This Is Why Aldi Cashiers Don't Stand Behind The Register

A few things may strike you when you first visit an Aldi, like how ruthlessly efficient store associates are, and how cheap everything is. Then there is the speed at which Aldi cashiers ring up your goods, which of course leads you to wonder: Is the cashier sitting? 

As with all things related to Aldi, there is a reason why the cashier is not on his or her feet, and it mostly has to do with efficiency. As New Idea Food reveals, the top bosses at Aldi insist that their employees sit while they work at the register, because studies have shown that they can work faster this way. "We had some bosses from Germany come out to our store and they said they did a lot of research and it showed that employees work faster and better when they're sitting down," one Reddit user says, according to the outlet.

But cashiers can't expect to get too comfy either — because their focus is on efficiency. On HR site Indeed, one employee says: "Cashiers are required to sit, it has been found to be more ergonomical. But you are not often sitting for more than 10 minutes at a time due to many projects needing to be accomplished."

A closer look at Aldi's store hierarchy could also explain why there is a need for chairs. If you're a store associate at Aldi, you don't have one task, you have a few, and everyone is supposed to chip in to get things done. "Our job is considered physically demanding, because Aldi has very few employees running per shift, meaning there are more expectations placed on each of us," Jonah, an Aldi employee tells Mental Floss. "If you aren't ringing, you are expected to be cleaning, stocking, re-stocking, or organizing the shelves. There is no 'down time.'"

Jonah further tells Mental Floss that they are expected to process 1,200 items an hour. "Ringing is the only part where we get an actual report, but managers will tell us that we are expected to knock out two pallets per hour, or one pallet every half hour," he says.

So yes, the cashiers need those chairs. Too bad they aren't exactly relaxing.