SELF-checkout lanes are coming to numerous Aldi locations and the change could be coming to a store near you.
The company says some stores in the state of New York will be implementing self-checkout technology this year.
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New York stores located in Webster, Henrietta and Rochester will implement self-checkout later this year.
The local stores are located at 915 Ridge Road, Webster; 615 Jefferson Road, Henrietta and 3170 Chili Avenue, Rochester, Aldi divisional vice president Aaron Sumida shared with Democrat and Chronicle.
A store in Greece, New York started self-checkout in March.
The location reportedly has twice as many self-checkout stations as staffed lanes.
It isn’t yet clear exactly when the other locations will implement the self-checkout lanes but some grocery industry experts do have strong thoughts about the change.
“In a post-COVID world, virtually all supermarkets are having labor issues,” the founder of New York City-headquartered Envirosell, a global retail consultation company that studies the way people behave in stores, Paco Underhill told Democrat and Chronicle.
“So, it makes sense to automate certain tasks “rather than having workers scanning every box,” he added.
Aldi’s friendly cashiers are reportedly timed by management when scanning customers’ items.
If shoppers fumble for their credit cards or take too long packing up, the employees’ efficiency ratings drop, Mashed reported – comparing the experience to a dystopian social experiment.
Not to mention, Aldi shoppers also have to remember to bring their own bags to bag their products in the bagging area of the stores after purchase – and they also have to deposit a quarter for a cart.
Aldi stores in Australia opened up self-checkout stations in 2021 after having long been resistant to the idea, according to 9News.
Though many of the customers overseas were reportedly pleased to have the self-checkout option, lots of Americans have gone to social media with their frustrations over the coming change.
“#Aldi I’m your customer, not your employee. I already pack my own bags, I refuse to use #SelfCheckOut,” a Twitter user said on the app.
“It’s not for my [convenience], you have put them in place to enhance your #profits,” they added.
Someone even shared a tweet saying: “Self checkout at aldi… this country needs to burn.”
“Why does Aldi have self checkout? they actually pay their cashiers well so that makes me sad,” another person added.
The supermarket is no longer selling one of its popular, convenient personal hygiene products.
There are nearly 2,300 stores across the US where some shoppers have had to say sayonara to their favorite Costco items.
