Shopping At Aldi – Everything You Need to Know

Everything You Need to Know About Shopping At Aldi

Aldi is making a huge buzz in the world of discount shopping these days. This chain of grocery stores with European roots started its operations in America in 1976 when they opened their first location in Iowa. Since then, Aldi has grown its reach to 1,600 stores across 35 states.

If you want to save on home staples then Aldi is the store for you. However, you’ll soon learn that shopping at Aldi is a little different than shopping at your traditional grocery stores. Since their whole operation is designed with cost saving in mind, they modified how a few things are done in their store.

If you’re a novice shopper at Aldi, here are the things you need to know before driving up to your neighborhood store.

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You Won’t See Familiar Logos (At Least Not Very Many)

When you step inside an Aldi store, you won’t be bombarded by the sight of national and name brands. Instead, store brands will welcome you with their lower prices and excellent quality.

Don’t worry though because they still carry familiar brands like Coke, Pampers, and Pringles. But believe us when we say their store brands are worth trying at least once.

You’ll Need a Quarter to Use a Cart

Aldi’s shopping carts have a unique twist to them. Before you can use them, you have to put a quarter into a coin slot to unlock it from the queue of carts and be able to use it in the store. Once you’re done shopping, you have to put the cart back, push in a key, and you can get your quarter back.

One of the unique ways Aldi keeps their costs low is by employing fewer people so more often than not, you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who’ll take your cart from the parking lot back to its storage area.

However, kids with a little ingenuity are always willing to round up any stray carts and cash them in for the quarters awaiting them.

There are No Baggers at Aldi’s

Speaking of keeping employees at a minimal number, there are no baggers at the checkout counter. Once you’ve finished paying the cashier, you’ll need to be prepared to bag or box your own groceries.

They Have a BYO Bag Policy

Another peculiarity at Aldi’s is you need to bring your bag. Otherwise, you will have to buy a paper bag or a reusable bag at the cashier so you can have somewhere to put your items after checkout.

You Don’t Need Coupons Here

Leave your coupons at home because Aldi does not honor manufacturers’ coupons. But don’t fret since they have amazing prices anyway you’re bound to get a good deal even without your trusted coupons.

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Your Shopping Experience Will Be Faster

The Aldi shopping experience is hinged on savings and efficiency. This means you can expect your shopping experience to be faster than at other grocery stores. Their system ensures that there are no long lines at the checkout counter. Even the packaging of their items have several barcodes making scanning prices a breeze for cashiers.

They Have Brands for Just About Your Every Need

Whether you’re looking for preservative-free food, gluten-free snacks, or baby products, Aldi has your back. You can enjoy all these products with their store brands like Simple Nature, LiveGFree, and Little Journey at a fraction of the cost of other stores but without sacrificing quality.

You Get the Best Value for Kitchen Staples

Many people rave about the chips, wine, and beer at they can get when shopping at Aldi but the best bang for your buck products they have are kitchen staples. Eggs, milk, bread, and peanut butter are sold at such extremely low prices that you wouldn’t want to shop for these items at any other store.

You Get an Aldi Double Guarantee for their Store Brands

If you don’t enjoy your Aldi products as much as you thought you would, you can return them. Aldi has a Double Guarantee for their store brands which means whatever you return, you can get both a refund and a replacement. Talk about commitment to quality!

They Have Irresistible Specials

Shopping on Wednesdays and Saturdays at Aldi means you get access to their “Special Buys”. You can get awesome deals on all store goods including electronics, clothing, furniture, and garden items. These Special Buys also have a 60 day refund policy.

Visiting the store on other days? Look for Aldi Finds. These are flash sale deals on premium food and household items. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for these since they don’t last long.

They also offer a weekly circular on their website as well as at the door where you can find their sales for the week.

They Have Shorter Hours than Other Stores

Unlike other stores, Aldi has shorter store hours. They only operate during peak hours which also helps keep their prices lower. If you’re looking for an early morning or late night shopping trip, this store might not be for you.

They Accept Various Payment Methods But Not Those that Can Slow Down the Line

Aldi accepts cash, all major credit cards, most debit cards, and EBT. They even accept Aldi gift cards as payments. However, you can’t use a check or WIC to pay at the store.