Aldi worker shares why staff scan groceries so fast in debate about the store’s self-serve checkouts

Australians have discovered the real reason why Aldi cashiers scan groceries so quickly at checkouts.

During a discussion about the supermarket’s new self-service checkouts on a Reddit threada former worker revealed that computers track how many items they scan per minute.

Aldi is slowly rolling out self-service checkouts in its Australian stores, which has divided shoppers: some prefer staffed checkouts while others prefer to pack their purchases at their own pace.

A Victoria customer posted an image of the new customer-operated cash registers at their local Carnegie Aldi store, sparking a heated debate among users.

Some were grateful for the new checkouts, finding the speed at which retail workers sift through their purchases too overwhelming.

‘At least now I can pack my groceries without getting thrown in my face! No offense to the Aldi staff, but you guys are too fast! wrote a customer.

“Another place I don’t have to interact with people now and as a former cashier it’s usually faster when I do it myself too,” a second replied.

“I love ALDI, my only problem is that I go for a few items and usually get stuck behind people doing their weekly shopping,” added a third.

A former Aldi worker offered an explanation for why they are so fast by saying that the logs track how many items they are scanning per minute.

‘I think it’s a recruitment test. If you scan your items as fast as the Aldi cashier, they offer you a job!’ joked another.

Someone who used to work for Aldi offered an explanation as to why the staff were processing items so quickly and gave advice on getting through the register smoothly.

‘We measured ourselves in items per minute when we were in registers, which shows up at the end of your shift when you close your individual cash register. I promise you, they don’t do it for fun,” they explained.

‘Don’t pack your bags at the cash register. Throw it all in the cart/basket when you scan it and take your time at the packing bench right next to the registers. Or buy those bags that clip onto the cart basket so you can pack up quickly.”

Aldi employees review and adjust their scanning speed based on how fast or slow each customer packs their purchases.

If a customer would like a checkout worker to slow down, they are encouraged to request that they do so.

Some said the new self-service checkout registers made them feel rushed and said they will continue to pay for their purchases at open checkouts.

‘They scold you if you’re not bagging fast enough. really annoying. I don’t fuck when I go shopping. I have no problem with Aldi’s normal box bagging speed. But even I am not fast enough to avoid being bothered by the self-monitoring robot’s voice,” one user reported.

“After scanning a few items, he said he needed assistance from the staff…Obviously no staff to provide assistance other than the two cashier girls who were already exhausted,” another complained.

Although not everyone agreed, one person responded: ‘Aldi’s self-service checkouts are much faster than Coles and Woolworths. They don’t screw up product weights and require a staff member for every second item scanned.