‘Watch out, I’ll wait for you outside’: Aldi self-serve checkouts fuel abuse, threats

Aldi’s self-serve checkout system has become a lightning rod of frustration for shoppers and staff who report facing higher levels of customer aggression and abuse as a result of having to conduct mandatory bag checks.

Customers have vented on social media after finding the self-serve registers are often closed, which has become a flashpoint for threats and verbal abuse, a survey by retail union SDA NSW has found. Aldi rolled out the self-serve checkouts across the country in late 2024, more than a decade after Coles and Woolworths.

Nearly 97 per cent of Aldi staff reported experiencing some degree of abuse or violence when working at the self-serve checkouts, overwhelmingly driven by the requirement to conduct compulsory checks of bags (98.4 per cent) and trolleys and prams (75 per cent), according to the survey that received 185 responses from members who work at Aldi.

Dozens of Aldi staff reported increasing levels of anxiety, stress, and trauma from customer abuse and having to approach customers, which some said was being monitored by management who would replay CCTV footage.

“You are being monitored all the time by supervisors checking cameras,” said one survey respondent. “If you failed to [check bags or scan bulky items first], you get constructive feedback and even warnings to terminate employment,” said another.

Several claimed the company had a policy of not opening self-serve checkouts until there were “more than three customers lined up” at manned registers.

“They aren’t opened until the line is long and the customers [get] angry, and this is under head office directive,” a survey respondent said. “Customers are having actual tantrums, throwing groceries at workers, making threats to workers.”

Others reported being followed by customers who waited for them to finish their shift. “They swear, threaten us & even say ‘watch out, I will wait for you outside’,” one said. Another claimed a co-worker’s windshield had been broken because they had tried to prevent shoplifting.

Aldi declined to respond to questions from this masthead about its self-serve checkout policies. In a statement, a spokesperson said worker safety was “paramount”.

“We continually assess and strengthen our policies to maintain a safe environment. This includes working closely with law enforcement and industry bodies where appropriate,” the spokesperson said. “We regularly review our store operations to ensure they provide a safe, simple, and efficient experience for our customers and our people.”

On Reddit, users posting in the r/AldiAustralia thread observed that they were often stuck waiting in long queues while self-serve checkouts were closed.

“Now it’s no longer worthwhile to drop in for a few items because it’s a guarantee you will have 1 server getting through 3 large trolleys and a bunch of other people with baskets,” wrote user michalwalks.

“Had this exact scenario yesterday. Wanted two items. One lady serving 4 full trolleys in front of me and 6 self-serve checkouts closed,” replied marknbet. “Went next door to Coles.”

In a separate thread, user cheekbones88 queried whether there were certain times in the day that the self-serve checkouts were closed. One SDA NSW survey respondent claimed Aldi’s policy was to open self-serve registers from 11am to 7pm.

Higher cost of living pressures pushed shoplifting and retail crime levels higher, forcing Coles and Woolworths to invest tens of millions in theft prevention technology and training.

But as a low-cost operator, Aldi appears to have shifted the burden of theft prevention to workers, said SDA NSW secretary Bernie Smith. “Aldi always runs the lowest staffing model. They have the highest level of injuries,” Smith told this masthead.

Enforcing mandatory bag checks has created points of tension between customers and staff, he added. “People might feel accused of shoplifting.”

Queensland University of Technology marketing professor Gary Mortimer said the checkout closures were a loss prevention strategy. “Closing them would force people to a checkout where [bag] checks can take place,” he said.

“When it comes to investing, I think they wait until the technology is available and cheap, and then they implement it, because it’s a low-cost business.”

Retail consultant Trent Rigby said his personal experience of Aldi’s self-serve checkouts – which have a screen at eye level displaying a live feed of the customer with the words “MONITORING IN PROGRESS” in red – to be more aggressive than the other grocery giants.

On August 17, SDA NSW wrote a letter to Aldi NSW and ACT calling on the supermarket to remove mandatory bag checks, cease performance management or disciplinary actions against staff unwilling to engage with customers where there was a risk of violence, and to bolster staffing levels.

Aldi director of store operations Callum Storey claimed abuse and conflict would be minimised as all customers are required to undergo bag checks, and said staff were not expected to choose between their safety and performance management.

Aldi has not responded to a follow-up letter from SDA NSW which sought confirmation workers would not be disciplined due to genuine safety concerns, and which sought clarification around de-escalation training that Aldi claimed it was providing to staff.

“They’re beyond opaque,” Smith said. “This is one of the first times ever where we’ve had a bit more of a constructive response, but it’s still not very clear what they’re saying.”

The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.