store format enables them to focus on creating the “best possible in-store experience while continuing to deliver high-quality products at permanently low prices”.