Why no baskets!!!?

As you may be aware, Lidl do not supply shopping baskets. Also, there are signs EVERYWHERE saying those spotted putting items into their own bags will be subject to bag searches and the scrutiny of the security staff.

How does one transport ones items to the checkout one might ask?

Well, one can... with difficulty.

Here is their policy on shopping and 'simplicity'...

"Quality is big and prices are small at Lidl.

Yes, we do charge for carrier bags - at Lidl you only pay for what you get. There are no hidden charges at Lidl and all our prices are the most competitive, every day.
Yes, it's true that we don't offer shopping baskets - at Lidl we only provide trolleys. You will need to put in a pound coin as a deposit - that saves us costs and these savings are passed on to you.
Yes, we sell a number of products directly from boxes or from pallets - at Lidl we keep everything straightforward and simple and that's why you save more."

Yes, I always thought the shopping basket was a pretty simple concept.

Yes, everything from now on will start with "Yes, "

Yes, one option to transport your cheapy items to the checkout is a shopping trolley, which seems very unnecessary if one is popping in to get a carton of Apfel Saft (Apple juice made from 50% concentrate). Imagine that, a carton of Apfel Saft or Apple Juice 'Cloudy' (Made from 100% apples) jangling around in a trolley. Crazy!!!

Yes, actually not crazy, you can carry one carton without the need of a trolley... You wouldn't even need a basket at all. So let's say you have 4 cartons of Apfel Saft 'Cloudy', 6 free range eggs and a tub of cashew nuts. THEN you are in the limbo area between trolley and basket. The eggs are fragile. You 'could' balance these on the Apple Juice 'Cloudy' but you are already being pretty pikey anyway. To put such a small amount of items into a trolley would make you appear even poorer, SO.. what do you do!!!?

You grab a box. Yes, a plain old box. Again to keep the overheads down there are no shelves but pallets of products simply placed on the shop floor and yours truly has the job of opening the boxes to get at the contents inside.

A typical procedure would be:

• To enter the store, scout around without picking up any items (Avoiding the stares of the security guard) and find a box, perhaps in the baked beans section. For example a box of baked beans, with only two or three tins remaining. Simply remove the remaining tins, place neatly aside and continue shopping with your new make-shift shopping carrier (i.e. a Box)


• To walk into the store. Grab the nearest box of products. Tip contents onto floor. Walk away with your new make-shift shopping carrier (i.e. a Box)


• To walk into the store, follow the person who entered just before you, stand behind them while they empty the few remaining items from a box on the pallets, wait until they turn their head, distract them or push them over.. and walk away with your new make-shift shopping carrier (i.e. a Box)

What is even odder is you have to pay for carrier bags. Unlike any other shop in the WORLD... so surely they have the money coming in there, overheads still reduced... but to spend on baskets?

You see, this is the reason Lidl stands out from Farm Foods and Aldi... it's just so original on so many levels.