NEW LENOX, Ill. – Aldi located at 351 E Lincoln Hwy, has become one of the first in Chicagoland to offer customers a new self-checkout system.
The German-based grocery store chain has been gradually rolling out its self-checkout kiosks around the world since 2019, with the new technology now present in brand new stores, and slowly being introduced to existing ones.
Aldi’s self-checkout kiosks have been designed by Diebold Nixdorf, a company that recently partnered with SeeChange Technologies to create an AI-powered system that can recognize fruits, vegetables, and baked goods without a barcode. The system’s recognition abilities aim to reduce friction during the checkout process, providing an improved experience for customers.
The rollout began early first quarter this year in Germany before coming to the states.
While some shoppers we spoke to have praised the self-checkout system for its ease of use, others have criticized the inability to use cash and the complexity of a split payment system. Additionally, some stores rolling out the new feature have more self-checkout kiosks than others, leaving some customers without assistance if needed.
Aldi Reviewer, a blog that reviews Aldi products and stores, reported that some stores had no workers nearby to help customers, while others had a handful of employees in the area. However, Aldi intends for the number of self-checkout stations to exceed employee-run checkouts.
With the introduction of self-checkout systems, Aldi hopes to reduce inventory, free up staff time for other tasks, and provide a seamless shopping experience for its customers.
