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#1

Miscellaneous Retail Stuff / Michigan grocers pushing to ge...

Last post by TheFugitive - Yesterday at 03:37:50 PM

Apparently grocers in the state of Michigan are making a push to repeal the state's longstanding ten cent deposit on most beverage containers. 

https://wfnt.com/ixp/84/p/michigan-grocery-store-bottle-returns/

The state's bottle deposit law was made famous in a two-part Seinfeld episode (and before you get any ideas, yes it is illegal to truck cans and bottles over the state line and try to collect deposit money that was never paid in the first place).  The law was already in effect when I moved to Michigan in the 1980's, and as an outsider I observed that it did cut down noticeably on the amount of litter I saw along sidewalks and in parks compared to other places I'd been.

Quite understandably grocers have never been fans of the cost or the logistical challenges of collecting and storing all of those containers and paying back the deposits.  They are instead pitching a beefed-up curbside recycling program. And their case is being bolstered by data showing that fewer and fewer Michiganders are even bothering to bring their can back and collect their dime as redemption rates have plunged to below 70%.

If nothing else the law seems to provide incentive for kids or low-income people to patrol the streets and parks picking-up empty cans and bottles.  If it is repealed I can't help but think that Michigan's public spaces will become noticeably more trashy.

One of the greatest screw-ups that Ames made when I was working for them was to ship an entire pallet of aluminum can crushers to my store in Imlay City, Michigan.  Apparently the buying staff in Rocky Hill did not realize that nobody crushed their cans in the Wolverine State since they had to go back to the store, so they shipped these to all of their Michigan locations.  I brought this to their attention and they recalled them and reallocated them to other states.

#2

Miscellaneous Retail Stuff / Re: States enacting 3:1 ratio ...

Last post by BillyGr - October 03, 2026, 02:16:32 PM

They eliminated a job or two when they installed self-checkouts.  That was the entire reason why they did it. When I was in retail management executives would lay awake every night trying to figure a way to cut one $3.35 an hour cashier out of the schedule. Your idea would take them back to their old cost structure, which achieves the same end.  Granted I think your idea has some merit when you consider the savings from ending the leases on self-checkout equipment, and the reduced theft as proponents of the new law have said.

Seems odd that they got rid of anyone, since those employees would still be needed elsewhere (and one might think more over time as the stores grew a bit - thus more things to stock).  But who knows :)

#3

Miscellaneous Retail Stuff / Re: States enacting 3:1 ratio ...

Last post by TheFugitive - October 02, 2026, 01:16:42 PM

They eliminated a job or two when they installed self-checkouts.  That was the entire reason why they did it. When I was in retail management executives would lay awake every night trying to figure a way to cut one $3.35 an hour cashier out of the schedule. Your idea would take them back to their old cost structure, which achieves the same end.  Granted I think your idea has some merit when you consider the savings from ending the leases on self-checkout equipment, and the reduced theft as proponents of the new law have said.

#4

Miscellaneous Retail Stuff / Re: States enacting 3:1 ratio ...

Last post by BillyGr - October 01, 2026, 06:38:19 PM

What you say is true.  However, if they get rid of the self-checkouts they will either have to put more cashiers on staff, or make customers wait in long lines to use the one staffed checkout.  Forcing Aldi to add cashiers does the same to their payroll budget as chaining one to the self-checkouts, perhaps more so.  I suppose that making everyone wait in a long line with signs posted telling them to blame the State of Rhode Island is an option.

But again, they would not have to do either. 
They'd simply go back to how they did things before self-checkout existed.

One cashier up front full time - when more than (say) 3 people are lined up they hit a button and one of the employees working on the floor comes up to ring people out.
 
When the line goes away, that person returns to other duties.  Repeat as needed.

So, no ADDITIONAL employees needed.  Just repurposing those already working there :)

That was always part of their cost savings - having employees that were always working, never just sitting/standing by a checkout waiting for someone to be ready to get rung up.  It worked quite well, and still does as there are still older stores that don't have self-check options.

#5

Miscellaneous Retail Stuff / Re: States enacting 3:1 ratio ...

Last post by TheFugitive - September 28, 2026, 02:16:20 PM

What you say is true.  However, if they get rid of the self-checkouts they will either have to put more cashiers on staff, or make customers wait in long lines to use the one staffed checkout.  Forcing Aldi to add cashiers does the same to their payroll budget as chaining one to the self-checkouts, perhaps more so.  I suppose that making everyone wait in a long line with signs posted telling them to blame the State of Rhode Island is an option.

#6

Miscellaneous Retail Stuff / Re: States enacting 3:1 ratio ...

Last post by BillyGr - September 28, 2026, 01:50:54 PM

Right now the self-checkouts appear to be overseen by one employee, who is also stocking shelves and running the manned register.  Once this new law takes effect that will become illegal and they'll have to hire somebody else just to stand over and watch the self-checkouts.

Which part of don't USE the self checkouts is not clear?  If they don't use them, they do NOT need an employee to watch them - then the store runs exactly the same way it did (and with the same amount of staff) as it is today and as it was before self-check existed :)

They don't have to follow the new law if they no longer offer self-checkouts to customers :)

Although the law says no other duties - but if someone is doing only one thing (running the checkouts), they could be running 1 regular and 2 self or 3 self - they are still doing only one thing - running checkouts.  That may be a second option that may not be the spirit of the law but follows the actual wording of it ;)

#7

Miscellaneous Retail Stuff / Re: States enacting 3:1 ratio ...

Last post by TheFugitive - September 28, 2026, 08:48:38 AM

Right now the self-checkouts appear to be overseen by one employee, who is also stocking shelves and running the manned register.  Once this new law takes effect that will become illegal and they'll have to hire somebody else just to stand over and watch the self-checkouts.

[must not be assigned any other duties or responsibilities.]

#8

Miscellaneous Retail Stuff / Re: States enacting 3:1 ratio ...

Last post by BillyGr - September 26, 2026, 11:44:30 AM

The text of this new law specifically states that the employee tasked with overseeing those 3 self-checkouts must not be assigned any other duties or responsibilities.

This totally undercuts Aldi's operational model.  That employee will basically be chained to the self-checkout area and not allowed to perform any other tasks.

Or they just DONT USE SELF CHECKOUTS and work the same way with the same staff as they did for DECADES before self-check even existed!  That was the point, they can run with a low staff level even without using self-check AT ALL.

[must not be assigned any other duties or responsibilities.]

#9

Miscellaneous Retail Stuff / Re: States enacting 3:1 ratio ...

Last post by TheFugitive - September 25, 2026, 11:15:29 AM

The text of this new law specifically states that the employee tasked with overseeing those 3 self-checkouts must not be assigned any other duties or responsibilities.

This totally undercuts Aldi's operational model.  That employee will basically be chained to the self-checkout area and not allowed to perform any other tasks.

#10

Miscellaneous Retail Stuff / Re: States enacting 3:1 ratio ...

Last post by BillyGr - September 25, 2026, 09:19:16 AM

100% correct, the rules will add costs.  Which is why I'm convinced that Aldi's competitors had a hand in lobbying to pass them.

Not sure what you aren't getting, it will NOT ADD COSTS as the employees are already working in the store - they won't have to hire anyone else.
They only run ONE checkout normally - if the line gets too long they hit a buzzer and someone else stops stocking or whatever and comes up to run a checkout until the line is gone then goes back to doing whatever else.

So, they will still have the exact same number of staff and payroll, just used differently if and as needed - which is how they run and have since they existed!