A TikTok user thinks she's cracked the reason why Aldi cashiers are so fast at scanning items at the checkout – claiming it’s all about the barcodes. Watch her theory here:
Everyone knows that a trip to Aldi can be a relaxing enough experience until you get to the tills to pay up. Having spent a leisurely 20 minutes snaking your way up and down the aisles, stopping off for a casual snoop around the Specialbuys section, you arrive at the checkout to be met with what can only be described as an onslaught – finding yourself physically unable to keep up with the speed of the employee scanning through your shopping. In the end, you give up and scoop everything back into your basket before shuffling off to the safety of the nearby packing area.
Well, TikTok user Sam (@glutenfreesam) thinks there’s one big reason why they’re so speedy at the checkouts, having shared a video online to share her theory.
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Sam, who is based in Michigan, US, said: “Fun fact: Aldi product packaging is designed to have multiple barcodes so that the cashiers can scan things faster.”
She added: “All about that speed bby.”
Many others seemed pretty convinced by the idea, with one commenting: “I could never figure out how they do it so quick. I'm always trying to match their speed while unloading my cart.”
Someone else said: “Broooo…. that’s so smart and I always wondered how they went so effing fast.”
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A third wrote: “I’m checking next time bc I never notice the multiple barcodes.”
A fourth, who implied they worked at the checkout themselves, said: “This is the most satisfying part of my job. I love when people are amazed by my speed.”
Another added: “I was an Aldi cashier years ago, first task was memorize all product codes lol.”
According to The Sun, there are usually at least two barcodes on Aldi’s own-brand products – and sometimes three.
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The outlet reports that Aldi’s Hot Oat Cereal even boasts four barcodes, with one on each side, another on the top and finally a long one across the bottom of the box.
Meanwhile, on some smaller items like cans and cartons, the barcode goes almost the entire way around the product. This means the cashier can simply whizz it past the scanner for the barcode to be picked up on the till.
Of course, the same concept doesn't necessarily apply to branded goods, which Aldi has no control over when it comes to barcodes.
In a later video, Sam shared another theory she’s come up with from her experience as a regular Aldi shopper.
She claimed that it’s best to go shopping on a Wednesday, as this is ‘when Aldi restocks and the new Aldi finds hit the shelves each week’.
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However, as Sam is based in the US, it’s hard to say whether or not her theory also relates to Aldi stores in other countries.
Jess Hardiman