To hate shops that don’t allow people not buying anything making it difficult to leave

[Ifo]

I get it- shoplifting. But there are reasons why people enter shops for something but the shop does not sell it, sold out or not in the size/colour, then leave empty handed.

I had it before where customers at tills don’t move when I ask excuse me. Then try to leave at entrance. Security guard says go out the exit. Explain that people are refusing to move. Or the door is switched on to open from the outside so have to wait for someone to enter to leave.

Yes I know what you mean. I always feel like I look a bit dodgy as I try to find a way out of the shop!! Our local Dunelm springs to mind, it's like an obstacle course to get out of the place.

Dunelm was the first place I thought of too!! Awful!!

Totally agree! It was even worse in some shops I went to in The Netherlands you had to scan a receipt to get the exit door to open!

You need to learn to say very loudly and clearly "EXCUSE ME I NEED TO JUST GET THROUGH PLEASE" to anyone who doesn't move out the way or just ask the security guard more firmly to let you out.
Not complicated.

Same! It’s a labyrinth to get out of

B and M has a similar one-way system but the till aisles are quite wide so I can often wind my way through

To exit the local Lidl, you have to scan your receipt to open a barrier. Be interested to know if this cuts shoplifting . The scrotes that do it probably move on to other shops though.

Yeah it used to be like that at my local Aldi. No room to get past if there was a queue and all the other tills had locked barriers across.
It was so awkward if you just wanted to get out.

They have a self service section now and it's much easier to walk out now.

Lidls I’d like that too. Such a pain to leave. I’d only popped back in to use the loo, went through self serve (no bag) so had an armful of stuff and thought it’d be easier to stick it in the car first. Popped back in and receipt didn’t release barrier as had slready been used. Then had to have a chat with staff member, who couldn’t remember me being there.

Only if you go through self service.
If you exit via the checkout aisles or back through the entrance you don't have to scan.

I hate it too, but tbf, nobody bats an eyelid when i just say excuse me and go past

My Lidl is like that. Just wait for someone to enter, then leave whilst the doors are open.

Yup. Lidl is bad for this.

In our new Lidl there are no manned checkouts so if you don't buy anything you're stuck as you don't have a receipt

It’s almost all major shops nowadays. Even worse when the gate out only opens when someone has made a payment - Morrisons!

For supermarkets like Lidl I imagine not that many people go in for one specific thing and if they don't have it, just leave. People are going in to do the weekly shop, not to casually browse. it's not like its a clothes shop or something where quite a lot of people probably walk out without buying anything.

So on that basis, probably does make more sense to make it harder for shoplifters to do a runner at the cost of being a very minor inconvience to a few people who have not spent any money anyway.

I frequently pop in for just one or two things.

I treat my Aldi as my pop in shop for one or two things i need it is only down the road from me, its cheaper than the other store in my town plus has handy parking normally run in on my way home from work to pick up bread and mil k

Go out the door you came in at.

B&M is the worst for this. It drives me insane

Sure, but how many times do you then walk out without anything at all, compared to say clothes shops, or bookshops or whatever?

It's annoying to have to squeeze past people in supermarkets if you aren't buying anything, but you can see why the are designed that way.

I had this ages ago. Popped in a well know big chemist chain to get a few bits n bobs for my holiday. They didn’t have what I wanted so I thought I’d just peruse up n down each aisle for anything else whilst I was there. Didn’t end up getting anything so went to leave and the security guard moved to the door I was headed for…..as I went by he sarcastically said “good afternoon, nothing to take your fancy today then?”
I was in a bit of a trance looking at the time for the parking charges so didn’t really respond. After a bit it hit me that they must’ve assumed I was a shoplifter looking at what was available.
really pissed me off……..never been back to that store since.

Is this a stealth boast that you’re so posh you’ve never been to Lidl and don’t know how the doors work? 😵‍💫

For supermarkets like Lidl I imagine not that many people go in for one specific thing and if they don't have it, just leave

I disgaree. I think if you've gone specifically to find something from the "middle of lidl" or the aisle at Aldi, you could easily walk in and out without finding what you wanted.

I go to Aldi or Lidl at least once a week.
I have always managed to go out the entrance if needed.
Sometimes I've had to ask security to help the doors open for me - which they always do.

Our local Sainsbury's do this. And more annoyingly, the receipt scan only works once per receipt, so if the scanner doesn't read it properly the first time, you are stuck until you can get the attention of a staff member, despite having paid in full for your shopping!