The Secret to Shopping at Aldi's!

Before I started couponing, I thought that shopping at any and every store was exactly the same. You go in for your items, you purchase maybe more than you originally went into the store for, and you leave. WRONG! Of course, each store has their items priced a little differently, but did you know that each store has it's own secret to helping you save money?!

Every time I walk out of my local Aldi’s grocery store I can’t help but smile when I think about how much money I’ve just saved. If you haven’t shopped at Aldi’s recently (or ever), then you’re missing out on one of the best kept secrets in the entire grocery industry.

Upon walking into an Aldi’s grocery store, you may be surprised by the simplicity of the store –no fancy store layout including a photo processing center or floral section, no flashy window displays and no large sales signs. In fact, most of the products are displayed in the same cardboard boxes they were shipped in. Instead of French’s Mustard, you’ll find Burman’s Mustard. Instead of Hefty paper plates, you’ll find Boulder foam plates. What you WILL find in your local Aldi’s are rock bottom prices, from paper products, to canned goods, to dairy.

You cannot use coupons at Aldi’s, but Aldi’s does take pride in the many ways in which their stores cut costs, including:

Limited Selection: The costs of products at Aldi’s are controlled by the fact that Aldi’s selection is more limited than a typical grocery store. Aldi’s typically carries 1300 items compared to nearly 30,000 items carried at a typical supermarket. These are generally fast moving items which helps prevent loss associated with spoilage and the extra rent needed for larger stores. Money is also saved because less labor is needed to stock fewer products.

High Quality Store Brand Products: Aldi’s stores carry only a few national brand products. Instead they focus on a high quality line of store brands, from Nature’s Nectar Lemonade to Benton’s Vanilla Wafers.

Reduced Labor Costs: When you walk into an Aldi supermarket you’ll be struck by how few employees are in the store. Customers bag their own groceries. There are no bakers, butchers, or pharmacists. If you want a shopping cart, you must insert a quarter which you’ll get back when you return the cart. This reduces the need for employees to walk the parking lot returning carts to the store.

Smaller Stores: Aldi’s stores tend to be much smaller in size than your typical supermarket. As a result rent and utility costs are much lower as well. Store hours are also more limited, usually 9-7pm, which helps to save on costs even further.

Cash and Debit Cards Only: Cash is the main currency accepted at Aldi’s. Unlike other supermarkets, you can’t use credit cards when you shop at Aldi’s. This saves the store from paying high credit card transaction costs.

All of Aldi’s cost saving measures are then passed along to the consumer in the form of super low prices.