Walking into an Aldi feels different from other grocery stores, and there’s a good reason for that. Behind the scenes, employees follow some of the most unusual workplace rules in retail – from memorizing dozens of product codes to sitting down while working the register. These strict policies shape every interaction customers have with the store, though most shoppers never realize what’s really happening. The next time someone rings up groceries at lightning speed or asks about payment before finishing the scan, remember there’s a whole system of bizarre requirements driving their behavior.
Cashiers must stay seated during their entire shift
Most retail workers stand all day, but Aldi flips this expectation completely. Every cashier must remain seated while working the register, and it’s not optional. The company designed checkout lanes specifically around this rule, positioning seats so employees can easily scan items and place them directly into customer carts. This setup might look lazy to some shoppers, but it’s actually part of a carefully planned system to increase scanning speed.
The seated position allows cashiers to maintain a steady rhythm without getting tired from standing. Performance goals require workers to ring up 1,200 items per hour, which means they need to scan roughly 20 items every minute. Standing and reaching would slow down this process significantly. Don’t mistake this for a break though – cashiering is practically the only job duty that doesn’t require employees to be on their feet constantly.
Every employee must wear steel-toed boots
While most grocery stores only require safety shoes for warehouse workers, Aldi makes steel-toed footwear mandatory for everyone. This includes cashiers who might never leave the front of the store. The rule exists because all employees are expected to handle multiple tasks, including operating electric pallet jacks and moving heavy merchandise. Even if someone spends most of their shift at the register, they could be called to help unload trucks or stock shelves at any moment.
Employees must buy their own boots, though the company provides a small reimbursement through their paychecks. Despite the safety requirement, foot injuries remain among the most common workplace accidents at Aldi locations. The heavy boots can feel awkward at first, especially for cashiers who need to move quickly between scanning and reaching for items. Many workers share stories about pallet jacks rolling over their feet during busy shifts.
Workers get scored on checkout speed percentages
Aldi doesn’t just time how fast cashiers scan items – they use a complex scoring system that tracks every second of the checkout process. The metric considers scanning speed, time between customers, and other factors to generate a percentage score. Employees are expected to achieve over 100%, though many find this confusing since percentages typically cap at that number. Management will pressure workers who fall below targets, and some get reprimanded for scanning under 1,000 items per hour.
The pressure to meet these numbers creates stress that goes beyond normal retail work. Online forums are filled with employees sharing tips to improve their ring speeds, from sitting with perfect posture to guiding items efficiently into carts. Some workers even admit to secretly pausing their checkout timers when customers move too slowly, which technically violates company policy but helps them meet impossible targets.
Cashiers must push customers to pay before scanning finishes
Speed obsession extends to customer behavior too. Employees are required to encourage shoppers to insert their payment cards before all items get scanned. This saves a few seconds per transaction, but it makes many customers uncomfortable since they can’t see the final total first. Cashiers must reassure nervous shoppers that payment won’t process until they press the final button, but this conversation often slows things down more than the original time savings.
The company tracks what percentage of customers follow this pre-payment rule, adding another metric to employee performance reviews. Break room posters advertise the benefits of early card insertion, claiming it saves 3.5 seconds per transaction. While this might seem minimal, those seconds add up when cashiers are processing hundreds of customers daily. Employees who don’t consistently push this practice may face coaching from management.
Customers cannot unload groceries until the previous person finishes
Well-meaning customers often try to help by placing their groceries on the conveyor belt early, but employees must stop them. The checkout belts move continuously and quickly, which means items from different customers could get mixed together if timing isn’t perfect. This creates more work for cashiers who need to sort everything out, ultimately slowing down the process that all these rules are designed to speed up.
Some dedicated employees take this rule very seriously, even pushing customers’ items back or manually stopping the belt when people unload too early. Checkout lane etiquette violations have led to shouting matches between customers who don’t understand why they can’t help move things along. Adding divider sticks doesn’t solve the problem either, since the fast-moving belt can still cause items to shift and mix together.
Product codes must be memorized instead of looked up
While Aldi prints large barcodes on most packaging, fresh produce still requires manual code entry. Rather than allowing employees to look up these codes, management expects cashiers to memorize 40-50 different numbers for common fruits and vegetables. This includes everything from basic bananas to specific apple varieties, and workers must recall them instantly while being timed on their scanning speed.
The memorization requirement adds significant stress to an already demanding job. New employees struggle with this expectation while learning other duties, and managers will criticize workers who need to look up codes too often. Entering wrong numbers while flustered can feel like defusing a bomb, especially when customers are waiting and performance metrics are being tracked every second.
Employees cannot tell customers to leave at closing time
Unlike many retail stores, Aldi employees can’t directly ask customers to leave when closing time arrives. Shoppers who enter before the doors lock can technically continue shopping, even though this prevents workers from completing their end-of-day tasks. Many locations don’t have intercom systems to announce closing times, leaving employees frustrated when people browse leisurely after 8 PM.
Workers find creative ways around this rule, from using portable speakers to announce closing time to strategically turning off lights in certain sections. Some employees admit to staring at lingering customers until they take the hint, though they must be careful not to be too aggressive. Company policy prevents them from locking doors early or being stern with shoppers, even when those customers are clearly taking advantage of the situation.
Returns must be accepted for any reason
Aldi’s “Twice as Nice Guarantee” requires employees to accept returns on any food item, even if it’s been opened and partially consumed. Customers only need a receipt and whatever remains of the product to get both a replacement and a refund. This generous policy leads to absurd situations where people return nearly empty containers or produce they neglected until it rotted.
Employees must process these returns without question, even when customers are clearly abusing the system. Workers report cases like someone returning mixed nuts after eating most of the container, or bringing back oranges because one had a seed. While the policy is designed to avoid confrontation, some employees use small deterrents like requesting driver’s licenses or checking with managers for particularly egregious cases.
Bag checks are required in some locations
Rising shoplifting rates have led some Aldi locations to implement customer bag checks, though this isn’t standard across all stores yet. Employees must inspect bags, purses, and even baby strollers before customers leave, creating awkward interactions that slow down the exit process. Most reports of these searches come from international locations, but some U.S. stores are beginning to adopt similar policies.
The bag check requirement puts employees in an uncomfortable position, especially since many customers react poorly to being searched. Theft prevention measures conflict with Aldi’s usual emphasis on speed and efficiency, creating tension between security needs and customer service. Workers must balance being thorough enough to catch shoplifters while not offending legitimate customers or creating long lines at the exit.
These strict rules explain why Aldi operates so differently from other grocery stores. Every policy serves the company’s mission of maximum efficiency and minimum costs, even when it creates stress for employees or confusion for customers. Understanding these requirements helps explain why workers seem rushed, why certain procedures feel odd, and why the entire shopping experience moves at such a unique pace compared to traditional supermarkets.
