Aldi - The No-Frills Grocery Store Experience
The discount supermarket aldi operates a global network of more than 10,000 stores and has earned a reputation as one of the most efficient, no-frills grocery chains around. Unlike most chain supermarkets, aldi emphasizes volume purchasing of the items its customers want and keeps prices low by skipping expensive features like delis, pharmacies and bakeries. It also uses its own store analytics to keep tabs on customer behavior and product popularity and then tailors the products on its shelves accordingly. Ninety percent of its offerings are exclusive brands that are sold exclusively at aldi.
Novice shoppers to the store might think the aldi experience is a bit chaotic and random. After all, there is an r/aldi subreddit with 2.5 million members, 3 million members on the very active Aldi Aisle of Shame Facebook page and a slew of TikToks with the #aldiaisleofshame hashtag. But in reality, it’s all part of the plan. The aldi experience is meant to be fun, and the center aisle of most aldi stores is filled with a rotating selection of foods, beverages and household items that have either gone viral or are simply very unusual.
Aldi’s unique shopping experience is not only good for shoppers’ wallets but for the environment as well, because fewer trucks are needed to transport goods from warehouse to store. The company also avoids a costly deli, pharmacy and bakery, instead offering these services through online ordering or at their own online-only stores. The no-frills approach cuts down on overhead costs and enables the retailer to pass those savings on to its customers.
Besides selling its own brand products, aldi stocks popular name-brand items that are typically found at other retailers. That’s especially true of wines, as 9 out of 10 bottles that you’ll find at aldi cost less than $10. The company also carries its own private-label wines, such as the Elementalist Pinot Grigio and Dancing Flame Red Blend.
The chain also stocks a lot of specialty German foods you won’t find at most American supermarkets. This includes flavored spaetzles (sold under the Deutsche Kuche label), apple strudel, German-style pretzels and many more unique snacks that skip the dreary chips and pretzels route. Aldi has even branched out into offering its own brand of Girl Scout cookies, branded as Benton’s Samoas and Thin Mints, in response to popular demand.
As the economy continues to grow, expect more discount grocers, such as aldi, to disrupt larger grocers with their no-frills approach to retailing. As smaller regional supermarket chains shutter and fewer people shop at traditional grocery stores, there’s plenty of room for the likes of aldi and Lidl to take market share from bigger retailers by offering better prices on high-quality basics. In fact, analysts predict that in 2023 alone, both aldi and Lidl could see sales increase by an estimated $50 billion.