Aldi confirms major shopping change coming to all stores

Aldi shoppers have shared their excitement after spotting a new addition inside stores.

Shopping baskets, a long-awaited addition to Aldi stores, have been highly anticipated by shoppers, with some calling their sudden appearance a “game-changer” and saying “it’s about time” the store introduced baskets.

Dozens of excited shoppers took to social media to share their store finally had baskets for customers.

“Ask and you shall receive!” one happy shopper wrote alongside a picture of a stack of baskets she spotted in a Miami store on Queensland's Gold Coast.

“Dalby QLD has baskets too! Sooo happy to see them when we stopped in tonight (sic),” another added.

“And the baskets aren't locked together and have to be separated with a coin - yay!!!” another happy customer joked.

Other shoppers said the option to grab a basket instead of having to pay for a trolley was “so much better, especially for elderly” and “will be so handy” when shopping for just a couple of items.

Ecstatic shoppers started posting where they’d spotted them on Facebook pages for Aldi fans, including parts of NSW such as Wollongong, the Central Coast and inner Sydney. They’d also been spotted in different parts of Queensland.

But the rollout is ongoing, with many saying their local store didn’t have them yet.

“Haven't seen any baskets here in WA. I wish they would have them,” one person said.

“Not in Springvale Vic,” another added, with a third saying: “It depends where u (sic) go, SA doesn't have them yet.”

Aldi confirms the change is here to stay

An Aldi spokesperson confirmed the change to Yahoo News Australia, saying all stores would have shopping baskets by early next year.

“We recognise that Australians are looking for greater convenience when they visit our stores. To make it more efficient for our customers to do a smaller grocery shop, we will be introducing shopping baskets across all of our stores,” the spokesperson said.

“Baskets have been available at select New South Wales stores since late November, and all remaining stores across the country will receive baskets from early next year.”

The decision comes after the German supermarket giant decided to trial the introduction of shopping baskets to some stores back in July.

“We are trialling baskets in select stores to assess the benefit it could bring to our stores and customers,” an Aldi spokesperson said at the time the trial started.

The introduction of baskets comes after the store began trailing self-serve checkouts.

Why is Aldi changing?

Famous for their budget-buys and speedy checkout service, shoppers are used to the Aldi shopping experience being a little bit different.

But more recently the store has introduced self-serve checkouts to a select number of stores following in the footsteps of Woolworths and Coles.

Aldi kicked off the self-serve checkout trial in June after Aldi stores in the UK introduced self-serve checkout to speed up transactions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The two new additions to stores were initially trialled to make fast shopping for customers more convenient.

“We anticipate the trial will appeal to our regulars as well as attract new customers, who are purchasing only a few items at a time – and we’ll also be introducing Aldi baskets in all trial stores to aid these small and quick shops,” Robert Eichfeld, Aldi Australia's store operations director, said when the trial began.

The checkouts appear to have been a hit with customers as several self-serve machines have popped up across stores.

But the decision to change up the register process came as a shock to Australian shoppers after the store pledged in 2019 to stay away from self-serve options.

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Aldi shoppers call for more changes

Now that baskets have become a permanent part of the shopping experience, customers are calling for smaller trolleys too.

“They just need small trolleys now too,” one shopper said, with another adding: “Great idea, Thanks Aldi but small trolleys would be great too.”

But some shoppers warned all the changes may not be a good thing, with one saying they were wary of Aldi becoming more like mainstream retailers Coles and Woolworths.

“The more ALDI become like everyday stores the faster their charges will go up and become the same, just saying,” the shopper said.

“People whine about this and what Aldi doesn't have, then expect prices to be cheaper.”

Either way, the shopping basket change seems to have been a welcome one by customers, particularly those only after a few items.

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