15 Facts About Aldi You Should Know As A Frequent Shopper

Yahoo

26-05-2025

As food prices soar and folks look to save as much as possible while grocery shopping, Aldi is quickly landing on everyone's radar as the go-to spot for serious savings. It boasts nearly 2,500 locations in the U.S. alone with 12,000 stores worldwide as of 2024, and was the fastest-growing supermarket chain in the U.S. that year. Aldi has gained international recognition with unbelievably low prices thanks to its minimalist philosophy, eliminating costly, wasteful frills in favor of a simplified shopping experience. This no-frills ethos means huge savings for customers. We guarantee that you won't miss the glitz and glam that regular grocery stores shell out big bucks for — in fact, you'll start to find those huge stores with loud advertising and kitschy packaging annoying after a few trips to Aldi.
There's a lot more to learn about the grocery giant beyond its low prices, private label products, and lightning-fast speed of its cashiers (seriously — how do they do it?) In this list, we'll take a look at a few lesser-known facts about the grocery chain. These tidbits pull back the curtain on Aldi's past and present, giving you an edge the next time you roll up with cart-quarter in hand and savings on the brain. So, let's dive into the weird, wonderful world of Aldi — where the prices are low, the cashiers move at warp speed, and the cult following just keeps growing.
Read more: 12 Aldi Chocolate Candies, Ranked Worst To Best
Based on its ubiquitous presence in the U.S., you might jump to the conclusion that Aldi was founded in America. But the chain's story actually begins over 100 years ago in Germany, when a tiny grocery store was opened in Essen by Anna Albrecht. The small store was a pillar of the local community, and Albrecht's sons — Karl and Theo — took over to continue its legacy in 1948. But the store didn't get its modern name until the early '60s, when the brothers combined their surname and "discount" — thus, a grocery icon was born.
Ever since the Albrecht brothers took over their mother's store, the business model that put Aldi on the map has stayed largely the same. The brothers were known to shy away from wasting resources on ads and decor, passing the savings down to their war-ravaged customers, who were desperate for low-cost staple goods. By 1968, there were over 200 Aldi locations. That number expanded rapidly, and in 1976, Aldi's first U.S. location opened in Iowa, bringing top-tier German ingenuity stateside.
It wasn't all sunshine and savings for the two Albrecht brothers. When Theo and Karl changed the store's name from Albrecht Discount to Aldi, they also divided the store, Cold War-style. Theo wanted Aldi stores to carry cigarettes, but Karl thought that opening the store up to tobacco sales would entice thieves and ne'er-do-wells. The brothers couldn't compromise and so, naturally, they parted ways. But don't worry — this story has a happy, wholesome ending.
Instead of creating two distinct, competing stores, Karl and Theo separated Aldi by region into two chains under one name. Theo took control of cigarette-slinging Aldi Nord — all of Northern Germany's Aldis — and Karl spearheaded tobacco-free Aldi Süd in the country's Southern region. Now, the brothers could exist harmoniously without stepping on one another's toes, and Aldi could continue to provide low-cost goods to the people of Germany without a sibling rivalry yucking everyone's yum. Today, Aldi locations in Belgium, France, and Spain are operated by Aldi Nord, while those in the United States, the U.K., and Australia are owned by Aldi Süd.
It's probably obvious that Aldi is incredibly popular in its home country of Germany, but there's something to be said about Aldi in the U.K. A 2023 poll by Aldi found that it was Britain's most popular supermarket, surpassing competing discount retailers. It was also named Britain's most inexpensive grocery chain — we guess there's a connection there.
In 2022, Aldi earned a whopping €17.8 billion in revenue in the U.K., which translates to about $19.5 billion. For comparison, Aldi's 2022 U.S. revenue came to $40.2 billion, meanwhile, the population of the U.S. hovers around 340 million people while the U.K.'s total population is about 70 million. Don't worry, we'll do the math for you. Based on these numbers, about $120 per American citizen is spent annually at Aldi, while every U.K. citizen spends an average of $280 at Aldi every year. In other words, in the U.S., Aldi is a store; in the U.K., it's a lifestyle.
We all know that Aldi's prices are low, but those who have never visited the chain might suspect that these low prices are indicative of poor quality. Au contraire. Aldi shines in the price-to-quality ratio, so much so that it has earned over 2,000 awards in varying categories since 2017. Aldi wines won Best Buy by Wine Enthusiast and some of its products received the Good Housekeeping Nutritionist Approved seal as well as the ChefsBest Award, just to name a few.
Some of Aldi's store-brand foods were bestowed with Product of the Year and Best New Product awards for 2025. A few of the Best New Products from Aldi include Mama Cozzi's pizza cookie (don't worry — it's a pizza-sized cookie, not a pizza-flavored cookie), Priano's mini Italian meat and cheese tray, and Friendly Farms Greek yogurt. Eight Aldi items also earned the coveted Product of the Year award among a total 42 winning products in the U.S. They include Simply Nature chocolate covered frozen dried fruit from Aldi's private label organic line, Summit Popz prebiotic sodas (a Poppi knock-off), Park Street deli pickle chips, and Specially Selected snow crab legs.
Although Aldi is a leader in discount groceries, it's certainly not the only player in the savings game. Lidl is a popular value-based supermarket, although it's home to far fewer U.S. locations than Aldi, and these locations are limited to just the East Coast. There are a ton of similarities between the companies, so it's no wonder there's a rumor that Aldi and Lidl are owned by the same family. However, Aldi and Lidl are completely separate entities, and always have been.
Like Aldi, Lidl was also born in Germany, and it clearly borrowed a lot from the Albrecht brothers' store and other discount supermarkets that were popular in the country at the time. Even Lidl's branding looks suspiciously similar to Aldi's. Both brands offer low-cost, private-label items, a refund-and-replace guarantee, and a limited offering that focuses primarily on staple goods. However, Lidl tends to lean more towards a traditional grocery store than Aldi, with a bakery section, fresh flowers, and a larger selection of brand name products. These bougie upgrades mean that Lidl's prices aren't as appealing as Aldi's, but they're still low enough to compete with the OG German discount store.
The main culprit behind Aldi's modest price tags is lack of a middleman. Unlike a garden-variety grocer, you won't find shelves stocked with big name brands at Aldi. Instead, its catalog is made up of 90% private-label goods, leaving room for just a few must-have brand name items. These items account for over ¾ of all of its sales. Trust us when we say that, after taking a glimpse at your receipt, you won't miss the household names and will welcome your Baker's Corner cookies and Millville cereal with open arms.
Even though you may not find your favorite brands at Aldi, the good news is that you don't need to sacrifice the foods you love to save a pretty penny. The chain is home to plenty of store-brand products designed to mimic the brand names that we all recognize and adore. From a Frank's Red Hot copycat to a classic Smartfood white cheddar popcorn dupe and Kerrygold cheese and butter replicas, we promise that you won't be able to tell the difference (but your wallet will).
It comes down to more than just low prices and resemblance to the real deal that make Aldi's house-brand products appealing. As we continue to become more health conscious as a nation, Aldi has heeded the nutrition-focused call and made some serious changes to its private label products in recent years. Today, these foods contain no synthetic colors, MSG, or partially-hydrogenated oils, making cheap, healthy snacks without questionable ingredients easy to track down at Aldi.
Although there's minimal research or hard evidence to back up the claims that certified synthetic colors and MSG are harmful to consume, the lack thereof makes for a more appealing product that's seemingly closer to nature. As for PHOs — which are the primary source of trans fats and known to cause harm in excess --0 the FDA deemed them not generally safe to consume in 2015, with a ban set to take effect in 2018. But Aldi went ahead and eliminated them from its products in 2016, giving it a leg up against competitors.
Whether you have an allergy or diet goals, eating gluten-free can be a challenge, especially when you're just looking for a quick snack on the go or a meal that doesn't require hours in the kitchen. Aldi understands the gluten-free struggle, so in 2014 it launched its liveGfree brand. Aldi was the first chain grocer to offer a private label line that's exclusively gluten-free, with all liveGfree items 100% devoid of wheat, barley, rye, and other glutenous ingredients. Although quite a few liveGfree items have been discontinued (we miss you, GF cheesecake), you can still find plenty of staples from this Aldi brand.
Aldi's liveGfree product line includes bagels and sandwich bread that toasts surprisingly well (a rarity in the world of wheat-free bread). The brand also includes pantry staples, like pancake and brownie mix and protein-packed pasta made from rice flour and quinoa. Brown rice crisps, in sesame or sweet chili flavor, are a fan favorite for snacking, and boxed macaroni and cheese is a top choice for a no-stress, GF dinner.
Let's be real — we can't all be drinking the top shelf stuff for wine night. Luckily for those fiscally-minded drinkers among us, Aldi hits all the right notes with its value private label wines. It has a vast selection of wines — from red, white, sparkling, and rosé in both bottles and boxes — to appeal to any taste on any budget.
Aldi's private label wines have won a plethora of awards. The Broken Clouds pinot noir was granted the 2017 Product of the Year award and 91 points by Wine Enthusiast. William Wright Vintner's Reserve pinot noir was awarded 90 points and a gold medal from the Beverage Testing Institute. The list goes on, with over 20 Aldi wines winning various prestigious awards. One of the biggest winners came in 2022, when a $5 bottle of sparkling wine from Aldi's South Point Estate brand was awarded a Double Gold Medal from the Melbourne International Wine Competition.
Aldi cashiers are fast, so fast that if you didn't know what you were getting into before you got in the checkout line, you probably left Aldi both impressed and a little shaken up. No, Aldi doesn't specifically seek out checkers with the fastest scanning hands. Unbeknownst to most shoppers, Aldi employees are actually timed and scored during each customer interaction.
Aldi's cashiers are incentivized to check out customers as fast as possible — a controversial practice that's earned the company some scrutiny. Normally, it's easy enough for Aldi cashiers to scan items quickly and toss everything loose into the cart to get their numbers up. But according to Aldi's rules for employees, they're required to slow things down if customers complain about their speed. However, this negatively impacts their score. So, on your next trip to Aldi, be sure to show these employees kindness. Being timed and scored on matters largely outside of your control has to be incredibly stressful.
We've already learned that the main reason Aldi's goods are so cheap is thanks to its private label products, but the company also employs less obvious methods to keep overhead low and customer satisfaction high. You may have noticed that there aren't any flamboyant displays at Aldi. Instead, nearly everything is stacked in shipping boxes on shelves devoid of any ornate signage or eye-catching displays. This cuts down on time spent stocking and organizing products, thus saving Aldi in labor costs, and leading to cheaper prices for customers.
Aldi cuts costs in other unlikely ways, too. Unlike regular grocery stores, Aldi takes more extreme measures to make sure no one leaves their shopping carts in the middle of the parking lot. A quarter is required to unlock a cart, and then it's returned when the cart is brought back, eliminating the need for employees to collect the carts. And forget choosing between paper or plastic at Aldi; the company doesn't keep any single-use bags in its stores. Instead, shoppers are expected to bring their own or purchase reusable bags before checking out (or forget your bags and fill your trunk with loose groceries — we've all been there). The company also eschews music in its stores to avoid paying costly licensing fees.
Choosing local ingredients is a great way to keep your diet healthy and your food budget low. Aldi hops aboard the farm-to-table train at some of its locations, where it stocks a variety of produce — and sometimes snacks and drinks — from nearby farms and food producers. Stocking local foods when possible fits right into Aldi's minimalist, cost-cutting ethos by eliminating the price of transporting food long distances, passing savings down to its customers.
Most local finds are in the produce aisles, where Aldi stocks foods from nearby farms, like apples in upstate New York or fresh corn in Iowa locations. Some stores carry iconic commercial products, including Skyline chili in Ohio, Vienna Beef hot dogs in the Chicago area, and Duke's mayonnaise at Aldis in the Southeast. If you're lucky, and if you live in an area rife with farmland and food production, you may even find some hyper-regional items at your local Aldi, like sauces, dairy, and even beer.
Have you ever impulsively purchased a chainsaw while grocery shopping? If you have, you're probably an Aldi shopper. Other grocery stores have a seasonal aisle, but Aldi has the Aisle of Shame, where items like the Ferrex electric chainsaw are found. This area of Aldi, with the playfully derisive name coined by Aldi fans, is where you'll find the non-food items that you didn't know you needed. The unofficial name of the aisle comes from the staggeringly low prices on quirky items that have "impulse buy" written all over them.
The Aisle of Shame products — which are technically dubbed Aldi Finds — rotate seasonally and range from functional to frivolous. Here, you'll find run-of-the-mill, holiday-themed decorations, toys and games, and clothing at unbeatable prices. But if you keep an eye out, you'll find cheap items in the infamous aisle that you would never expect. A twin mattress, golf club set, and stand-up paddleboard are just a few examples of brag-worthy Aisle of Shame finds.
Whether you're shopping for food, electronics, clothes, or any goods that tend to fly off shelves at the speed of light, it's obvious that the best time to hit the store is right after it's been stocked. Most grocery chains and big box stores restock frequently, sometimes even nightly. But, as we've come to learn, Aldi does everything a little differently. Aldi restocks some items only once a week in order to cut down on labor costs. While we appreciate that this keeps prices down for customers, it can be annoying to show up the day before stocking day to find everything you were hoping to scoop up is long gone.
Thankfully, we have the intel so you can always show up to a freshly-replenished store. Schedule your Aldi shopping day for Wednesday morning, the day that the store is stocked, to guarantee that you'll find everything on your list. Some food items are restocked on Wednesdays as well as all the Aldi Finds; the ephemeral seasonal and miscellaneous items with the low price tags that tend to sell out fast.
Although it doesn't offer its customers a rewards program or coupon book, there are still ways to save more money and snag some fleeting items at Aldi. It all comes down to price tag color. To the untrained eye, the colors of the tags seem arbitrary, but they actually indicate specific specials and deals, so all you need is a little intel and a sharp eye to make the most of your Aldi run.
Red text on a yellow tag indicates a clearance item. These are the foods that are selling for less than their full (already low) price, so products with these tags are must-haves, especially if they're already on your list. Yellow tags with black text are the standard tag, but if this tag has a blue flag on it, it means the item is new to Aldi. Search for these tags to find cheap foods to try out and potentially add to your future shopping trips. White signs with red text indicate Aldi Finds. These are the tags to look out for if you're on the hunt for a true Aldi unicorn — that electric chainsaw isn't sticking around forever.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.