To think that people shopping in Aldi shouldn’t insist on packing bags at checkout

[Shell4429]

Just, this. I was shopping tonight and two customers in front of me did this and I was really annoyed. While waiting I thought that Aldi should charge a fee for people who do this. It’s not fair on customers who do it the correct way. A surcharge would work, like it did with carrier bags. If everyone insisted on doing this surely it would drive prices up.

I think the packing bench i Aldi is a myth. Like the Mumsnet chicken that can feed a family of 4 for a week.

I load shopping onto the pushchair slowly and precariously as I go around the shop. No way o could fling it back onto there at the end - big bag open and hanging from pushchair is far quicker

everyone packing at the tills and no signs anywhere like the one in the picture PP posted telling you not to pack at the till

Maybe they only put signs where customers only have zombie mode as packing speed.

Is this a thing now?

I was in Aldi at the weekend the assistant let both customers in front of me pack at the till and he just sat there and waited

Whatever happened to them throwing the stuff at you or pushing it all into your trolley if you didn't keep up?

Fumming I was, fumming. If you want service like that (mobility problems and child wrangling accepted obviously), go somewhere else. Some of like the speedy service.

@BarbaraofSevillle I’m assume no you are joking 🙃

@BarbaraofSevillle I’m assuming you are joking.

Looks like the packing shelf is a bit of a myth. So you are being unreasonable.

Whatever happened to them throwing the stuff at you or pushing it all into your trolley if you didn't keep up?

Well the thing is you see that it may be how it's done on the continent but we're British darn and will do it as we please and hang the consequences.
We may shop at the cheapest shops, but that doesn't mean we'll actively help that shop stay cheap, no no no.
If it inconveniences us for even a nanosecond, forget it, we'll do as we please and theb just moan about the price's increasing.

@KlutzyDraconequus actually they keep their costs down by offering far fewer products for sale than other supermarkets. (15000 compared to 40000) it makes it much cheaper to run. Then the tills are speedier (I like to match the checkout and fill my bags as fast as they put it through) but it’s not simply the till that keeps the costs down by any means.

Ok mind blown here... I have only.just started shopping at Aldi and geneuinely had no idea about this 'packing shelf'. I have only been in 3 or 4 times so far but I pack at the checkout and have been getting pissed off at the speed they chuck things at me (I place my items on the conveyor belt in a specific order that I then pack in a specific order).

Can someone please explain how this packing shelf works? Am I meant to sling everything loose in my basket/trolley and then move to the packing area? Putting it in a basket/trolley and putting it in a bag take exactly the same time so I just don't get this?

@MakeAHouseAHome yes everything goes back into basket or trolley and you pack at the shelf.

You pack at the shelf because then everyone in the queue gets through more quickly. I love shopping at speed, and being able to pack nicely at the shelf. I must admit I get pretty irritable at people faffing around packing at the till.

@MakeAHouseAHome just fill your trolley with open hold all style bags (Ikea get a bit too heavy) and just fire it in matching their speed.

And stack your conveyor belt in the right order - tins and bottles at the start, followed by veg in order of heaviness, then butter and cheeses, then light stuff - so it goes into the ready laid out bags with the heavy stuff at the bottom.

But genuinely me putting my items in my bag vs loose in my basket takes an IDENTICAL amount of time. I don't get this... as others have said though, I am the paying customer so until I get told otherwise I will pack at the checkout. If I got told to pack at this ridoculous shelf I would leave my items there and walk out.

where else are people suppose to pack?

on another note I'm a newbie to aldi and absolutely love their stuff

I now am I glad I never visited this place, some of you sound bonkers!

I now understand why my poor DM left the place in tears once as she must not have understood packing bags is at checkout is the work of the Devil.

@thecatsleftpaw it’s a good shop, I love their products and it’s so much cheaper than other supermarkets. I’ve never come across people in there that behave like those on the thread and if someone was huffing about me packing I’d go slower just to annoy them as manners and kindness cost nothing. I’ve never had that though, I pack speedily and there’s be no advantage to me packing twice and my children would cause utter mayhem.
My only gripe with them is that there are not enough tills open quite often. It’s not the packing that’s the issues it’s checkout availability.

If I'm alone I pack at the packing benches. If DH is with me we pack at the till as he views keeping up with the cashier as a competition and gets arsey with me if I try to pack too and get in his way. If I am with DS2 we have to pack at the bench as he is on the spectrum and everything has to be done PROPERLY, sorted by size, shape and destination at home.

I like the staff in our Aldi - they are friendly and really capable and they seem to work really hard - if their queue disappears they go off packing shelves or whatever else needs doing,

Spotted today in Aldi...

KlutzyDraconequus Like you, I'm surprised at the number of people who don't seem to appreciate that Aldi operate on a different model from Tesco and Asda, etc.

You may need to post that photo again in the future.

You may need to post that photo again in the future.

You mean next time people are moaning Aldi and Lidl are getting expensive whilst still insisting on slowing the checkout operator and generally treating everywhere like entitled tits where things only apply to 'other' people?

At our Lidl a few months back, two people had pulled up seats at the packing area, and were eating Danish Pastries - tickled me a lot

My only gripe with them is that there are not enough tills open quite often. It’s not the packing that’s the issues it’s checkout availability.

If people didnt slow down to annoy other shoppers, the checkout would be much quicker and queues would naturally be shorter...

Less tills but they always open extra if a queue builds unlike other supermarkets .