An Aldi employee has claimed a bag rule could see customers refused service in its UK stores.
The budget retailer, which was recently named the UK's cheapest supermarket for a third year running by Which?, began theft checks as a routine part of its checkout process in the summer of 2023. The clampdown came amid a spike in shoplifting.
Staff will sometimes ask shoppers to put all shopping bags on the conveyor belts, or lift them up out of trollies to check they aren't concealing any items. One employee told the Grocer: "We have been asking to look in the bags to make sure none of our items are in there.
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“We have also been told that if anyone refuses to show us, we are to refuse the sale, although this has not happened yet in our store.”
On Facebook, another staff member said: "New policy at Aldi, all empty shopping bags must be on the belt plus all shopping" while a third added: "I work for Aldi too. It’s an awful feeling having to ask customers".
The ECHO understands Aldi's policy is not to refuse customers, but rather to ensure all goods are paid for. People who are suspected of theft may be stopped by store security guards, or reported to the police.
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