Aldi finds itself at a crossroads, drawing mixed reactions from its customers over recent changes at its checkout lanes.

Shoppers at the rapidly expanding budget supermarket chain have expressed frustration as they notice the disappearance of self-checkout kiosks in their local stores. This move has left many wondering about the future of their shopping convenience.

The German-based discount retailer, renowned for its straightforward, cost-effective approach, initially embraced self-checkout technology in 2021. By the summer of this year, these kiosks had been rolled out in hundreds of Aldi’s 2,500 stores across the United States.

However, it has come to light that Aldi has started to remove these kiosks from some locations. The company explained that the decision was part of a strategy to refine checkout options, aiming to enhance the overall shopping experience while maintaining their commitment to exceptional value.

Aldi said ‘we have adjusted checkout formats in select locations to ensure we’re offering the best shopping experience possible while delivering exceptional value.’ 

Customers have rushed online to air their grievances with Aldi’s latest move. 

‘I have a few qualms, I have a mini vent sesh if you will,’ a TikTok user from Chicago said. 

‘My Aldi just got rid of all of its self-checkouts, and you know Aldi only ever has one cashier — well they have two cashiers now. But those lines were really long and really slow moving… so what’s going on?’

Customers at Aldi were extremely disappointed to discover that self checkout kiosks would be disappearing

A TikTok user from Chicago ranted about how busy and slow her local Aldi was without the self-checkout option 

Another user — also from Chicago — uploaded footage of the long lines to pay for groceries, with the caption: ‘nothing scarier than the line at Aldi after they took out all the self checkout kiosks.’

People in the comments didn’t hold back. One wrote ‘Hate it there now,’ and another said ‘I’m so sad they got rid of them!!’ 

‘Aldi took out their self checkout lanes,’ another Chicago TikToker said in a video. ‘That’s all anybody could talk about in that store,’ she said.

‘You’ve been stealing in those self-checkout lanes! We can never have a good think because people just ruin it,’ she continued.

Some customers think Aldi could be preparing to replace the kiosks with newer AI-powered systems, similar to the ones Sam’s Club is rolling out at its 600 US locations.  

Self-checkout tills have been one of the most controversial development in retail.  Some people love them and others despise them.

Fans of self-checkouts typically say they prefer to use the kiosks because they are faster, easier, and don’t require human interaction.

Meanwhile, many people dislike having to scan and bag their own groceries and would rather someone else did it. 

A TikTok user from Chicago uploaded footage of the long lines to pay for groceries

The Chicago Aldi customer captioned her TikTok: ‘nothing scarier than the line at Aldi after they took out all the self checkout kiosks’

Then there is the matter of theft, which increases by up to 65 percent at self-checkouts compared to a traditional checker. 

According to a LendingTree survey of 2,000 US consumers, 15 percent of self-checkout users have purposely stolen an item — and 44 percent of self-checkout thieves plan to do it again. 

The survey also found that almost all Americans (96 percent) have used self-checkout at one point or another. 

Most Americans say they enjoy it for speed and convenience, but 69 percent of users believe the machines contribute to shoplifting. 

Self-checkout machines were first introduced to the public in 1986 at a Kroger store in Atlanta, Georgia. 

The technology became more widespread in the 1990s, with companies like NCR, Fujitsu, and IBM manufacturing and deploying self-checkout systems. 

Aldi is not the only grocery cutting back on its self-checkout service.  

Dollar General said last year that it eliminated self-checkout options at about 12,000 locations, a majority of its stores.

Target has announced plans to roll back on its use of self-checkouts

A survey found that 15 percent of self-checkout users have purposely stolen an item — and 44 percent of self-checkout thieves plan to do it again

Target also announced steps to limit or eliminate self-checkout options at some stores.

Amazon is pulling its ‘Just Walk Out’ cashierless checkout system from its grocery stores. 

Costco said it’s adding more staff in self-checkout areas after it found that non-members were sneaking in to use membership cards that didn’t belong to them at self-checkout. 

Walmart has cut back on self-checkouts in some areas and is also using ‘hosted checkouts’, where associates help customers to available registers and through the checkout process.