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If you shop at Mercadona, in Spain, you might notice something different at the checkout before too long. The supermarket chain is quietly trialling a new payment procedure at a handful of stores, and it could change a habit many shoppers have relied on for years.

 

Until now, it's been perfectly normal to leave bulky items like water jugs or multipacks of bottles sitting in the trolley while the cashier scans just one and enters the total quantity. No lifting required. But under the new system being tested, every single item has to come out of the trolley and onto the conveyor belt, no exceptions, so staff can see with their own eyes that the trolley is completely empty.

 

The change first came to light after a customer got in touch with Mercadona directly, asking what on earth was going on at her usual branch in San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Madrid. She explained she'd suddenly had to start hauling six packs of sparkling water and heavy water jugs out of her trolley just to have them scanned. Mercadona confirmed the store is indeed part of a trial, explaining that the goal is simple: making sure nothing gets left behind unpaid, whether that's a stray item, a bag, or anything else easily overlooked.

 

It's understandable this raises a question or two, particularly for older shoppers or anyone who finds lifting heavy items difficult. Mercadona has been quick to reassure customers on this point, confirming that checkout staff are able to step in and help empty the trolley themselves when needed. In other words, nobody is expected to struggle through it alone. The whole point of the trial, the company stresses, isn't to make life harder for customers, it's simply to confirm that everything in the trolley has actually been rung up.

 

Reassuringly, there's no new technology involved here either. This is purely a change in procedure rather than some high tech scanning upgrade, so don't expect flashing lights or automatic sensors at the till anytime soon.

 

As for whether this becomes standard practice everywhere, Mercadona hasn't said either way. The trial remains limited to a small number of stores for now, and the company hasn't given any indication of a wider rollout or a timeline for one. Given that Mercadona regularly tests new ideas quietly across different regions as part of its usual approach, it wouldn't be surprising if other branches are trying something similar without much fanfare.

 

For now, if you're doing a big shop with plenty of heavy or bulky items, it's worth keeping an eye out. You might just find yourself unloading rather more than usual before you reach the till.

 

 

Image: AI generated