Why Aldi Cashiers Take a Seat at Checkout Lanes
Aldi likes to do things a little bit differently than the conventional grocery stores out there. One look at their cashiers at the checkout lane and newcomers to the brand will probably wonder why they are seated.
When consumers go to buy their food, the cashiers sit at the end of the lane on a stool. There are a few reasons why the company chooses this unconventional approach.
In June 2020, one employee told Mental Floss that the reason is a little more scientific than just giving the cashiers' sore feet a break.
“While [resting] is true, Aldi says that cashiers sit at the register because, according to their testing, it allows us to ring up items faster,” the employee claimed. It's also why they have fewer checkout lanes to man.
“We are given reports at the end of each day for our ringing statistics,” the employee added.
A 2018 Reddit thread had a reported Aldi shift manager chiming in about the speed in which the cashiers are expected to move the items down the belt. For their particular store, the goal was an astonishing 1200 items per hour, but they offered advice to anyone looking to up their accuracy and speed.
"Your posture is not only important for your health, but also your speed. Make sure you are 'guiding' things into the cart, rather than picking up each individual can and setting it in there strategically," the store manager advised when talking about the "ergonomics" of checking out a customer. "There is somewhat of a science to this, as you don't want to be too rough and damage product."
It's an unexpected Aldi secret that will make consumers look at the checkout experience differently the next time they shop at the German-owned store.
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