To think Lidl packing policy is bonkers...?

[malificent7]

I take my shopping bags to Lisl. At the till they think they are safer/ customers are quicker if they put their shopping in a basket 1st then took basket over to side and pack there coz of COVID..
I pointed out to the cashier that I would ve in the shop less time if i put shopping straight into my bags and walked out...id also be near her the exact same amout of time. Am i thick or something?
In effect customers are packing twice/ loitering longer.

This is our technique-
Put the groceries on the belt in packing order, put the bags open in the trolly (IKEA bags are perfect as they’re big and wide so no faffing). As the shopping is scanned, take it off the till and plop it straight into the correct bag. It can be done really fast this way, as all your doing it putting the groceries back into the trolly, there just happens to be a bag ready and waiting. The trick is the order you put them on the belt. It helps if there’s two of you, double the speed.

I see it as a challenge to pack faster than the till operator can manage. I do lay out in the order I want on the conveyor belt by bag, and leave my bags lined up in the trolley, so it's a case of as soon as the assistant has let go it's packed.

@Gilead

Always pack at the car.

Some people would get really irate if a random customer opened their boot and started packing groceries into it.

Because they can't get through the till in 10 seconds otherwise!

@Ariela

I see it as a challenge to pack faster than the till operator can manage. I do lay out in the order I want on the conveyor belt by bag, and leave my bags lined up in the trolley, so it's a case of as soon as the assistant has let go it's packed.

May I ask why? Is there a supermarket packing competition you could enter? Is this a useful life skill?

If you want to pack at the till, go somewhere else. It's that simple.

Is that the first time you have been an Lidl?

I've never had a problem keeping up with them scanning - provided they don't start while I'm still emptying my trolley.

It’s always been the way it’s done at Aldi and Lidl. If you don’t like it you’re free to shop at other supermarkets. Part of the reason Aldi and Lidl are cheaper is they do stuff like this which reduces the number of staff they need.

Disagree with you. It is twice as fast to throw things back into your basket than into bags. I keep my basket in the floor and just drop them in. With bags you need to do a bit more arranging and you can't just throw in several items at once as fast because they are not as wide as a basket or trolley. The packing area is more socially distant, those many customers who only buy a few items can then walk straight out instead of standing in a queue. Hardly anyone abides by the 2m rule at the checkout and go right up your arse so keeping the queue moving along is more important.

People may disagree, but I also have a large bag to line the trolley. Very confident that doesn’t make me slower, as they can’t go any faster than I can and any pauses are down to the cashier. If I was challenged and told not to I would calmly carry on, unless they wished to actually cancel the transaction or bar me. If so, I’d just shop elsewhere as it’s ridiculous.
It’s not school, I’m not waiting for the teacher to direct me. I conduct myself reasonably and without detriment to other people around me, however I am not taking petty rules without purpose that have no impact other than to create conflict or stress.
I find this calm approach is easier for me, and without raising my voice or escalating any situation its the easiest way to be. People back off if you are calmly assertive.

Ex Aldi employee here - I never 'barked' at anyone for packing at the till instead of the packing shelf. The thought of questioning somebody about how they pack their OWN shopping made me want to die inside Yes, these customers hold up the queues. And there are internal company 'targets' for scanning as quickly as you can. The more competitive checkout staff wouldn't want their times being affected by these customers packing at the till.

However, the business model of Lidl and Aldi is to run on as few staff as possible. The quicker the staff get you through the checkout the quicker they can get back to the shop floor. Low staff costs = low prices, apparently.

Never been told to pack at the shelf.
Mind you, I’m not sure what the difference is between scooping stuff into a trolley or straight into the bags?

Some folk do make an industry out of it. The same at the Tesco click n collect - I have Ikea bags in the boot and chuck everything in. Invariably have to wait behind someone picking up items one by one and playing Tetris into specific bags in the boot, in the backseats, in the passenger seat. 🤷‍♀️

I did once have an operator in Aldi inform me, I needed to pack at the bench.

My answer “ ok, let’s see if you can keep up with me”

She apologised.

As stated above, it’s all about the order you load the belt.

What if you use a basket and not a trolley? That would be much harder, especially if you can't bend well enough to put your shopping on a wheeled basket on the floor. I only do top-up shops, using the wheeled baskets, at Lidl and our local store has never insisted on packing at the shelf. No self-checkouts here, either.

I find that Lidl are more lenient on this than Aldi. Our newest Lidl actually doesn’t have a pack shelf snd has lots more space at the end of the checkout. I was once told it’s because if their till is on they have to be averaging £1200 an hour through it. Which is why they open and close tills so often and throw your shopping at you like it’s the world final of the shot put!

I use one of those large rubber tubs to fling my shopping in.
It has always been Lidl's and Adi's policies that you pack at the side to allow speedier checkout times.
There are plenty of signs in the shops telling you what to do.

Once you've bought the stuff, you can pack it wherever you like. Take it into the car park and do it there if you want - no need to hang around in the shop if you don't want to.

She didn't pack into my teolley. She put the items at the end of the till...i then had to bend down to put my items in the basket.

( one with a pulley so too heavy/ big to lift.) I then had to take my stuff to a shelf behind her till and repack there.
If i just shoved it all in my hand luggage i'd have been out in a jiffy.

Trolley

I hate Lidl almost as much as I despise Aldi.

Simply don't shop there, OP, if their policy bothers you!

It's a covid policy...safer apparently

I voted with my feet when they started this up again in the first lockdown and started to get strict about it. No way was I handling items more than I had to. One of the checkout operators was exceptionally rude.
I haven't been back despite being a loyal customer for years.
If enough customers took their business elsewhere they would have to listen.

@Ticklytoes
Yup, belt loading order is the trick, then it takes no more time than just putting things in the trolley, as it’s... basically what you’re doing anyway.

It normally dosnt have this policy...its normally chuck straight into bags and go.. but i do arrage everything on the belt 'in order' and i bet lots don't.