Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aldi packing rage

65 replies

ElinoristhenewEnid · 10/10/2016 14:58

*I am just imagining Aldi branching out into home delivery - Aldi style.

Your shopping would be catapulted at your house as the lorry hurtled past at breakneck speed. Eggs sliding down the door, tins bouncing off the cat*

Just saw this comment on an old thread - does anyone know if Aldi have started a home delivery service?

Am asking because I had my first Aldi rage this morning. Went shopping, loaded my goods back in trolley as per protocol and when I got to packing shelf, one shopper had unloaded entire trolley and lined up all the purchases along the shelf so there was no room for anyone else to pack.

Loads of muttering etc and eventually shopper repacked trolley very slowly, 2 items per bag. Fortunately I was able to sort my trolley without using the shelf (less than 20 items) but aibu to think shopper was being selfish by using the whole shelf? Has anyone else had a similar problem?

OP posts:
LilQueenie · 10/10/2016 15:54

Thats is why I hate aldi and lidls. You dont get given time to pack and pay. then again they only ever have one or two lanes open and the rest closed at any given time.

Revealall · 10/10/2016 15:56

I usually use the old boxes at Lidls. They fit under the trolley if I don't stack as I go round. You just sling everything in and they stop stuff getting crushed and easy to load into car.
I never remember bags ( normally because I never plan to go to Lidls until I go past and then can't resist going in for cheap cheese and juice).

milkyface · 10/10/2016 15:57

A couple of weeks ago the woman at the till I went to had scanned half my shop before the person before me had moved their trolley so I couldn't put mine In and couldn't put my stuff in and she just kept on pushing the stuff and broke all my eggs on the floor and then made out it was my fault! All the other staff are great but I avoid her now!

I should get some of those trolley bag things!

JustGettingStarted · 10/10/2016 15:58

Packing starts when you put things on the belt prior to being rung up. Heavy items at the front, bread last. Open bags into trolly and load from checkout into the bags in the trolly.

shovetheholly · 10/10/2016 15:58

I think the people on the tills might be monitored for the number of items they scan in a set amount of time - so you can't really do a deliberate go slow without putting their jobs at risk (I could be wrong about this)? They are all lovely in my local store so I feel obliged to be as helpful as I can. You're supposed to just fling it all in the vague direction of the trolley, then pack at the wall/car. It is only the great immortals among us that can get bags packed in the allotted time when there alone (with 2 people, it is possible). They do go more slowly for the older person where I am, though.

JakeBallardswife · 10/10/2016 16:02

I'm loving the idea of the loose bananas strategically placed. Also something that hasn't got a price on the shelf is normally not in the till either, this really does slow things down. There was a particular orange juice this worked with at my local store but they've got wise to it now and entered the barcode into the system.

I also am really friendly to the cashier, I think killing them with kindness makes them go a bit slower?

Biffsboys · 10/10/2016 16:03

Then they ask "cash or card "? halfway through scanning ! If you tell me how much it is I'll let you know Angry

Rachel0Greep · 10/10/2016 16:06

Saw someone recently with trolley bags, I think they were IKEA ones. Effectively it creates about 3 or 4 sections in the trolley and you just place the items straight in, rather than into trolley, and repacking. I presume the bags can be lifted out individually, for placing in the car.

There is a good long shelf in my local Aldi, so one person couldn't do what the person did as described by the OP.

Elendon · 10/10/2016 16:06

I always attract the shopper who insists on standing beside me whilst I punch in my card number, if above £30. They never do this if below. I just stand there, look at them, raise an eyebrow - thank you mum - and wait. They soon get the message.

I usually pack when going back to the car. Today I lost my Euro coin. Thankfully I have another - I get such pleasure from using it, post Brexit!

NannyHJ · 10/10/2016 16:07

What's the problem with the packing shelf? I can't pack at the till because I'm too particular about what goes with which and hate things going in the bags the wrong way up. And yes, it's lovely and warm in winter too. Grin

bigbuttons · 10/10/2016 16:07

I can pack fast enough to keep up with the cashier. I make it into a game. I have large bags open and ready in my trolly. The cashier will often give a look that says they don't believe I will be able to pack that quickly. I always do. Stuff goes onto the belt in order.
I learnt to fast pack at a lidl in Germany years ago, now that really was crazily quick, the stuff was almost thrown at you,

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 10/10/2016 16:08

yes...it all hinges on the conveyor belt....get that wrong and you are stuffed

Heavy stuff at the front and basically arrange it all as you want it bagged.

do not sway to pressure to squish it into a short length of conveyor, the distance between groceries will buy you vital tenths of seconds

items that need counted or weighed can also give you breathing space to catch up

also if you bulk buy tins/packets and have a nice assistant you can sometimes get away with presenting one of them and telling the assistant how many you have, also reducing your time.

I take dh too, he is hopeless at packing but likes to chat which engages and slows down the assistant and he can brandish the cash while I hurl the last item into the bags.

Rumtopf · 10/10/2016 16:09

They do have performance targets on how many items they scan per minute etc so I think it's a bit unfair to go deliberately slowly. There are plenty of signs to tell you to pack at the shelf, unless you can keep up. Someone taking the whole packing area is something I've never seen.

I arrange the conveyor with heaviest bits first to go in the bottom and then have my bags ready.

MrsJayy · 10/10/2016 16:12

I take my Dd to Aldi with me she used to work in another supermarket she packs as it is scanned she is like a ninja otherwise im faffing about at the packing shelf and getting tutted at Blush

FredBair · 10/10/2016 16:18

Careful selection of the till operator is part of the Professional Aldi Packer arsenal. Avoid Ninja woman who can scan at the speed of light, although sometimes it's fun to compete with her. Best choice is newbie but not if there is a long queue as he/she will take too long.
My experience is that they always open extra tills and unlike major supermarkets they haven't closed all their checkouts and replaced them with self service please don't get me started on those.

I also do the Carry to the Car Challenge. Huge bags, take trolley back and stagger to car. To be fair I don't do a full family shop, though more than a basket - usually £30 - £40.

tofutti · 10/10/2016 16:22

I take dh too, he is hopeless at packing but likes to chat which engages and slows down the assistant and he can brandish the cash

Hahaha

It's great when you've done a good job packing. The glint of approval in the assistant's eye is the reward.

BowieFan · 10/10/2016 16:32

We have Aldi shopping down to a fine art. OK, it takes four of us, but still.

We do have to use the packing shelf of shame but I refuse to let the checkout staff get the better of me, I'm sure they get quicker every week. It's a good job DS2 plays cricket, because the speed of the stuff they throw at you is ridiculous!

AlpacaPicnic · 10/10/2016 16:35

I need to know more about the trolley unloaded onto the whole packing shelf - in my aldi this would mean quite the walk as the shelf is the entire width of the shop - so at least 5 checkouts wide!
Feel free to use a diagram...

ImNotDancing · 10/10/2016 16:47

wth is a packing shelf Shock i just chuck it all in bags with no order or organisation

BowieFan · 10/10/2016 16:48

AlpacaPicnic

Yes, I thought that too. Our shelf of shame is the width of the shop. I couldn't imagine filling the whole bloody thing, not that I want people seeing me line up four bottles of prosecco and a case of lager... (it was a party) and making up their own minds as to what kind of person I am!

BowieFan · 10/10/2016 16:50

I've been going to aldi for years, which gave me a false sense of security as they used to have to remember all the item codes and type them in, which gave you a little bit of time to pack things. Now I've been thrown in at the deep end and I can't cope.

MrsJayy · 10/10/2016 16:54

Dd2 had an interview at aldi last xmas she said it was terrifying the speed the expected something like 50 items a minute she didnt get the job think she was thankful

RepentAtLeisure · 10/10/2016 16:57

OMG, I didn't know about this! Mind you I think I can put it in bags as quickly as I could put it back in the trolley. I'll see how it goes...

Original poster
ElinoristhenewEnid · 10/10/2016 17:04

never realised it was the shelf of shame - wont be seen near that again!!

They have extended the number of checkouts from 4 to 8 but have not extended the shelf so it covers about 3 checkouts.

Shopper had several bunches of flowers which she laid lengthways down the shelf and then the tins etc were lined up at the end. Bagged all the food stuff first in loads of small bags and then carefully laid out the flowers on top of the food bagged in the trolley.

Husband then joined her with some more flowers which he had paid for separately?! (he was immediately behind her at the same checkout) which he passed to her to lay out on the shelf and she collated them all together.

I wish I had a video camers - it was scene worthy of recording of how to completely foul up the Aldi system!

OP posts:
BowieFan · 10/10/2016 17:08

MrsJayy

Yes, think it's something like 60 items a minute. It's very well-paid though and the graduate scheme is (from what I've heard from former students) very tough to get into but well worth it.

There's a reason why the staff are expected to do so many items though, they're on about £8 an hour, so the employers want to get their money's worth!

Swipe left for the next trending thread