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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be mildly miffed by ALDI shopper?

182 replies

charleyfarleysaunt · 10/08/2017 18:35

Yeah, I know I'll get flamed, but I have just got to vent... on the way home tonight I nipped in to ALDI and the woman in front just didn't seem to know how to ALDI (this should be a verb)

She had a full trolley (I had a basket with 4 items in - no, I didn't expect to go in front of her although it might have been nice ) which she proceeds to unload on to the conveyor belt ONE FECKING ITEM AT A TIME. Seriously... one thing at time and then rearranging everything to the extent that by the time she had finished faffing about the poor checkout assistant had already filled that little space at the end of the till

And then... she carefully lined up her bags in her trolley and faffed even more putting everything in to bags ONE ITEM AT A TIME...

Seriously? It's not Waitrose... or ASDA... there is bloody great shelf for packing your stuff away - you bung your stuff on the conveyor belt then bung it back in your trolley and THEN faf about packing on the shelf they so nicely provide for you! It's a speedy shopping place

The entire queue behind you, you drippy mare was getting very annoyed; could you not feels the waves of irritation wafting your way????

Oh, and if they staff are actually marked on speed you have buggered up the poor, patient assistant's stats tonight

(Thank feck one of my 4 items was wine - it goes well with venting)

OP posts:
ShotsFired · 11/08/2017 10:37

@BabychamSocialist Encourage? They should give them tasers

I stand corrected and fully support your proposal. In fact, I applaud it.

Bring on the volts!

Blobby10 · 11/08/2017 10:39

in my local Aldi, the checkout operator had a go at my friend for packing directly into the bags in her trolley. It was her and her husband and they were definitely not holding anyone up!

The only time I struggle in Aldi is if I've stupidly overloaded my basket so it wont fit into one bag and of course, if you use a basket you HAVE to pack straight into the bag Hmm and its always that time that my bag packing efficiency deserts me Sad

tiggytape · 11/08/2017 10:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

whatsthecomingoverthehill · 11/08/2017 10:42

Simple solution to that is not to have baskets. That's how it was in the good old days.

whatsthecomingoverthehill · 11/08/2017 10:42

(Replying to blobby)

Dragonglass · 11/08/2017 10:57

I don't shop at Lidl or Aldi very often, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone using the packing shelf.

Tesco scan and shop is the way to go. No faffing with unloading and reloading the trolley, just pay and go.

Pikachuwithyourmouthclosed · 11/08/2017 11:17

OMG I'm so grateful to this thread.

We recently moved to a new country. We don't have ALDI but we DO have a bog-basic supermarket and I've been completely baffled by the crossness of the check-out staff. Literally no idea I was supposed to hoof it all into the trolley and sort it out at the shelf. I've been trying to pack into my boxes at superhuman speed in an attempt to appease them, but it wasn't working. Suddenly it all makes sense.

Thank you.

lynmilne65 · 11/08/2017 16:35

But I only have a Nissan ! 😳

lynmilne65 · 11/08/2017 16:38

welshw. GrinGrinGrin

Nikephorus · 11/08/2017 16:54

Just don't be an oblivious selfie absorbed egg and you'll cope fine in aldi.
Excuse me? I've never actually been to Aldi so I don't know what the layout is, and I don't take selfies (no camera on my phone). Of course you may have meant "self-absorbed" in which case perhaps more focus on typing and less on being obnoxious might be in order. Not sure where eggs come in to it.
Personally I can't see the point in unpacking your shopping at the checkout, putting it back in your trolley and then having to repack it at a shelf (in those stores that have shelves - it seems not all do from PPs). Allowing customers a minute more at checkouts would be far better service.

Bemusedandpuzzled · 11/08/2017 17:03

YANBU!! In my local store, they would start putting things through and literally throw them on the floor if you acted like that!* Grin

Well, I exaggerate, but only slightly. It would be made clear that this is not how you Aldi (agree it should be a verb).

"Personally I can't see the point in unpacking your shopping at the checkout, putting it back in your trolley and then having to repack it at a shelf (in those stores that have shelves - it seems not all do from PPs). Allowing customers a minute more at checkouts would be far better service."

The point isn't to offer service. The point is to get people through the checkouts quickly, thus justifying smaller stores and fewer checkouts, and enabling profits to be made on lower profit margins... which is why everything is so cheak! However, for those of us who are impatient people who like to get things done speedily, it's a godsend because once you get the knack with your bags, you can pack them on the spot at 100 mph and still separate out your fridge stuff from your cupboard stuff. None of the Sainos waiting in queues while someone scans 1 item a minute! I have always hated queues, but now I'm used to the fast pace of Aldi, going anywhere else feels like living at half speed. Oh yes, the bright lights and high octane thrills of hypermodernity are miiiine, all miiiine. Wink

*However, they are lovely to older people - have seen them take their time to really make sure someone genuinely struggling is OK.

Nonibaloni · 11/08/2017 17:23

I've seen them help the elderly in Lidl and when I had a little 'un they'd hold if I had to swap baby for purse.

Cyclists on the other hand, squashing 25 bananas into a knapsack and paying with coppers don't make it out unscathed.

AdalindSchade · 11/08/2017 17:58

Personally I can't see the point in unpacking your shopping at the checkout, putting it back in your trolley and then having to repack it at a shelf

The point is that this enables stores to keep staff costs down meaning the food is cheaper. People who care about saving money on their food bill would rather have cheaper groceries than good service. If you value good service over saving money that's a perfectly valid perspective but it is also a privileged one so it would be awesome if you acknowledged that.

dingdongdigeridoo · 11/08/2017 18:02

Aldi is my cardio! I'm impressively fast with the packing now. As long as stuff vaguely stays in categories then it's easy to chuck together.

My local Lidl has self checkouts now which break all the time and are awful. You see people taking loaded trollies through and getting frustrated because it takes hours. Go to the super efficient check out lady like everyone else.

MrsHathaway · 11/08/2017 18:26

Not sure where eggs come in to it.

It means "faceless random on the Internet". As any fule kno.

cherryblack · 11/08/2017 18:38

Nobody ever uses the packing shelf in our Aldi.

Amanduh · 11/08/2017 18:42

I hate the checkouts at Aldi. And the queues

mathanxiety · 11/08/2017 21:47

Nikephorous
Personally I can't see the point in unpacking your shopping at the checkout, putting it back in your trolley and then having to repack it at a shelf

You don't pack your stuff into your trolley at the checkout where I go. The cashier puts it into your trolley fast as s/he rings you up, then you pay, move to the counter, and bag your items there.

There are people who would take twenty minutes getting everything just so at the checkout, with other shoppers waiting and waiting and waiting.

I used to shop at a place (not Aldi) where there were two parallel conveyor belts beyond the register, with a bagging station with plastic and paper bags at the end of each belt. The theory was that two customers' trolley loads could be bagged at the one time by the shoppers themselves, and there would normally be one lane open or about to open up for bagging. You were supposed to start bagging as soon as your first item went down the second belt, and may did that. Then you would return to the till to pay when you saw you were all rung up, and then continue bagging while the next customer got rung up; their groceries would go down the parallel belt to the bagging station across from you. Even with such a well thought out system, there were always people who stood at the register while their groceries went down the second belt, couldn't figure out how to separate one bag from the wads of plastic bags, or just bagged really slowly, and if you were unlucky enough to be the third customer behind two really slow people you were stuck.

I once had to show a woman how to leave the plastic bag hanging on the plastic bag stand, tease it open and just plop the groceries in - she was taking the bags off and trying to wrangle groceries into loose bags and it was taking her forever.

drinkingtea · 11/08/2017 23:38

So many people doing it wrong - I thought they'd phased out plastic bags at the til in the UK? Why can't people chuck stuff into two sturdy bags or baskets in the trolley? Especially if they are not shopping for a large family (if they are, ironically, they will of course be able to...)

mathanxiety · 12/08/2017 00:01

I am in the US. Plastic bags still going strong.

drinkingtea · 12/08/2017 00:16

That's nothing good though maths

Kittymum03 · 12/08/2017 04:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mathanxiety · 12/08/2017 05:43

Of course not, but it is what it is.

Str4ngedaysindeed · 12/08/2017 05:49

I've never been in an Aldi 😔

BouleBaker · 12/08/2017 08:37

Our new Lidl has the two sections at the till so tate if someone is slow the divider can be whizzed across and the next persons shopping sent down the other side. It also has self service tills.

I love packing in Lidl, but do space out any loose fruit and veg to give me a chance to catch up.