Aldi, the German discounter

[Jonathan]

I believe that they get bonuses on their check out timings. Although I also believe that in Germany it is illegal to measure worker's individual productivity.

Jonathan

[Bob Eager]

Aldi staff do NOT get such bonuses. If their timings are really slow (allowing for newness of staff) they might get a quiet word. Largely it's a matter of pride and competitiveness!

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I take it you also leave your trolley by your car, then? Taking it to a collection point would be doing their work for them too.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I get the impression they also get more breaks at Lidl than Tesco. So can work at full speed while they're there.

[critcher]

no it wouldn't, the collection point is there to ensure cars, which we drive, don't run into uncontrolled trolleys.

[critcher]

I think you miss the point, a job is important, if we decide to do other peoples jobs to save a supermarket money, and we don't get anything for that then who is the k*****ad?

[whisky-dave]

Why do you think they make you queue ? Is it because it's cheaper for them or is better for you ?

Some of us don't have that choice, my flatmate used to go to tescos at abou t 5am she said there was hardly anyone there.

I'm not intereted in that either. Years ago an ASDA open up near me so I ga ve it a try they had about 30 till points (before self service existed) but they only had 4 or 5 open quite a few peole were getting agitated by the 5

• queues at each checkout, so I walekd off saying to someone workign their that they can either take my money at the till or get someone to put the st uff back on the shelves all I got was a sorry we are short of staff so I wa lked out leaving my basket on the floor.

I've noticed that 1 in 3 have a problem with self service, when I'm ready t o pay I look at the queues in sainsbury and I almost always get out of the store quicker if I use staffed checkouts They have one Q for the self servi ce that leads to about 8 tills. I can make a mental note of the last person in that Q and genrally speaking I can join a staffed till and get out the shop before I would have if I'd joined the self scanning Q.

In the future I suppose hat they might decide not to bother putting stuff o n shelves but just leave it on the palletes, maybe get poele to go to the l orry and help themselves. Remmeber self service arren;t there to make the customers life better it's to increase profits by employing less staff, using the customer as the rob ot.

[whisky-dave]

In that case you don't get your quid back, so you're paying a quid for someone to return your trolley which I think is fair.

[Bob Eager]

It's been done. Shopper's Paradise wasn't far off that.

[Brian Reay]

Aldi do it to an extent. Some items come off the lorry stacked ready to go into the shop. The staff just wheel then into position using a special truck/barrow.

I can't see the objection, it is all about cost and partly why Aldi are undercutting the traditional supermarkets.

[whisky-dave]

and then what we go to farms to pick our own that'll save money too will it ? Not for me I don't mind paying for someone to pick my fruit, pack it, store it, put it on the shelf locally to me where I can pick it up, take it to a checkout person then take it home.

[charles]

It might save money or it might not, but you get good quality fruit freshly picked.

[T i m]

I can generally match most that aren't going too mad.

We generally walk to get our weekly shop with a shopping trolley.

Yup.

I put a largish shopping bag in the bottom of the trolley and load all the heavy stuff stackable stuff in there first and have a freezer bag on the checkout for all the frozen / chilled stuff. That then goes in on top of the first bag and any soft / breakable stuff goes in another bag to carry or on top of the freezer bag if there is room. She pays while I'm putting the last bits away and we are out of there faster than most old dears with just a few items. ;-)

(Diy content) It does come to a fair weight and I'm not sure how long the wheels are going to last (because of the hubs / lack of bearings).

It looks like there is a foam 'tyre' over the plastic wheel so I may look to see if I can 3D print a couple of new wheels and include support for a couple of sealed roller bearings while I'm there. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[damduck-egg]

Lot of trouble to go to when you can buy one for a quid at numerous outlets.

G.Harman

[Bob Eager]

They just cut the front off the cardboard boxes on the pallets.

Oh, I know. My son works in the local one.

[T i m]

What, a shopping trolley wheel?

And since when has 'going to some trouble' stopped a good d-i-yer. ;-)

My point is I'd rather make my own that are likely to be better , not only because of how well they roll (so easier to pull home) but how long they will last.

Cheers, T i m

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Ah - right. So not just thinking of yourself. But holding up a queue while you carefully pack everything is OK?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I find that *very* hard to believe.

[FMurtz]

And block the queue with their trolley or body leaving yards of inaccessible empty belt.

[alan_m]

Not everyone lives in a location where shops are open 18 to 24 hours a day. Where I've been staying over Christmas most food shops within a 10 mile radius are closed by 5 or 6pm and the few left by 7 or 8pm. If you work then visiting these shops during a slack time may not be possible.

Furthermore, when a supermarket has less busy times the staffing levels are reduced and or self-service tills suspended.