Keeping up with packing at the supermarket checkout these days often feels like an Olympic sport — especially if you shop at Aldi.
The experience is then made all the more stressful by customers behind you at the till encroaching on your space, rushing you along.
According to some shoppers, there’s an ‘unspoken’ rule that should always be followed while packing bags, but it seems many people missed the memo, and it never fails to leave others fuming.
Taking to the Hemel Online Facebook group, a user named Paul Allan explained that if someone is in the packing area of the supermarket checkout, then the next shopper should remain by their food on the conveyor belt.
He continued: ‘You can’t come and wait by the card machine, as I’m going to need to come back to that area once everything is scanned. Just back off.
‘And facing/staring directly at me will not make me pack any quicker.’
Fellow supermarket-goers were quick to agree that this behaviour was a real bugbear for them, and it prompted fury in the comments.
Mel Ellingham replied: ‘Hate this! I’ve told people to get outta my space many a time, and people who lean over me to reach something… either f***ing wait or say excuse me.’
Justin Phillipps agreed: ‘It’s called manners and showing a bit of patience.’
‘Amen,’ praised Lynn Matthews.
Vicci Slade chimed into the conversation to say she also dislikes it when people start loading their shopping onto the belt behind you, before you’ve even finished putting your own shopping on.
Meanwhile Fran Benham shared a cracking anecdote about a time when she saw karma be dealt swiftly to someone who tried to rush the person in front of them, commenting: ‘A lady was finishing packing before paying and a young gentleman behind her leaned across to get a carrier bag from the end of the counter… and his watch paid for her shopping.’
Other supermarket ‘rules’ you might want to follow:
- Shoppers recently argued over an unofficial rule about checkout queuing etiquette. Some say that a customer with a full trolley should allow someone with just a handful of items to go ahead of them and pay first.
- We’ve all been hungry while grocery shopping and tucked into something from our trolley before paying, but it turns out you should never do this, as it’s actually illegal. Criminal Law expert Rachel Adamson told the Liverpool Echo that the act is still considered illegal under section six of the Theft Act 1968, which is all to do with the ‘intention of permanently depriving the other of it’.
- Aldi has a little-known rule for its self-service checkouts which only permits shoppers to scan 20-items or less. For bigger shops, you need to head to the regular tills.
However, some people didn’t see an issue with any of the above, and urged those who were getting worked up about it to ‘try yoga’.
Others claimed that the rule only applies in some supermarkets, with the exception of Aldi, because of the packing shelf.If you’ve ever been to Aldi, you might have noticed that behind the tills, along the windows, is a long black shelf that runs all the way toward the exit.
According to TikTok user @cookingwithtubz2 this is the ‘packing shelf’ and it’s where you’re actually meant to put your shopping. Yep, it’s that simple.
Instead of trying to load it all into bags as it’s scanned, you slide all the items straight back into your trolley, then head to the shelf and sort it all out there once you’ve paid.
In a viral clip, they explained: ‘[It] means you get out of the way quicker for the other customers and then out of the door.’
This comes after Aldi shoppers discovered a little-known rule for using the bargain retailer’s self-service checkouts.
It all started on X (formerly Twitter), as customer Tracy (@Simple9950) asked the chain about being turned away from the self-checkout for having too much shopping.
‘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.
‘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 article was first published on February 28, 2024.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
MORE : When are clothes shops open on Spring Bank Holiday Monday 2024? Primark, M&S and more
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.