ALDI shoppers have vowed to boycott the supermarket’s self-service tills after more have been rolled out to stores across the UK.
The discounter has extended its self-service machine trial to the following four locations: Bedford (Bedfordshire), Bishop’s Stortford (Hertfordshire), Manchester Arndale (Manchester), and Woodgate (Leicester).
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Aldi wouldn’t tell us which stores were already participating in the trial or how long the trial will last for, but if successful it could be rolled out to more branches.
Self-service tills were first launched in Aldi’s Tamworth (Staffordshire) store back in April 2019.
No stores are completely self-service though as there’s always a mix of staffed checkouts alongside the self-service tills.
But plenty of loyal customers on the Aldi Shoppers UK Facebook group say they refuse to use the new checkout tills.
When’s the best time to shop at Aldi?
WHEN it comes to shopping at Aldi, the best time to do so depends on what you want to buy.
For reduced items – when shops open
Red sticker items are rare at Aldi’s 830 UK stores, but the supermarket says that none of its food goes to waste so there are some to be found – if you’re quick.
A spokesman for the supermarket said: “All items are reduced to 50 per cent of the recommend sales price before stores open on their best before or use by dates.”
That means you have the best chance of finding reduced food items if you go into stores as soon as it opens.
Opening times vary by shop but a majority open from 7am or 8am. You can find your nearest store’s times by using the supermarket’s online shop finder tool.
For Specialbuys – Thursdays and Sundays
Specialbuys are Aldi’s weekly collection of items that it doesn’t normally sell, which can range from pizza ovens to power tools.
New stock comes into stores every Thursday and Sunday, so naturally, these are the best days to visit for the best one-off special deals.
For an even better chance of bagging the best items, head there for your local store’s opening time.
You don’t have to head into stores to bag a Specialbuy, though.
They also go on sale online, usually at midnight on Thursday and Sunday, and you can pre-order them up to a week in advance.
As long as you spend at least £25, you’ll get the items delivered for free.
Remember: once they’re gone, they’re gone, so if there’s something you really want, visit as early as possible.
One person wrote: “I refuse to use them. They are doing people out of a job in my opinion.”
Someone else said: “I avoid them like a plague as I always end up having to get an assistant to help me and then I look like a nincompoop.”
Another added: “No, no, no, prices don’t come down and doing away with jobs.”
While someone else said: “No, not for me, I like to have a chat with staff!”
Others pointed out that the self-service tills are likely to take longer: “Hate the self-serve tills as they’re always going wrong, and then have to wait forever for someone to come along to sort it out.”
Someone else said: “I think it would take longer to get through the checkouts. People will be frustrated.”
Another queried: “How would a self service till take the 50 per cent off red sticker items?” We’ve asked Aldi the answer to this and we’ll update this story.
But it’s not all doom and gloom with some saying they find self-service tills quicker.
“Personally I’d like this. As I’m super quick,” wrote one shopper.
Someone else added: “It’s good for people who only have a couple of items in their baskets.”
Another wrote: “Love them when popping in for a couple of things. When my local first opened it had self-service but then they were removed. Hope we too get them back.”
An Aldi spokesperson said: “Following positive feedback, we’ve extended our trial of self-service checkouts to four more locations to further improve the customer experience.”
In more positive news, Aldi gave thousands of workers a pay rise this month.
While its Valentine’s Day meal deal includes steak and heart-shaped pancakes.
Plus, it’s slashed the price of its Prosecco to just £5.
