For many shoppers who are serious about spending less on groceries, a trip to discount supermarket Aldi is a weekly ritual. The chain, founded in
If there isn't an Aldi near you, don't be surprised if one pops up soon. Currently, there are nearly 1,500 stores in 32 states, mostly in the eastern half of the U.S. By 2018, the company plans to expand its store count to close to 2,000 including locations in
Never shopped at Aldi before? Here are 10 things you should know before your first trip.
Trader Joe's is part of the family
Trader Joe's and Aldi are owned by sister companies
Aldi was founded in
It's one of the world's biggest retailers
Aldi might not be a household name in the U.S., but it's well known around the globe. In the 2015 Global Powers of Retail Report, which identifies the 250 largest retailers in the world by retail revenue, Aldi ranked eighth globally, finishing ahead of
In the U.S., Aldi's nearly 1,500 locations outnumber better-known supermarket chains including
You have to bag your own groceries
As part of its low-price business model, Aldi keeps a limited number of staff on the clock at any given time (typically just three to five people). This means that certain conveniences common at larger supermarket chains, such as having groceries bagged for you, is the responsibility of the customer.
You'll want to bring your own reusable shopping bags to pack up everything you've purchased. Otherwise, you'll have to buy shopping bags when you're ready to check out. At Aldi, plastic shopping bags can cost
You need a quarter to use a shopping cart
While shopping carts at most grocers are free for the taking, Aldi requires a
Why all the fuss over a quarter? Aldi says it saves money, which it passes along to shoppers in the form of lower prices, because it doesn't have to pay employees to wrangle stray shopping carts from the parking lot. If you want to avoid the
Nine out of 10 items are store brands
More than 90% of the products found at Aldi stores are private brands, including organic and gluten-free brands. The company gets many of its store-brand products from the same food manufacturers that make name-brand products, says
Aldi carries far fewer products than a typical supermarket -- 1,300 items versus 30,000 -- so stores are smaller and cheaper to operate, allowing the savings to be passed along to customers. "[Aldi] typically focuses on the most popular product items and package sizes," says
Shoppers can find a small inventory of name-brand products, too. Name brands stocked by the chain include Coca-Cola,
Store brands are cheaper than name brands
Aldi claims shoppers can save up to 50% by switching to its store brands from national brands, based on its own price comparisons. We decided to put Aldi's claim to the test. At a
Everything isn't always cheaper at Aldi, however. Since you can't use coupons at Aldi,
Not satisfied? Get a replacement and a refund
Aldi's "Double Guarantee" policy is designed to ensure that customers are completely satisfied with their purchases. Say you buy a box of store-brand cereal from the discount grocer and end up hating it compared to your usual name-brand cereal. Simply return the cereal, including original packaging, to the store manager to receive a full refund and a replacement item.
Note that Aldi's guarantee does not apply to certain items including alcohol and national name-brand products.
Multiple bar codes make checkout faster
You'll notice that all of Aldi's store-brand products have multiple barcodes on them. This is intentional, says Ruggles, the Aldi spokeswoman. The design allows for a quicker checkout, because Aldi cashiers don't have to waste time searching for a single barcode to scan on each item in your shopping cart.
That's not the only way Aldi shoppers can save time. Since product selection is limited, stores are smaller than traditional supermarkets, and layouts are consistent from store to store, it can be faster to find everything on your shopping list at Aldi.
Checks and coupons aren't accepted
If you're planning a trip to Aldi, remember to leave your checkbook at home. As part of its effort toward speedier checkout, the grocer only accepts cash, debit cards and (as of
If it's any consolation, these restrictions can get you through the line faster since the person in front of you won't waste time filling out a paper check, fishing for an ID or scanning multiple coupons.
Stores are only open during peak hours
Aldi locations operate during peak shopping hours, which typically means they aren't open as early or late as larger competitors. The company's rationale: "Staying open later would simply add to labor costs -- and raise our prices."
The
Andrea Browne Taylor is an editor at Kiplinger's Personal Finance. .