13 Things to Know About Shopping at Aldi

If you pride yourself on saving money on groceries, you're probably already familiar with Aldi, the German supermarket chain with stores across the United States. To make your next Aldi run as effective and efficient as possible, we compiled our top tips and tricks to getting the most out of the discount superstore. Here are 13 things to keep in mind the next time you head to Aldi.

Wednesdays and Sundays are Best

For the broadest selection, the best time to shop at Aldi is on Wednesday mornings. That's when the store restocks its shelves. You can also visit on Sundays, when Aldi offers its Hot Deals on some of the most popular items. These tend to go quickly.

There are Girl Scout Cookie Dupes

If you missed the chance to buy Girl Scout cookies this year, or depleted your pantry before satisfying your sweet tooth, Aldi’s in-house brand, Benton's, offers a similar lineup. Look for Benton's-branded versions of Samoas, Thin Mints, and more.

Some Stores Have Their Own Wine

Aldi shoppers love wine, and 9 out of 10 bottles you’ll find on store shelves cost less than $10. Many are private-label wines, meaning they were made by a winery specifically for the company. Some of the most popular bottles at Aldi include Elementalist Pinot Grigio and Dancing Flame Red Blend.

No Deli, Pharmacy or Bakery

You might be accustomed to grabbing a “pub-sub” at Publix or refilling your prescriptions at Costco while you shop, but you won’t find a deli, pharmacy or bakery at Aldi. This supermarket keeps it simple with groceries.

Advent Calendars Go Fast

Aldi’s signature Advent calendars are filled with everything from beer to wine to chocolate to hard seltzer. These calendars go fast, especially after Thanksgiving before the December holidays, so you’ll want to head to an Aldi as soon as the calendars are announced to snag yours.

No Elaborate Displays

Some grocery chains invest a lot of money in the displays at the front of the store or along the aisles, but not Aldi. To keep costs low, Aldi stores its products in their shipping boxes. At the end of the day, a Honeycrisp apple tastes just as good when it's displayed in the box it arrived in or in a fancy shelving unit.

Limited Varieties, Big Savings

Some grocery stores carry anywhere from 4 to 10 brands of each item. Aldi’s motto is less is more. By keeping a smaller footprint and less variety, the store is able to operate efficiently and keep prices low.

House Brands are Hugely Popular

Some of the store’s most popular products include those from its house brands like Baker's Treat, Happy Farms, Breakfast Best, Simply Nature, and Specially Selected. Products from these brands that shoppers especially love include Clancy’s potato chips, Mama Cozzi’s frozen Italian pizzas, Barrissimo iced coffee, and Berryhill’s hazelnut spread.

There are Housewares

While food and drink is Aldi’s bread and butter, many stores also sell some kitchen staples and household goods. These include a $25 dupe of the Always Pan, known as the Awesome Pan. Additionally, the store sells select decorative items like candles from Huntington Home.

You Can’t Jam Out While You Shop

While some grocery stores have music blasting through the aisles, Aldi’s vibe is very quiet. Again, the idea is to keep overhead costs low instead of paying licensing fees to broadcast pop hits. If you know you like to shop to a soundtrack, bring headphones and cue up a playlist or podcast before you arrive.

You Need a Quarter for a Cart

If you plan to shop with a cart, you'll need a quarter to use one for the duration of your trip. When you return it, you'll get the quarter back. This process means Aldi doesn't pay for employees to wrangle carts, another step in its mission to keep overhead low.

Bring Your Own Bags

Many grocery stores have plastic or paper shopping bags available by the registers, but Aldi doesn't offer any single-use bags. Bring your own reusable shopping bags, or plan to buy some at the store.

You Don't Have All Day

Nearly every Aldi location is open for 11 hours or less. According to the company, this too is part of its mission to keep operational costs low so savings trickle down to shoppers.

Related Links:

The Top 25 Groceries You Should Always Buy at Aldi

10 Best Kirkland Signature Products to Buy at Costco

The 13 Groceries You Should Always Buy at Publix