Customers have noticed a new policy being implemented across in some supermarkets across the UK. The new rule is being put in place at some Aldi stores and requires trolleys to be clear and for carrier bags to be empty when customers are going through the checkout.
One customer warned others on social media about the change after she saw the new sign at their local supermarket in Swindon, which stated: "When proceeding to the cashier, please ensure all products are placed on the till belts, your carrier bags are empty, and your trolley is clear. Thank you for your cooperation."
She shared a photo of the sign in a shopping Facebook group reports Birmingham Live. Alongside the image she wrote: "Saw this by the till at Aldi Mead Way, Swindon. First time I’ve seen it so thought should take pic.
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"Seen many posts on bag checks etc." Other shoppers were quick to respond, many saying that the same new rule has been put in place at their own local store.
It is thought that this new rule is a temporary measure being rolled out in some stores to tackle problems with shoplifting. The post wracked up more than 200 comments, and many people expressed support for the measures.
One person commented: "We've had this for a while in Milton Keynes due to people stealing." A second person wrote: "They have so many thefts now it's a disgrace.
"How people walk into a shop and walk out not paying. I don't blame Aldi." Someone else said: "If you've done nothing wrong you've got nothing to hide. They just doing what their employer has told them to do."
However, not everyone was pleased about the new measures. Another customer commented: "Well Home Bargains is right next door to our Aldi in Dundee. Sometimes I go into HB first and my trolley has bags in it when I get into Aldi, nothing I can do about it.
"If they don’t trust me, will be time to shop elsewhere." Someone else wrote: "I always leave my bulky duplicates in my trolley, and I'll continue to do so."
And another said: "We got asked to open our bags the other week, I wasn’t very happy because the whole time my husband had them folded in four under his arms."
Aldi previously told BirminghamLive that bag checks are 'not a national policy, but added: "Where necessary, checks are sometimes introduced at individual stores as a short-term measure in response to a local issue." A spokesperson said that checks are only conducted 'with the customers’ permission and should only cover the bags they’re using to pack their shopping, not handbags or other personal bags.
BirminghamLive understands that the policy is not a new one, however individual stores have some discretion to introduce anti-theft measures where necessary. Aldi has been contacted for comment.
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