Aussie Reacts | Why grocery shopping is better in Amsterdam (NotJustBikes)

In this video, I react to the Not Just Bikes video "Why Grocery Shopping is Better in Amsterdam". I was amazed by the hand scanners, these would be awesome to have here in Australia.
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Willem the Viking
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ORIGINAL VIDEO
NOT JUST BIKES. KZbin. Nov. 4, 2019, • Why Grocery Shopping i...
*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS

[@adpop750]

The hand-scanner is around in Dutch supermarkets at least for 15 years now. Since 2018 you can also use your own smartphone, if you download their app, instead of the hand-scanner, but that's not in all the supermarkets chains.

[@Brainreaver79]

never heard or seen them where i live in germany. i wouild love to have something like this. it sounds as if it makes everything so much easier. especially for someone like me who to budget everything, and you can check while shopping how much you have on your bill and if you can get the chocolate or better safe it for the next shopping trip

[@Hensepens64]

Jason from Not Just Bikes is great. He makes great videos about the Netherlands, and Amsterdam in particular. But also nice to see an Aussie reacting on it and in the proces explaining the Australian situation

[@slate613]

I want Jason to adopt me! I'd love to live in such a people centric city.

[@nonexistingvoid]

Being able to just grab my bike and go to the supermarket for fresh food has always been something I took for granted, even when the nearest supermarket was in the next town (I lived in a small town with now proper grocery shops, for years) The self scanning and hand scanners that have become more popular over time make it even easier to go for a quick stop just to buy food for dinner. And some shops will even allow you to use your phone to scan the products, using their app, and makes the trip even shorter. That doesn't mean you won't have any interaction with staff, though. Around the self checkout areas, there will be staff that'll check if you scanned everything when you get a random check (you'll be prevented from proceeding until this is done, and it usually doesn't even take a minute, so it's only a small inconvenience when it happens) They're also the ones handing out any extras that you're allowed to get based on your purchases (like the Efteling points you can get at Albert Heijn, right now, to save up for a discount on Efteling tickets) And of course they'll be able to help out when something goes wrong, or if there's anything you don't understand.

[@thesillypig785]

The handscanners are amazing. Grab your stuff, scan it, bag it and off to the checkout counters. And now comes the best part: no more waiting in line at the cash registers!

[@AndreSomers]

Nowadays, you don’t even need the hand scanners any more. You use an app on your phone. Came in handy during the pandemic as it allowed for contactless shopping.

[@yvkon]

Stumbled across your reaction today. Being Dutch myself, I take a lot for granted. It's interesting to see this from a foreigners perspective. It's so nice to hear the Australian perspective for a change, as up until now I've mainly heard US and Canadian pov. There are a couple of expats in The Netherlands who make vids, which you may find interesting (although not just bikes is an excellent one, so maybe you just explore their vids some more). Let me just look them up and I'll list them in a reply below.

[@yvkon]

A wanderlust for life (based in Amsterdam, but makes fun trips. Shows the Netherlands and Belgium beyond the beaten path) Jovie's home (US citizen, talks about a lot of things, daily life mostly) Soul to Soul travels (US couple who moved to Rotterdam, The Netherlands in 2021) Casey Kilmore (Australian woman, might have interesting comparisons between Australia and the Netherlands)

[@user-fs5gk8in9z]

As an Australian I found Dutch people to be racist and ignorant as.your food is among the worst on earth and Santa has black slave's.

[@letheas6175]

Loved the video again, if you liked this channel, check out other stuff too! Almost all of his videos are good, and they're becoming quite popular too (deservingly so)

[@SwirlingSoul]

I used to live in a rural part of the Netherlands, in such a small village where we did NOT have a supermarket. (rare for NL) I also didn't have a drivers license, nor a car, or family who could drive me. So, I was dependent on public transport. In rural areas that can mean one bus an hour. And if you're unlucky, the return bus leaves, just when you're paying for your groceries of that trip... Thankfully, these days online ordering and at home delivery is awesome too! That wasn't the case yet 15 years back. And now I use it very often.

[@jurgenolivieira1878]

The Costco's are comparable to the Dutch wholesale markets like Makro, Van de Ven and Sligro where you van get big quantity packages food and non-food. They even look similar big open steel boxes industrial looking, while supermarkets are generally more inviting/homely/cozy. But here those are exclusively for business owners (the kind of business doesn't matter) and you need a membership card to get in.

[@ankra12]

I usually shop 2-3 times a week. We have it similar to the Netherlans. Hand scanners are quite common. I live in Norway.

[@corneliusantonius3108]

Greetings from Groningen, The Netherlands.

[@williamthedutchaussie]

Hoi hoe gaat het? Bedankt voor het ondersteunen van mijn kanaal.

[@lbergen001]

Good comments, really. And "tot ziens".

[@landamaika93]

we also have handscans in France, what the foreigners found at dutch supermarks it's the same in France.

[@tillylovesholland1161]

It is also very healty to bike everything and very relaxing especially in our beautiful nature aerias .

[@nielsmeijer492]

Nice video! The hand scanners are actually becoming less popular, we see more and more of the self-checkouts too now. However, the app of the supermarkets that's filmed here also allows you to scan the items you pick so you don't have to scan everything at the check-out

[@williamthedutchaussie]

It looks like we too have recently gotten a phone app for scanning items as we go around the supermarket here in Australia. Then we can scan a QR code at the self checkout and not need to scan all the items... This is very new and very exciting... I have just downloaded it and will have to give it a go.

[@mypointofview1111]

We have scanners in supermarkets in the UK, some supermarkets let you pay through their app on your phone. Brilliant

[@petersteinmeijer519]

Those handscanners are nice, until the store computer decides to check your honesty. Then you have to remove everything from your shopping bag.

[@JimCullen]

Woolies is actually rolling out a system pretty similar to the self-checkouts these Dutch stores have. The main difference is that you use an app on your phone for scanning, rather than a dedicated scanner from the store. I'm just coming across your channel for the first time, but if you haven't already, I highly recommend you check out the rest of NJB's channel, because its ideas on urban design are _excellent_ and we could really use some more people here in Aus who know what needs to be done to improve our cities (and, even better, who can reach out to their local Councillors and State MPs and let them know what we want!).

[@williamthedutchaussie]

Yes since publishing this our local Woolies has rolled out one of these lanes... pretty cool. Yet to use it. Also thanks about suggestion NJBs other videos I have watch quite a few... only reacted to this one.

[@JimCullen]

​@@williamthedutchaussie yeah I've used that system exactly one time. I mostly do direct-to-boot or delivery orders these days. That one time I used it was not a _great_ experience, because I got "randomly selected" for an inspection, where a member of staff randomly scans 5 items from your bag to check it was actually on the order. Problem was...there was no staff around to do it, so I was stuck standing there awkwardly until I could grab someone's attention. It seemed like it would be a pretty good experience if that random selection didn't happen.

[@palantir135]

I have seven supermarkets within a ten minute bicycle ride and four within a ten minute walk. We don’t need to do a weekly shopping, we can easily domit when we need something. A lot of supermarkets are open seven days a week. I can also scan with my smartphone and pay with my smartphone. Please, don’t call us Holland. It’s the (kingdom of the) Netherlands.

[@Belfastchild1974]

from usage perspective the handscanners are great, but they kill jobs

[@womenfrom0202]

Note to the hand scanner. Whenever I do this I ALWAYS get checked by a cashier. It is so annoying. When I ask why, they tell me it’s random🤔

[@nonexistingvoid]

Depending on which store you shop at, there can be several reasons why you keep getting checked. If you go to a store where you need a store card (like a bonuskaart at Albert Heijn,) it tends to take into account how you've shopped before and whether you've been found making mistakes during previous trips. If that's not the case, it could be that you're taking longer than the system accounts for, for the amount of groceries you scanned. Or you scanned several items that are usually bought with other items, but not the items the system expects to be bought with it. Like chips and drinks, or bread and cheese, or something like that. It's not to encourage you to buy more things, or to make you feel like you're being suspected of shoplifting. It's simply a system that tries to spot shoplifters quickly. It can feel like an inconvenience, but luckily it usually doesn't take much time to get checked (unless you forgot to scan something, which most employees won't find strange, because everyone can forget sometimes)

[@australia8623]

Dude they have cargo bike?

[@thesillypig785]

yup, they even haul their kids on cargo bikes :)

[@Maya9396]

Like your video’s, groetjes 🇳🇱

[@thepianoman5757]

Welcome William. It's good to see and hear the reaction from another pov then the usual Canadian and USA. At 2:45 your amazed by the many bicycles compared to Australia. May I suggest you have a look at this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/boXIm2ebh8qtY5o. This video is about that difference. Your vanilla slice is the same as our tom pouce . Nice vid.

[@maartensleegers9556]

I'm Dutch and got family living in Sunbury, I spent there one month back in 2008. Lambert van der Weerden, do you know him by any chance?

[@williamthedutchaussie]

Unfortunately I have not had the pleasure of knowing them. I would like to meet more Dutchies and practice my speaking (very slowly of course)... :)

[@maartensleegers9556]

@@williamthedutchaussie I'm having a call with them next month so I could put you in touch with them. Lambert emigrated back in 1952 so his Dutch has become somewhat rusty but he very much misses the Netherlands and always likes to meet Dutch folk or people with an interest in the Netherlands

[@williamthedutchaussie]

@@maartensleegers9556 that would be great. My mum emmigrated to Australia in 1954.

[@maartensleegers9556]

@@williamthedutchaussie From the Netherlands as well?

[@williamthedutchaussie]

@@maartensleegers9556 yes she came out from Friesland with Her mum and Dad and brother and sisters.

[@kellyvandijk3269]

I don’t use the hand-scanner or self checkout. The reason? I don’t want to be part of it because more people lose their job who worked at the cash register ✌️🇳🇱

[@jillvandenlinden6946]

Im from the Netherlands and I dont really like the scanners. Sometimess they come in handy but i also like to see a cashier. I actually went to Australia and New Zealand and I found the help from the cashiers in the supermarkets so nice, they put your groceries in bags for you. I found it a really friendly vibe. The scanners are a good thing when you want to be efficient but its all about balance because it can create a different more individualistic society/culture.

[@qwertyuiopzxcfgh]

I love the scanners, because they shorten the line at the "praatkassa" considerably.

[@DenUitvreter]

I don't like and don't use the scanners or the self scan counter. The reason is changes the job from the cashiers, wich is a proper respectable job, into a surveillance job to check whether someone has taken non scanned items. So the job changes from someone who provided a service in a usually friendly way, to someone who checks whether I'm a thief (not me probably, but people who look a bit shabby). Society is better with more service and less surveillance, this is a negative trend.

[@Hensepens64]

Perhaps... But is the same not true for toll highways? Here in Europe most of the toll booths (?) are automated using transponder or credit card. Only one or two entries have a person to assist.. Or the banks.... Do you still want to go to a bankoffice between 9am an 5pm to get some money of your account or do you use an ATM 24/7?

[@user-kp1js6cb2s]

Self scan counter appeared only in this year in my city and I often use it 'cause other people are rather scared to use it, so it's much faster 'cause less people are using it. I think that combination of cashiers and automated checkouts is the best right now 'cause I think that professional cashier actually checks products much faster than regular customer

[@nonexistingvoid]

The staff at self checkout don't look for thieves. They are there to help those who struggle with something, and will do the checks that the system randomly mandates. I've never seen them look at someone with suspicion. Even when a mistake in scanning was found, they usually just assume someone forgot to scan an item, which can happen.

[@nuuwnhuus]

Over here I notice that the people working in the self-scan area have more time to help customers. They'll help elderly people with their bags sometimes or they'll have a nice chat that is less rushed by the people waiting in line. Maybe it depends on locale but over here service didn't seem to go down at all.

[@DenUitvreter]

@@nonexistingvoid It's more surveillance like than criminal investigation like, but that's unlikeable enough. No matter how they are trained, they still got to make sure people can't just walk out with unpaid groceries. So basically they are just hanging around watching people. That's a different job and not an improvement. It's probably faster, but who says fast is the ultimate goal?

[@gars129]

One thing about physical shopping, using reusable packaging for stuff like detergents is much easier I believe. Not that in Puerto Rico that isnt still something just done by a very niche group (young college educated progressives), and is still kinda not intuitive.

[@m.b3408]

holland is not a country the Netherlands is

[@wilco8729]

Amsterdam??? The Netherlands you mean? Shopping in the Netherlands is better.

[@Basic190]

People who make daily trips to the supermarket don’t have a budget, probably 😂

[@MarijnvdSterre]

If you are an impulse buyer for sure, but if not it is probably cheaper since as stated: less waste. Meaning you buy less that you don't need.

[@RealConstructor]

At AH you can buy products that run out of date, with a 35% discount. So if you go to the supermarket every day you can have a lot of discount articles for your meal that night. I do my supermarket shopping 3 times a week. Or you could go to a cheaper supermarket with less choice but lower prices.

[@nonexistingvoid]

@@RealConstructor This is what I always look out for. As my mom calls it: "the pretty stickers" Most chain supermarkets have discount stickers for that, and it's great when you don't have a lot to spend, but also lack storage space. And AH now even has special discounted produce, 1 euro per (reusable) net, which helped fill my fruit basket a little more, this week. Those discounts really help me make healthier meals for my kids, without spending more than I can afford.

[@Ommelanden]

Please don't call it Holland :c