Supermarket chain Aldi has brought a new bag policy into its stores, which reportedly means it can refuse to serve customers who do not comply with the rule.
Speaking to The Grocer Magazine, one employee said a bag searching policy had been introduced into stores last week, with checks carried out by security guards and not store staff. They said: “We are asking that they allow us to look in the bags to see if they are empty. We have been asking to look in the bags to make sure none of our items are in there.”
According to the Mirror, the employee says customers who choose not to have their bags checked will then be refused the sale. The worker did however say this has not yet happened in their store.
The worker says shoppers walking out of the store could also be stopped by security if they are suspected of theft.
Workers have recently been taking to social media to let customers know that some stores had introduced the new policy in a move that will see it crack down on shoplifting, reports the Daily Record.
One Aldi worker shared news of the policy to Aldi’s Facebook Group Page in a post that read: “New policy at Aldi, all empty shopping bags must be on the belt plus all shopping.”
They further noted that the policy reportedly “came into force last week”, while other staff members commented that it was an “awful feeling” having to ask customers.
The retailer told the Mirror it is not a “national policy” and said it is down to each store. The bag check policy is not new, and reports of Aldi stores having the measures have been around since May.
It’s not the only budget supermarket to have introduced new anti-theft measures into its stores recently, as Sainsbury’s also recently introduced a “receipt rule” for self-service shopper.
The policy, which is featured in a small number of stores, means that shoppers who use the self-service till for their shopping were being asked to scan their receipts as proof of purchase.
