Customers at a Sunshine Coast Aldi supermarket are regularly being shocked by painful static electricity shocks as they shop. This has provoked escalating fear for both safety and the retail store environment. Long-time patron Louise Turner calls her visits “ripper shocks,” meaning she is shocked every time she goes, in a good way. Over 80 people shared similar stories within the first 12 hours illustrating how pervasive this issue is.
Tim Dixon, another impacted shopper, agreed with Turner. He mentioned that even touching metal objects in the store would sometimes give him an unexpected shock. The complex interplay of factors that caused the phenomenon has prompted critics to question the grocery store’s design and its contribution to creating these unfortunate shocks.
Possible Causes of Static Shocks
As he described it, humans can become amazing conductors of electricity. For people, when the person touches the object with a static charge, the static electricity—static discharge—goes through the person.
“Electricity can travel through us so when you touch a shopping cart that has built up charge, the tendency would be for the charges to discharge through you,” – Dr. Jacq Romero
Romero further noted that humidity levels play a large role in static electricity. After several months of dry conditions, as endured in 2020 on the Sunshine Coast, drought can deepen the challenge.
“Usually you get these charges when the air is so dry … that’s because the water molecules in the air help to move the charges away from objects,” – Dr. Jacq Romero
He suggested to wear gloves, as an extra layer of insulation, to avoid getting shocked while visiting stores. Other retailers have added anti-static wheels to their shopping carts to avoid the same problem.
Customer Reactions and Store Response
Rather than complaining, Louise Turner decided to do something and filmed a hilarious video showing her hair standing on end from static electricity. She further adapted it for her kids, and that’s when the magic happened. She expressed frustration over the repeated shocks, stating, “I keep getting zapped every time I go in there.”
Dixon described his encounters with static electricity in a similar manner: “You go to touch something in there, anything metal there, and you’ll just get a ripper shock.” He added that on occasion, the shocks have been painful, remarking, “A couple of times, it’s physically hurt it’s been that big of a shocker.”
A spokesperson for Aldi responded to customer concerns: “We take any concerns customers have about our store experience very seriously.”
