The Practical Reason Aldi Cashiers Sit At The Register

Discount grocery store Aldi is already well-known for saving customers money on everything from cheap meat to quality chocolate bars, in part by trimming the number of staff down to the bare bones. Sure, the lack of brand-name products plays a role, but when a store only has roughly 20 employees working at any given time, labor costs are going to be smaller compared to the competition. In an industry that works with slim margins, this can make the difference between a profit or running in the red.

Because Aldi stores have so few employees, those staff members are tasked with multiple jobs, including stocking, unloading pallets, and ringing up customers. Given that these employees are working at the ultimate level of efficiency, it might strike you as odd to see them sitting down when running the cash register.

With all the different tasks they perform, this probably offers staffers a small respite from being on their feet all day, but that is not why they are seated when they ring up your bill. Researching how employees can work as fast as possible, the company found that cashiers actually ring up more items per shift when they are sitting as opposed to standing. That helps staffers meet their daily quotas, which is something they are constantly trying to better themselves at.

Sitting while ringing up groceries is not considered a break at Aldi. Customers love that the lines move quickly, but they also expect it. Employees are supposed to ring up roughly 1,200 items every hour, and they are continually being evaluated on their performance, to the point where they receive a daily efficiency report. If a customer is fiddling around with their wallet when it comes time to pay or simply loading things onto the conveyor belt slowly, that affects the employees' daily statistics. Because fast, efficient register work is so highly revered at Aldi, employees are constantly striving to get better.

In the subreddit r/aldi, an employee asked others how to increase their speed at the register. A shift manager from another store chimed in to give the staffer a few tips, like waiting until customers have all their items on the conveyor belt before beginning the transaction. They also mentioned working ergonomically. "Your posture is not only important for your health, but also your speed," they said. "Make sure you are 'guiding' things into the cart, rather than picking up each individual can and setting it in there strategically."

Managers are likely often there to help employees improve in-store as well, but having the opportunity to seek advice from fellow workers online can't hurt. As prioritized as proficient register work is, staff at Aldi are likely to take any help they can get.