As the cheapest supermarket in the UK last year, Aldi is the perfect place to go if you want to grab a bargain or two.
But customers have recently been left less than impressed after cottoning on to a little-known rule at the self-service checkouts.
It all started on X (formerly Twitter), as customer Tracy (@Simple9950) sounded the alarm after despairing at the budget chain in a post.
‘Since when did you have 20 items or less on your self-service checkouts?’ she wrote. ‘There is no sign saying so. Be nice to know in advance which self-service checkout I can go to.’
As the disgruntled shopper made her feelings known, Aldi confirmed that the stipulation is in place, replying: ‘All stores currently have a 20-item limit on self-checkouts,’ the shop wrote.
‘This change is designed to make it simpler and more efficient for you to shop with us. All customers can still use checkouts managed by our amazing colleagues.’
This change isn’t actually new and has been in place for several years, but judging by social media, customers are still catching wind of it. And needless to say, people aren’t happy after making the discovering.
A shopper named Alan revealed he’d had issues with the rule, posting on X: ‘Westcroft, Milton Keynes. I’ve always used the self service checkouts since they were installed, but denied access today because staff member said I had more than 20 items. In actual fact, I had 19. Doubt I’ll use this branch again, as waiting for usual till queues takes ages!’
But it’s not just the rule that has upset customers, as some simply dislike the self-service checkouts in general. Over on Facebook, many shared their thoughts, with Carrick Crawford writing: ‘Not interested in self checkouts. Not my job. It’s the shop’s job.’
‘I won’t use self checkout until we get a staff discount,’ Andrew Down echoed.
‘The self service areas in Aldi can’t cope with trolleys,’ commented Heather Simpson. ‘It’s often closed off anyway in my local Aldi thus releasing a member of staff to man another till.’
Yet another customer, Christine Kempster, added that she was so frustrated by the inclusion of self-service checkouts, she’s stopped going to Aldi altogether, saying: ‘I have started using Lidl now as they have real people manning tills!’
This isn’t the only Aldi change affecting customers at the bargain supermarket of late.
After a successful trial, Aldi confirmed that it’d be expanding refill stations into more stores as part of the brand’s ongoing bid for sustainability.
While some were pleased by the news, other shoppers demanded that a different change be made — namely, how it stocks skincare in its middle aisles.
This article was first published on February 25, 2024.
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