Greenwich Aldi: New checkout-free store set to open 11 November
UPDATE: It didn’t make the date and a December 2021 opening is now expected.
Aldi’s first checkout-free store in the country is now set to open in Greenwich on 11th November.
The new date follows the company initially announcing an opening for today (28th October).
There are no tills in-store, with customers expected to use an app and pick up items before leaving. Cameras match items collected with the app.
Location
Greenwich is a curious choice given high levels of tourist footfall. The new store is located a short distance from Greenwich railway and DLR station, with large numbers of tourists passing the site heading to the town centre and attractions.
Aldi is a worldwide brand, and many tourists will head to it en route. It’ll be a job to explain to many locals how the store works, let alone someone who may not speak good English.
Telling someone they need an app, then need to activate their app before shopping and then can leave without using a till or payment will be a challenge.
Hopefully the company has gone to lengths to install sufficient translations on signage.
Then again maybe it’s my ignorance, as despite using shops abroad a fair few times some customs still baffle me. I’ve looked like a plum at a Mercadonna or Carrefour quite a bit as I misunderstand something simple.
I work nearby and I will not be using this store if there are no tills/staff and is all by app!
If the people go along with this it will only expand elsewhere and many many jobs will be lost!
Same is applied to cashless shops/restaurants etc
It is great to see that Greenwich was chosen to be the flagship for this. I am not too sure how it will work for me but I might be pleasantly surprised, I won’t criticise it until I have tried it. Aldi will no doubt have a great deal more to offer than the other supermarket just across the way where I often have to wait because the scanner at the checkout does not like something or I have to wait for someone to approve my age. Aldi naturally will be much better on price which we must not forget is so important any to many people.
I welocme Aldi’s new store in Greenwich and as Mvb says much better on price. However, I think there should still be two or
three staffed checkouts at least to help the elderly disabled including the partially sighted who may struggle with the app.
Also there are still a lot of people that struggle using technology and prefer to be dealt with face to face by a member of staff.
The elderly, disabled and partially sighted won’t be those using this new Aldi store. It is very much for younger and tech savvy people. I also don’t foresee tourists having a problem, especially the many students who come to Greenwich. It’s not for me because I don’t like shopping that requires an app.
Most people I know do not shop using apps so will definitely complain about this limited way of shopping which excludes so many people. Supermarkets should be inclusive and cater for everyone including by card, cash etc not just for people who use apps
I refuse the app for the same reason I don’t have loyalty cards. I don’t want the supermarkets and their partners knowing about my spending habits so that they can bombard me with emails. I may miss out on their savings, but Aldi and Lidl have cheaper alternatives that are just as good.
This is just the next stage in the evolution of shopping. Just as grocers gave way to supermarkets with conventional checkouts, so these will supersede those. I have to admit preferring the idea, but that is because it reduces contact and my wife and I are considered high covid risk, so I way not be unbiased
Store still not open just of yet