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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Charlotte Dobson

We went to test out the new self-service tills at Aldi Fallowfield

When it comes to whizzing shoppers through manned check-outs, Aldi is arguably the quickest.

But the discounter is now trialling new self-service tills at a handful of its UK stores.

Aldi has been somewhat slow to install self-machines compared to other supermarkets, and seems to be finally making efforts to catch up with competitors.

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Aldi Fallowfield is part of the trial and has been kitted out with a fleet of new machines.

Most people will be familiar with the set up, but not all self-service tills are made equal.

With this in mind, we headed to Fallowfield to try them out.

The store is as busy as you'd expect on the first Monday of the summer holidays.

Aldi Fallowfield (M.E.N)

We're not talking Battle Royale Saturday-morning vibes, but busy enough.

I fill the basket, careful not to blow my £10 budget on one of the those fancy lime and basil candles.

As usual, shoppers and trollies are stacked up in queues for the manned tills.

Irritation and dread is etched on people's faces. They know what's next.

The mad scramble through the till, lobbing all your shopping onto the conveyer, only to chuck it all back in the trolley again so you're not holding things up.

Aldi Fallowfield is the latest store to be fitted out with self-service tills (M.E.N)

Of course the main benefit is speed and these cashiers do not muck about. Can the self-service machines be quicker?

When I go to pay, the self-service area is well marked out and there are plenty of machines available (around 10 have been installed).

I plonk my basket down and get started.

First things first, you can only pay by card. They make this as clear as possible to customers, directing those with cash to the manned tills.

I start scanning my items - so far, so good.

Things are bleeping when they should and so far I haven't heard the dreaded 'please remove the item from the bagging area'.

I scan a jar of jam, coffee, cous cous, pitta breads and a can of Diet Coke without any problems.

The bane of all self-service tills, in my experience, are really light things. Packs of herbs, a bag of crisps, sponges. All those bits can cause you problems.

What is it this time? A pack of Tunnock's Tea Cakes. I wouldn't say a pack of six is even that light, but for some reason they can't be detected in the bagging area.

M.E.N reporter Charlotte Dobson with her self-service haul (M.E.N)

The mishap is soon sorted thanks to the ninja-esque store assistant keeping an eye on things.

She swoops over to my till and does that thing with the key that makes it work again.

And to my utter delight she even asks for ID when I try to buy a can of beer.

Again, purchasing alcohol can be the biggest hold up with these things but I'm given the thumbs up in record time.

From then on I'm cruising. I pay for my shopping, bag it up and glide past the harassed shoppers packing by the window.

Our verdict? Quick and easy provided you're paying card and only want a few bits.

Any more than a basket-full of shopping and you'd run out of room. But that goes for most standard self-service areas.

The tills were clean and recognised almost all of the items. The excellent store assistant was on hand to rectify any mishaps.

All in all, a good service.

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