Aldi shopper says her checkout hack saves ages but cashiers say it's stressful

14 September 2023 , 20:09

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A member of staff prepares to scan goods at a checkout at an Aldi in London (file image) (Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

An Aldi customer advises guests to use "her favourite hack" to save you loads of time at the checkout - but has divided opinion.

Eden's video on TikTok has divided opinion among Aldi employees and customers though, as some argue the ploy actually causes delays when paying for groceries.

The mum of three recommends customers take a laundry basket to the supermarket, put it in the trolley during the shop and then ask the cashier to place all the items into the basket after paying. This, Eden says, can then be carried straight to the car without hassle and saves time on bagging groceries.

The video has been viewed more than 400,000 times on TikTok alone. In it, Eden says: "All you have to do is bring a laundry basket with you and put it in the back of your cart. Then do your shopping as normal and then ask the cashier to just put your groceries directly into the basket.” She then adds that "this lets you skip the entire bagging process".

But other TikTok users, including Aldi workers across the world, weighed in to argue this tip can backfire. They allege it is very stressful for cashiers.

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"As an Aldi worker I hate when people do this. A lot of people don’t know this but we try to put everything in the cart by weight," one social media user shared.

Another added: "If you tell us ahead of time it’s fine. I’ll never refuse a request but it can be stressful and a gamble due to a lot of sensitive customers."

Others, though, supported the suggestion. One employee said: "As an Aldi worker as well, I love this, and if its too heavy, [that’s not] my problem lol." And another noted: "As an ex-Aldi employee, THIS is a hack I can get behind. Doesn’t inconvenience the cashier and is still effective."

Some Aldi customers were impressed but others pointed out some laundry baskets, including Eden's one in the clip, are vulnerable to breaking if overloaded with weight.

Aldi, founded in Germany, encourages customers to bring their own bags when they go shopping. Its website reads: "To help ensure our checkout process is efficient, and to further our goal for a cleaner planet, Aldi encourages our shoppers to bring their own bags and to bag their own groceries at our bagging counters. Don’t have a bag? No worries! You can always purchase our reusable or paper bags for great prices at the checkout counter."

Bradley Jolly