I work at Aldi – the reason your items are scanned so quickly and the trick that helps cashiers be extra fast

If you've ever shopped at Aldi, you probably already know that the cashiers are known for their quick scanning skills at the cash register.

Actually it has become a bit of one inside joke for shoppers who have liked to make a bargain in the supermarket in recent years.

2

2

But it turns out there's a good reason why your items are getting sucked through the registers so quickly, and there's a trick that makes it possible for the cashiers too.

The German supermarket chain previously even claimed that their checkouts are 40 percent faster than those of other popular stores Tesco And Asda – so you're not just imagining your food shooting through the cash registers at such high speeds.

Speak with Express.co.ukan Aldi spokesperson revealed that employees are “encouraged to be as efficient as possible, which helps us keep prices low for our customers.”

“Our employees are trained to operate the cash register at the right pace for each person they serve,” he continues.

But how do employees manage to scan your items so much faster than their rivals?

Well, it turns out there's a very practical reason, and you may have noticed it before.

Cashiers don't have to spend time looking for small barcodes on products because there are several on all packages.

And on some food products, such as cans, the barcode extends all the way around the packaging, making scanning even more efficient.

All those seconds of not looking for the barcode you want to scan have to add up. That's why Aldi can get you through the checkout much faster than other supermarkets.

There's another clever trick you may have noticed at the store too, and it's also there to make things happen quickly.

The checkouts are much smaller than other supermarkets, and instead there is an area at the end of the store where people can do their shopping.

Directing customers to this area instead of packing up at the checkouts can also help queues build up faster.

All this speed should help Aldi, because despite rising food prices during the loss of life crisis, stores like Aldi and Lidl have managed to keep prices much lower than their competitors.

According to the latest research from Which? “Both Aldi and Lidl outperformed the 'big four' supermarkets – Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco – again this year”.

The consumer expert said this is “not surprising at a time when value has become so important to shoppers.”

In a former Channel 5 documentary entitled Aldi Vs Lidl: Supermarket Wars, retail Experts have blasted the two German upstarts' tactics to ensure products are as cheap as potato chips.

The narrator said that the “success of Aldi and Lidl is clearly visible” and Natalie Berg, a retail expert, explained: “Aldi [and Lidl are] about simplicity and ruthless efficiency.

“It's about substance over style; products are displayed in cardboard boxes, or left on the pallets themselves, so they can take the products straight from the truck and place them directly on the shelves.

“Staff can quickly fill the shelves and move on to other tasks.”

The German discounters have also come up with other methods to grab shoppers' attention, including one obvious layout feature; Aldi Special Bargains and Midden from Lidl where customers can pick up non-food deals and offers.

Shoppers come in every week excited to see what's in the store's center aisle – from inflatable canoes to winter socks.