How To Survive The Checkout in German Supermarkets

In this video, Yvonne and I chat about ways to pack your groceries in German supermarkets more smoothly to avoid feeling rushed!

📼 RELATED VIDEOS:
Grocery Shopping in Germany [Explained] 🛒

✨ RELATED GUIDES:
Top 12 Supermarkets In Germany [Buy Groceries Like A Local]

⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:04 - Step 1: Select Your Packaging Option
05:22 - Step 2: Select Your Basket Option
06:44 - Step 3: Do Your Shopping
08:10 - Step 4: Checkout
09:26 - Step 5: Pack Your Items
12:02 - Step 6: Pay
13:07 - Exit The Supermarket Without Purchasing Anything

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[bottleowhisky]

Been living in Germany for almost 2 years and I have become quite quick, using most of these strategies. One time the (really quick) cashier at Edeka noticed my (really quick) packing and thought maybe I am stressed and asked if she's going too fast for me. I actually laughed (because it's very unusual and surprising to hear this from a cashier) and told her that there is no need, that it's like a game that I'm trying to win 😅 she was amused by this.

[shortsanatomy]

So impressive how you both think about every datail in life routine. Thank you very much. 🥰

[sarsonder]

I’ve commented this before but watching these videos validates my German side. I never thought anything about the nuances of this experience before!

[carti]

Hi Jen and Yvonne. I am moving to Germany in the next 3 months. I have been offered a job as a data scientist in Hamburg. I have been watching all your videos in the past few months. They are awesome 😃😃

[ReinholdOtto]

An issue to think about when you have a cart: if you don't come by car, don't put more into the cart than you can carry home afterwards.

[rebvai]

I've been studying in Germany for 6 months now, and this has been a hazzle for me. I'm originally from Sweden and there we always have a divider for two seperate sections at the end. That part is also longer than in Germany, and we always pay first and then pack (usually we use selfscanning though). My nearest supermarket from my home in Germany is a small Rewe, and there I usually take the basket with me to pack in. As they said in the video, in some stores that is not permitted. So one time (during a really stressful exam-period) when I was shopping at Edeka I was going to do the same. But as I took the basket with me the cashier told me to leave it behind and at that point I just lost it, and screamed "BUT HOW DO YOU EXPACT ME TO PACK THEN???" Not my proudest moment in Germany 😅

[amandarivera]

As a fellow Latina 🇭🇳, my husband and I can relate to Jen and her supermarket experiments 😅. Many of these we have applied ourselves, it was a relatable and funny video, to see our struggles through someone else’s eyes 😂 thanks for the video. I loved it 🤩
The last one was very much needed as I wanted to walk into Aldi many times and not purchase anything either. Once I just paid for some mints to “get out” 😂😂

[gulli]

That's right: It all starts with HOW you put items on the conveyor. Heavy stuff first, light and squishy stuff last, bottles bottom forward. This way you can easily pack your take-home bags immediately and skip putting things back into the cart.

[luiscabra]

The most basic advice, don’t pay until you have everything packed if you do they start checking the items for the next customer

[JAM-]

Thank you ladies. After many years of traveling to Germany, I feel that I have finally succeeded in getting through the check out line. i do feel like I am at a competitive race amd when I come home to Canada I do the same thing. However, the problem is that now I get annoyed with the slow pokes in front of me here at home. LOL

[newasblue]

I've been living in a smallerish NRW town for about 10 years. We are moving back to the US in a month. Two weeks ago they installed two self-checkout machines. I almost cried...what timing! 😂😂

[Fani.Christie]

A couple of takes from my still very young experience with the German stores. Everything enlisted is perfectly on point! The bags! Omg, one of the countless items below and around any check point. So one useful habit I brought with me from Bulgaria is to always have a bag which corresponds to what I intend to buy. And another lesson I came prepared about, to not get tricked by the volume capacity of a cart. It all then goes into much more narrow containers, and they are my capacity, not the cart.😅 Funny enough, I live literally in front of a Rewe. It hasn't been the case so far, but it could happen so that I walk in just for a particular item, but then decide not to buy anything. It's really good that you mention how to do it. I never had to wonder about such thing before coming here. And the speed IS a real thing. No matter how experienced you are with it, chances are there might be a couple of items belonging to the next person while you still pack yours.

P.S. Still, avoid choosing a sketeboard to take to the groceries. Just a random thought. 😂

P.P.S. I hope everything's alright and fine there!

[muhammadakbari]

Really had fun watching this video. Also super strategies😅

[Hammelvision]

Great video, and very German to concentrate on how to do simple life tasks efficiently. I live in a loft in a historical building, so have to walk 91 steps to get home. Your tips are all spot-on, I wish I'd seen this video when I was first here.

Here's my Einkaufsphilosophie. This is for people who live in a big city with no car.

First, buy a CityBike. These are sturdy bikes with big baskets behind the seat, and sometimes in front. They're a great way to get around. You can put a big bag in the basket, and hang one or two from your sturdy, practical bike handlebars.

Second, buy some sturdy bags which are tall and narrow (Lidl and Aldi have these). That makes them easier to fit in the bike basket. Make sure they're thick and strong, so you can buy bottles of juice or wine without worrying. You want bags that are so stiff and robust they stand up on their own, which makes packing them so much easier.

Third, buy a lot at once. I go shopping only every 10 days or 2 weeks, because I'm a guy -- we do it in bulk, and fast. If you're buying unpackaged produce, check to see whether you have to weigh it on your own. You don't need a plastic bag -- you can weigh your 4 bell peppers, print out a sticker, and put it on one of them. The cashier will understand the sticker reflects how many apples or peppers you bought.

Fourth, always, always get a shopping cart! You nailed this one. You can just put the empty bags in the cart as you go in, nobody will bother you. If you don't want to worry about having a coin, ask the cashier for a token in a small metal fastener -- you can put it on your keychain and never worry about having the right coins. All stores have these and will give you one on request.

Ffith, at checkout, if you're buying 20-30 items, check to see who's behind you. If they have only 3-4 items, let them go ahead. Also, and this is very German, put a divider between you and both the people before and after. Ordnung ist das halbe Leben! If you're in a really long line, you can ask the store to open a second cashier lane, and they'll do it.

Fifth, when putting your stuff on the conveyor belt, put the heavy and unbreakable items first, so you can pack them into your bags first, on the bottom. Fragile things like eggs and produce you put last, so they will go on top. If you're paying by card, you can often just leave the card on the reader -- that way the reader will automatically read your card. Tell the cashier: "Ich zahle mit Karte" so they know how you're going to pay.

During checkout, put all the items into your prepared, open, stiff bags (which stand upright) in the shopping cart. Since you pre-sorted them from heavy and unbreakable to fragile, you'll automatically end up with a properly packed shopping bag. If you've bought enough for two bags, that's a bonus, because then you have balance when schlepping them up to your apartment.

Sixth, courtesy. Let people with fewer items go before you ("Möchten Sie bitte mal vorrücken/vorgehen?"). They will always thanks you for this. If there's an old lady paying with pennies from her purse and chatting with the cashier, just wait. This is one of the highlights of her day. Your time is less valuable than hers. Always make eye contact with the cashier and thank them and wish them a nice day. They appreciate it.

Like most things in Germany, shopping can be stressful until you learn the unspoken rules, which you've outlined well. Once you learn the rules, shopping becomes a pleasure! It just takes a bit of collaboration.

[ingridmasson-carro]

I also do the heavy / bottom of the bag things first; and I have an extra tip for the checkout part: pack first and pay next…

[airtonsilva]

6:35 You say Aldi Sad does not have baskets, only carts. But here in Heidelberg they do have baskets, the one with the wheels. There is an area to put them after the cashiers, so you can put everything back in after paying and pack them peacefully somewhere. Also, Rewe here charges 1 cent per plastic bag for fruits and vegetables.

[Hammelvision]

You filmed the shopping-cart segment at the Aldi on Suitbertusstraße! I love that wooden shed.

[reinhard]

IKEA bags are very strong. I had them filled with books when moving and was barely able to carry them but they held.

Usually I only buy a few things (or try at least). I use a strong bag in the shop because I can move more easily than with a cart. And I know when to stop, because the bag is filled.

[Panicradio]

Once again awesome video ladies! I really loved it and your vibe is really cool. Even though I have been living in Germany for 7 years now, I always find something new in your videos, so big kudos. Btw, I thought in the past I am the only one who is putting the heavy items first on the conveyor belt :D. Nice job!

[mogon]

Best strategy: 10:35
But I never use a plastic box, I always first look for an empty cardboard box in the shop. You'll always find one in the right size, at least in the discounters like Lidl, Netto, Aldi, or Penny, where they don't unpack the items before they fill the shelves. These plastic boxes do have a tendency to fall apart when they are filled with heavier stuff. Usually, I take one of the larger but flatter cardboard boxes from the bakery section. If I'm with the car, I just put that into the car and take it home. If I'm with the bike, I will pack everything from the box into two large cotton bags at the packing table in the exit area. Then, I will just fold up the cardboard box and dispose of it in the specified bin in the exit zone. The cotton bags fit into my saddle bags perfectly, so I can carry home a week's items easily. Only problem here is that I have to carry down my bike a narrow staircase to the basement. Here, the car comes into play, which I use as a temporary storage for the heavy bags until I have carried down the bike. Of course, that only works if I was able to park the car close to the house, which is not always possible in the city.

11:43
By the way, funny how you do exactly the same as I do with my Combo when I don't have my camping equipment in it. I hardly ever use the large cargo space in the back but the rear seats (when they are installed, that is), because the stuff doesn't slide around there. ;-)

Luckily, I have a Netto with self checkout not far away. And there is no limit on the number of items there. I prefer the self checkout mostly for reasons of hygiene, but of course, it's also very convenient to set your own speed. The only strange thing here is when I buy something like Mon Cherie and have to have a cashier make an age check. ;-)

By the way, maybe, a comparison of the main discounters would be a nice idea for a video. While they have very similar items with similar prices, they definitely do have very different "characters". For instance, Penny is my closest discounter, and I liked shopping there until they introduced this annoying shopping radio a few years ago. They almost completely lost me as a customer. Similarly, when Aldi introduced a much fancier layout in (some of) their shops, I reduced my visits there as well. I hate this Ikea-nizing. Before, you could see from one end of the shop to the other, now it's like a labyrinth and you have a hard time finding what you want. Of course, they do it to slow down the customer flow and to keep them longer in the shop to buy more things. In the meantime, they have turned this lifestyle sh*t back a little bit, at least in my closest Aldi. Probably, too many people have complained about being forced to go through the whole shop to buy just one thing (if they find it at all), or maybe it's just that they had to restore proper escape routes. Lidl has dealt with that lifestyle modernization best of the discounters, in my opinion. While they gave their shops a more expensive looking outfit (for which I give a damn because I want to buy my stuff in as short a time as possible), they kept a straight layout which doesn't make you search for things.