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Aldi's Barcode Strategy

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Re: Aldi's Barcode Strategy

#241

Post by germanier »

eru wrote: post #191
carlob wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if there is some information theory paper to be written here. On one hand you want the most common products sold to have low Komogorov complexity codes (111, 123, 147, …). Then there is the question of the distance between similar products and similar codes: is it better to have similarly priced products have similar codes, so that errors don't amount to much in the final tally, or to space out similar goods…

Aldi Sued even just had the cashiers just memorize prices and type those instead of the indirection via three digit codes.

They even chose prices to minimize hand movement.

Re: Aldi's Barcode Strategy

#242

Post by majewsky »

Symbiote wrote: post #179
jernfrost wrote: post #64

Visited Aldi and Lidl in Germany and I am sorry but I can't help hating those stores. It all looks so cheap and barebones that I get depressed just being there. And then the whole experience with the cashier is hyper stressful and they are so blinding fast at scanning the groceries. It is like you are subject to some German Blitzkrieg or something. Interesting with the article that they explained why it was so fast.…

I'm not in Germany, but the same pattern repeats across Europe. I wouldn't choose the budget stores, except there's one on the ground floor of my building. I still don't like it -- it's obviously extremely convenient for me, but the goods are arranged badly, and the whole shop stinks of stale beer from the bottle return. If I want food to do proper cooking, I walk two-three minutes to a nicer supermarket :-) > It is…

> the whole shop stinks of stale beer from the bottle return

Which is probably why Lidl moved the bottle return to a separate entry which is not connected to the aisles. Yes, it stinks of stale beer in there sometimes, but you only have to be in there for a few seconds to return your bottles.

Re: Aldi's Barcode Strategy

#243

Post by seanp2k2 »

mdip wrote: post #111
anotheryou wrote: post #2

They are so fast, that I change strategies on which line to choose. Usually less stuff to be checked out in front of you is good, but at aldi I go for least people, no matter how much stuff they loaded. This might be even more significant in germany, where many pay cash and you get every cent back in change.

Up until a few weeks ago Aldi in the United States only accepted cash, EBT or Debit. Your strategy, especially at Aldi, is the way to go. I read an article about a decade ago that was challenging grocery store "express lane" speed. Since groceries have been using the same kinds of scanning mechanisms at every chain for a very long time, the barcodes are usually optimally placed to allow for the "scan/bag" to happen q…

I also look for older people who are more likely to spend a few minutes filling out a cheque. I also notice how slowly most people interact with CC terminals, as if they've never used one before and have to figure out every single interaction.

Re: Aldi's Barcode Strategy

#244

Post by seanp2k2 »

brusch64 wrote: post #213
StudyAnimal wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really, wow I never felt that. I always put them in my bag at the natural speed. The only social pressure I felt was when paying before finishing packing. This lead to the next persons groceries being mixed in with mine and accidentally packing their stuff etc. Now I take my time and finish packing before paying to avoid this issue and it is all good.

well you tactic doesn't work that well in Austria. The peer pressure for slow people is noticeable (especially during busy times). But that's one of the things I like about that. You take a cart - put everything in the cart and pack it into your boxes / bags afterwards and don't waste everybodies time. But this may be a very German thing to do.

I bet airport security is pleasant there.

Re: Aldi's Barcode Strategy

#245

Post by germanier »

majewsky wrote: post #230
wodenokoto wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When Aldi came to Denmark and didn't redesign the checkout for not having baggers.

Germany never had baggers. In fact, to me as a German, the job of a bagger appears about as nonsensical as that of a telephone sanitizer.

Walmart had baggers for the short time they were operating here.

Re: Aldi's Barcode Strategy

#246

Post by germanier »

eru wrote: post #203
tobltobs wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> they also sell really odd stuff at times seemingly totally random too. Once I found bird baths there and another week an four post canopy They buy those items in large amounts very cheap. People love those "bargains" and can't stop to buy it, even if they don't need it at the moment. And they are not randomly, they are seasonal and they do repeat every year. In Germany you get a weekly flyer for those bargain items…

After the Bild, perhaps.

Incidentally up until recently their only advertisement was a full page in Bild.

Re: Aldi's Barcode Strategy

#247

Post by germanier »

raimue wrote: post #112
konschubert wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was born in 1990 and I have never seen a checkout without a scanner. Do you have a video how the procedure looked like at Aldi Nord and Aldi Sued?

The same as it is now, just no barcode scanner. With one hand the cashier moved products from the band to the other side for you to pick up, while they typed codes into a 9-digit number pad with the other hand.

Are you sure that? My memory is hazy but I think you parked the shopping cart at the register instead of behind it and just moved your items from the end of the belt back into your shopping cart while they typed in the codes without picking up anything. I think I even remember that customers were a bit confused that they needed to move their carts behind the register which was solved by signs and floor markings.

Re: Aldi's Barcode Strategy

#248

Post by Broken_Hippo »

blacksmith_tb wrote: post #96
res0nat0r wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also the shopping cards have a small chain that attaches to the cart in front of it. You unlock the cart by sliding in a quarter so you can use it while shopping. Since people want their quarter back they have to return the cart to the store. Great solution to eliminate a bag boy sweeping up carts from the lot all day IMO. Also way back when ALDI didn't even have barcode scanners to save money. There was a person typ…

I would hypothesize in the US at least that a large percentage of shoppers would still abandon carts at random, but that enterprising teens / homeless people might step in to collect the deposits, so the store could still avoid needing to assign an employee to do it. That said, I rarely have any coins, so needing have a quarter to take out a cart would be fairly annoying.

My experience is that if a cart is left in the lot, another customer is willing to pick it up and use that cart. A quarter profit and no change digging.

And the quarter is somewhat annoying at times, but regular shoppers often make sure they have on in their car. In addition, there are often folks willing to trade a quarter or make change and the cashiers will often make change as well. If all else fails, they are usually located in locations with other things nearby, so you can buy something smallish and be on your way with the shopping.

Re: Aldi's Barcode Strategy

#249

Post by Broken_Hippo »

wingerlang wrote: post #220
lordnacho wrote: post #217

If scanning the barcode is the critical step, why do it with an ordinary barcode scanner? Just make a conveyor belt that has multiple cameras. One of them will definitely catch one of the barcodes. I've done barcode scanning with ZXing lib myself on a phone, it's super easy even with one camera. Perhaps set up the bags in a clever way so everything other than eggs falls into a new bag. Also, it can't be long before y…

In Sweden* (and surely other places) you borrow a portable barcode scanner when you enter the store and scan your own products. At the end the cashiers take the scanner and do something and you're done. I think they do random "bag checks" as well every now and then. And you might need to have the stores credit/debit card (but I am not sure because I never used this system myself). Here are some pictures https://www.g…

I know of one chain here in Norway that does this, but only in a few of their larger stores. I believe you have to set up a card with them that is connected to your bank account. They have regular lines as well for the folks that don't do this.

I somewhat assume that when this becomes cheap enough, some version of it will be in all the places, probably in conjunction with something that weighs the cart or basket to see if it matches up to what you have scanned.

Re: Aldi's Barcode Strategy

#250

Post by Broken_Hippo »

herge wrote: post #10

Do Aldis in the U.S. bag your groceries? In Ireland, you would have to bring your own bags, or buy their thick plastic ones. And then the cashier would tut-tut you if you took too long bagging your own groceries.

You do have to bag your own. Or buy paper or plastic. You also have the option to pick up empty cardboard boxes or bring your own bags.

Oddly, here in Noway, you nearly always bag your own groceries regardless of the chain. You pay a little for plastic bags, which are always decent quality. Most people turn around and use those bags for their household trash.

I have gotten much faster at bagging groceries since I've lived here. I have never really had a cashier tut-tut at me for being too slow: but the bagging are is divided into 2 sections and sometimes they won't switch back to my side. There is some social pressure to be quick about it, but folks seem to understand if one has a lot of groceries.

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