To be annoyed about ALDI charging £4.99 to click and collect?

[ducklingg]

Why?? I was so excited to find out about Aldi finally doing groceries click and collect...until I tried to book a slot and it seems that they're charging £4.99 for slots to collect from inside the store..

Because someone needs to do the order for you, if you don’t want to lay then do your own shopping

Take out an Ocado Smartpass and pay a monthly fee for as many deliveries as you want then.

However your shopping will be hugely more expensive than at Aldi. £4.99 is a bargain and a very low hourly rate so they are absorbing some of the cost.

I have to say that I picked up my first click and collect from Aldi today and was impressed! I parked in the bay, text the number to say I had arrived and they came out with my shopping, they were even in bags. They emailed me in the morning to let me know what items were substituted. I usually do Tesco click and collect and they don’t let me know what’s not available/been subbed until I get there.

The only thing I’m completely happy about is the fact you can’t book a slot and go back and edit it, the shopping you choose when you book and checkout is the shopping you get

Do you also have to pay for your shopping on top of that? Shocking that they make you pay - I’m fuming on your behalf.

But think of all the savings from not buying a canoe, tent and an egg chair. Not being able to edit is a pain though.

Of course YABU. A person will have to be employed for 3/4 hour to go around and pick your shopping list off the shelves, to save you doing that yourself. Why would you think you wouldn't have to pay them ?

@BecomeStronger

Asda is free click and collect here. It's about £2.50 for delivery if you're quick with your booking too.

It's not "free", you're paying for it somewhere.

Well yes, but there is no charge added for click and collect. You know exactly what I meant.

I think you are being reasonable.

Minimum wage is £8+ & with NI, Pension, Holiday... lets say £10 an hour, which is probably on the low side.
I've just googled, and Aldi pay more than that - £10.90, so by the time you add on the direct on costs of NI, Pension, holiday, and the indirects of management, HR, IT.... you're barely paying for 15 minutes of someone's time to pick and pack the shop.

• then of course the cost of delivering - vans, delivery drivers, petrol.

How much would it cost you to get a bus or cab to the store, or the true cost of your mileage when you drive?

I suspect many supermarkets have the delivery service as a loss leader; as others have pointed out, Aldi being a discounter has less margin to delve into.

If you think it's too expensive, don't use a delivery service.

How cheap are you?

These services are a luxury not a right.

Well yes, but there is no charge added for click and collect. You know exactly what I meant.

The point is that you aren't paying for it elsewhere with Aldi.

YABU

It’s an optional service. You can choose to go and select your own shopping or pay to have someone do it for you.

YABU.

If you want free click & collect, pay Waitrose prices for your groceries. They absorb the cost of someone doing your shopping for you, but Aldi ask you to pay that person yourself. No such thing as a free lunch...

I would pay for it at Aldi or Lidl soupdragon but since neither of them offer it in my area, Asda it is.

My original comment was not suggesting that Aldi are wrong to charge, it was just in response to a poster who said that it's not a free service any where.

4.99 pounds seems very reasonable not to participate in the pantomime performance art that is “shopping hurling “ down the belt. How I am expected to stop, pick, pack and bag stack in the same time they simply launch has always been a mystery to me.

If Aldi increase store prices to cover your click and collect, everyone then pays for your choice not to do your own shopping... exactly how is that fair?

@PorpoiseSpitGazzette

4.99 pounds seems very reasonable not to participate in the pantomime performance art that is “shopping hurling “ down the belt. How I am expected to stop, pick, pack and bag stack in the same time they simply launch has always been a mystery to me.

I have this down to such a fine art that they sometimes struggle to keep up with me? Bags are big, stiff ones sat in the trolley and I put it on the belt in order of which bag it goes in. So heavy stuff first that gets spread over two bags, then frozen, chilled, veg, light stuff like bread etc. I am very particular about my system and will pick a checkout with someone already on it so I have time to arrange my shopping on the belt accordingly.

Yes, I know, I'm not cool.

You can have it done in Asda for £5.25 next Thursday to collect between 8-9am.

I would absolutely love an Aldi click and collect! I haven't been since march and I miss it so much.
Where are you all that this is available?

Someone is having to work to pick your shopping for you, its a reasonable price considering their products are generally cheaper than tesco (who also charge for click and collect)

There's no minimum spend with Aldi. Asda you have to spend at least £25. That's why they can make it 'free'

4.99 pounds seems very reasonable not to participate in the pantomime performance art that is “shopping hurling “ down the belt. How I am expected to stop, pick, pack and bag stack in the same time they simply launch has always been a mystery to me.

You have to think of it as a challenge.

Like @LethargicLumpOfLockdownLard says, get organised beore they start, or do as the system is designed to do, and drop everything into your trolley and then pack at the packing shelf.

Once you get used to it, it seems SUCH a long wait at the checkouts if you ever have to go into another supermarket. It is a wonderful system and cuts the time down so much.

Where are you all that this is available?

It has just started to appear across all Aldis I think

YABU

clients are very happy with Aldi prices, who wants for them to go up to give "free" click and collect to a handful of people?

Less than £5? It's a bargain.

Because their profit margins are so low they can't absorb the cost for a member of staff to pick your order.

Yes, agree with this. Some supermarkets offer it for free because the cost is absorbed elsewhere. Aldi don't tend to have the profit margins to make it viable, they also didn't have the infrastructure to do it until now, and set up can actually take a fair bit of investment.

I do wonder if they just chuck the items into your home with the same speed they scan them!

I can't wait for this to be available in my area!