An ALDI location in Aurora, Ill., is the only grocery store in the United States to feature Grabango's checkout technology during the pilot phase.
During PG’s visit, customers were seen at the two ALDIgo stations buying a variety of groceries, from smaller orders in boxes and ALDI reusable bags to large carts filled with dozens of items. “You can go through the store and do a big shop as you normally do. There are only certain items that you have to take out and scan or weigh, like fresh vegetable and fresh meat,” explained Shugarman, adding that personnel also check identification for adult beverage purchases.
Shoppers of all ages and backgrounds have adapted to and enjoy the system, according to Shugarman. Grabango team members are always on-site at the stations to assist shoppers when needed. “If they have never used it before, we’ll introduce them to it and ask if they are interested in trying it, because it’s very minimal,” she said. “We’ll remind some customers that we have this and they’re like, I’m going to try it.’ And when they do, there is a big sense of pride.”
The system has proved especially effective at ALDI, because of its footprint and shopping model. “We have a lot of people who come to this store especially because of ALDIgo, because it’s much faster,” Shugarman affirmed.
For now, this is the only ALDI location – and only grocery store – in the United States to feature the Grabango checkout technology. The Aurora outpost is a just few miles from ALDI’s headquarters, in Batavia, Ill.