There are a ton of people who swear by Aldi - but plenty of others have never been, sometimes
thanks to untrue rumors or misconceptions.
It's time to clear those up.
Here's what everyone gets wrong about Aldi.
Aldi's prices are low already, so coupled with a coupon, the deals would be irresistible.
But unfortunately for coupon cutters, for the most part Aldi doesn't recognize them.
Not only does the chain not honor manufacturer's coupons, but they don't typically issue their
own, either.
This policy hasn't stopped a number of online scams from popping up offering fraudulent
Aldi coupons, though.
These scams usually ask people to complete some sort of survey, luring people in with
the promise of ludicrous discounts.
But Aldi doesn't have anything to do with this racket, and has warned customers that
coupon deals they might see online are usually fake.
Some of them are clearly too good to be true, with insane offers promising $75 off any purchase
of $80 or more - a real scam that circulated in 2017.
On very rare occasions, Aldi may release coupons, but never digitally - they'll either come
straight to your mailbox or be available in-store.
“Mma'am, do you save shopping at Aldi?"
"You bet, I save about $20 every time I shop at Aldi.”
Private label brands help keep Aldi's prices low, and they also give the stores more control
over what goes on their shelves.
But when Aldi expanded into America, they found that what shoppers really wanted were
their name-brand favorites.
As a result, Aldi listened, and tweaked their supply to suit consumer demand.
It makes for a shopping experience that's a little different from what the chain offers
in Europe.
Name brands are a relatively recent addition to Aldi's US stores.
While private label brands still make up about 90 percent of what's on shelves, the chain
can be more of a one-stop shop than people give it credit for.
If you're going out to dinner at a colleague's house, sometimes you want to bring a nice
bottle of wine.
But you probably wouldn't go to Aldi for it, because that's cheap wine, right?
Well, it is affordable - but it's also award-winning.
Aldi has a lot of wine to choose from, with almost every variety having received awards
or high review scores.
Specifically, Colangelo & Partners certified sommelier Lydia Richards has highly recommended
a number of bottles that came in under the $10 price point, whether it's red, white,
rosé or prosecco.
"I like this champagne.
And I like this champagne."
The coin-operated locks on Aldi's shopping carts have given rise to some misconceptions
- at least in the United States.
In Europe, it's standard practice to have coin-operated locks on shopping trolleys to
encourage people to return the carts to their proper places.
But the practice can look strange to Americans used to dumping their carts wherever for a
store employee to collect.
Uninitiated shoppers may think they have to pay a fee to take a cart at Aldi, which isn't
true.
Instead, your coin is like collateral.
You use it to unlock the cart, and then you get it back without hassle as long as you
return the cart where it belongs.
It's a move which keeps costs down, with the store never needing to pay employees just
to chase down stray carts.
Aldi's produce has a reputation for being something of an afterthought, with little
more on offer than bruised and flavorless fruits and vegetables.
But that's been changing recently.
In 2017, Aldi began a massive, $5.3 billion expansion into the American marketplace, and
a big part of that expansion strategy has involved improving the stores' produce selection.
New stores the company is building are making produce a priority, and older ones are being
remodeled as part of the same pursuit.
Now the stores offer organic produce, ready-to-eat sliced fruits, single-serve veggie and fruit
packs, and salad bowls.
The initiative is having a real effect, with the chain's organic produce sales having reportedly
increased by about 200 percent since 2015.
Aldi stores carry a relatively tiny number of products compared to their competitors,
with around 1,400 core items on offer compared to stores like Kroger or Wegmans, which tend
to stock between 30 and 40,000 items.
As a result, it might seem like Aldi isn't going to be helpful for shoppers on restricted
diets.
But that's not exactly true.
Aldi US's "Simply Nature" line consists of around 200 products that are USDA Certified
Organic, or verified by the Non-GMO Project.
Then, there's the "Live-G-Free" line, a gluten-free product line that includes pasta, bread, cookies,
and granola.
The "Never Any" line offers meat products certified to be free of hormones, animal by-products,
and antibiotics, while the "Earth Grown" line is certified vegan and vegetarian.
That just about covers everything, right?
It's not surprising that some people have complaints about paying for shopping bags
at Aldi.
But if you're willing to go reusable, they're an investment that can save you money in the
long run.
In an effort to keep prices low across its stores, Aldi's policy is to charge shoppers
5 cents for paper bags and 10 cents for plastic ones.
It's not a lot of money, but it can still be annoying if you're not expecting it.
More mindful shoppers can pick up some heavy-duty reusable bags for an affordable price, some
of which are even thermal and insulated.
Over enough trips to the store, they're an investment that pay for themselves.
But you don't need to buy a bag from Aldi to score those savings if you don't want to
- just bring your own from home.