Aldi has more than 10,000 stores in around 20 countries. The supermarket chain is popular because of the competitive prices it offers on almost all things. Everyone shops at Aldi! You must have done it at some point in time as well, right? However, there is some shocking news you might want to learn about that chain.
Aldi’s popularity comes with its own set of secrets, and it is time to look behind the shelves to unravel some. Make sure to read about all of them before planning your next shopping.
Reason behind they keep the boxes
While browsing through the aisles in an Aldi store, you might have noticed that there are empty boxes placed on the shelves too. Those empty boxes provide the store with a Costco vibe but there’s a logical secret behind the management doing so.
It has absolutely nothing to do with the employees being lazy. Instead, if you think about it in that way, it is a rather tactical solution to stop spending a considerable amount of time as well as money on presentation. In a mysterious way, it also optimizes productivity.
Very little staff
Aldi’s stores offer some of the best prices you can find when it comes to supermarket chains. To achieve low prices, several cost-cutting measures are deployed. And that includes keeping the staff to a bare minimum.
This is also one of the prime reasons why they also keep the boxes on shelves too. By hiring fewer people to do the job, Aldi can afford to offer some of the best prices in the market. But it also has its flip side, just like every other thing. You will get to know about it in the next few slides
The staff isn’t necessarily overjoyed about it
Like we mentioned earlier, to bring the costs down, Aldi doesn’t have a lot of employees under its wings but it has one big disadvantage associated with it. Since there aren’t many employees looking after the operations, things do get a little stressful at times.
Each one of them has been assigned more responsibilities and at the same time, they have to do a lot more in the given time. However, it has been reported that paydays, benefits, and opportunities are good.
Perfect setup for fast check out
Grocery shopping might be fun at times but that fun soon goes to trash when you have to stand in long queues, waiting for your turn to check out. Unlike stores like Whole Foods that work towards creating a special shopping experience, Aldi focuses on more crucial things like fast check out for customers.
They want people to get in, get out, and get home as quickly as possible. This has been achieved by implementing various techniques such as the perfect length of conveyor belts and multiple barcodes.
As cheap as they claim?
Aldi has built quite some reputation for itself and the major chunk of its overall popularity has to be credited for its low prices. And this is no scam because compared to its competitors, Aldi does have lesser prices but when you factor in the overall difference, it is not as high as Aldi claims.
We have to blame their marketing efforts. But instead of blame, we are going to choose the term ‘credit’ because it is certainly working in their favor, isn't it? Well, that’s exactly what a company wants from its marketing team, right?
Reason behind charging a deposit to use their carts
If you go to an Aldi store, you might find it a little weird that they charge a deposit amount to use their carts. But when you really put your head into decoding why they do what they do, it doesn’t sound weird or illogical. In fact, it is smart practice! When Aldi asks for a deposit amount to use their carts, it binds people or shoppers to return their cart.
And when this happens, Aldi doesn’t have to pay an employee to do it. So basically, it does have to do with money but in this case, it is not your quarter!
Crazy return policy
In this day and age, customer satisfaction has become the prime goal for any organization. And a firm as big as Aldi doesn’t want to compromise on this front either as they don’t do a money-back guarantee, they do a Double Guarantee.
Yes, you read that right! So if there is something that you don’t like, you can return the remaining portion and guess what? The store will replace the said item and moreover, will reimburse you for it! Now that is some pretty insane quality assurance!
Open only during peak hours
Most stores in the US do 24/7 shifts but Aldi is a major exception in this regard. Once again, it all comes down to overall efficiency and saving money ( making money in Aldi’s case.) The prime reason behind this practice is, if they keep their stores open 24/7, they will have to pay the staff full money, despite there being an empty store at around 2 AM in the morning.
This is why you would find most Aldi stores opening from 9 AM and closing till 8 or 9 PM in the night. Surprising, isn't it? Well, we have more!
Winning major awards
The general consensus regarding things that are cheap or affordable is that they lack in quality as well. People used to think the same about Aldi’s low prices as well, that the store must be offering below-par products at a cheap rate but the corporation later, gained numerous awards to prove that people are wrong.
They have 25 medals in the Grocer Food and Drink Own Label Awards, Aldi placed second in the International Wine Challenge for rose wines in a blind taste test. They also scored some top honors at the International Spirits Challenge!
Home delivery, anyone?
Technological advancements have made our life so much easier. Our lifestyle 10 years ago might seem archaic now and that is how much we have advanced in recent years.
One of the major takeaways from this paradigm shift is the option of getting everything delivered right at your doorstep! Aldi too started home delivery programs in cities like Dallas, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Customers living in these cities can order their groceries through Instacart and have them delivered to their door.
The controversial bread-on-demand machines
Technology might be a boon in almost every aspect but it does bring with it its own set of challenges. Back in November 2010, technological innovation in German Aldi stores became the talk of the town. They started offering made-to-order freshly baked rolls in a matter of seconds.
This was achieved by their in-store baking machine. It didn’t take much long for the German Bakers’ Confederation to take it personally. The whole thing even went to court and guess what? Aldi’s team of lawyers and attorneys denied the court the right to inspect the machines and the raw dough.
Two different Aldis
Not many people know this but the Aldi banner is actually divided into two different corporations. The two different corporations are duly called Nord and Süd. The reason behind the splitting is quite interesting too!
In the 1960s, the two founders couldn’t agree on selling cigarettes or not so they simply agreed upon splitting the company. Süd‘s logo is orange and blue while Nord’s logo is blue. The southern Aldi is considered to be a bit fancier comparatively.
No artificial colours, hydrogenated oils and MSG
Gone are the days when the customer used to live a delusional life when a customer used to believe everything which the manufacturer claimed. Not only modern-day customers have become more vigilant but at the same time, they have also become more health-conscious.
To please the new-age customer base, Aldi has removed questionable ingredients from their name brand products. But still, you shouldn’t cancel your health insurance. Just saying!
Trader’s Joe’s and Aldi
We have already established that Aldi used to have two verticals: Nord and Süd. In the United States, Aldi Süd is simply known as Aldi but on the other hand, Aldi Nord operates as… Trader Joe’s.
For those of you who are wondering, Trader Joe’s is basically an Americanized version of Aldi. Managed by businessman Theo Albrecht, he is also the manager of Aldi Nord. Now the definite lack of advertising and emphasis on private labelling, all makes sense, doesn’t it?
Get your groceries at Kohl’s
Two giants coming together and joining forces is the ultimate treat for any consumer and be it any department or field! The same is the case if you want to shop for groceries and save time as well because Kohl’s has made it official that it will be subletting space in their stores to Aldi.
It is such a great way to save time and shop for everything in one place. They say time is money but when it comes to this collaboration not only will you be saving money but you’ll be saving time as well.
Insane product test process
Aldi pays special focus on its quality assurance and consumer satisfaction. To make sure that their products are up to the mark when it comes to overall quality, they go through rigorous testing.
To give you an example, their test kitchens have very strict policies and each of their products is tested 30 times before it makes it in the store. Aldi doesn’t stop at this as they also re-test at least once a year and moreover, they also test their products every time one of their competitors launches a similar product.
All about verzicht
There isn’t any direct English translation of the word so don’t fret about it but the word simply means a combination of “doing without” and “giving up.” To convey in layman’s terms, it’s all about simplicity and thriftiness.
Although no Aldi employee is allowed to talk to the media, recently a regional manager published a book. The book revealed Aldi’s business plan and that basically revolves around keeping things simple. Their prime focus is to set a goal and get rid of everything else.
Wednesday morning is the best!
If you are planning to go to an Aldi store, we suggest that you go on a Wednesday morning as it is Aldi Finds day. What this basically means is, as soon as the store opens, employees neatly place seasonal products on the shelves and that too, at very advantageous prices! The products can range from patio furniture to a fresh rack of lamb.
Since the demand for such products is generally high, it is essential to get to Aldi early in the day. Because once the quantities are sold out, restocking is out of the question.
Announcements on their website
Renowned for its low prices every day of the year, Aldi took it a notch above with their “Weekly Specials” tab on their website. Just by visiting their website regularly, you could save even more money! After clicking the tab, select your store to make sure you don’t miss out on any discounts.
That is not all which the website packs in as it also gets a “Corporate Info” section where you can access Aldi’s entire Corporate Responsibility Policy. The transparent company, anyone?
Specialization in offering private label brands
As you might know, most stores have their own private label. This allows them to offer even cheaper quality products. How could a chain like Aldo miss out on such initiatives as it has sort of becoming the kingpin of private labels?
While other chains are satisfied with just one private label, Aldi boasts of more than 10 labels and that accounts for 90% of the products they sell! These private labels include LiveGFree, Oven Frech, Casa Mamita, Mama Cozzi and Never Any!
Get your money back on your purchases
While several stores do business with the Ibotta cash-back application, the same is not the case with Aldi. However, that doesn’t translate to the fact that it’s impossible to get cashback while shopping there! Aldi has joined forces with Checkout51. Checkout51 is a cashback application that works the same way Ibotta does.
What you need to do is, simply download the application, save your favorite offers on your shopping list, then download a copy of your invoice, and boom, there comes your discount!
Buying advice from employees
What is pretty obvious is that Aldi’s employees work at this store but that’s not the only job that they perform. Since most of them are also customers of the chain, they obviously know the products even better.
Certainly better than a simple employee who is not a seasoned consumer. So the next time you are hesitating to buy something, we suggest that you find employees and ask them what they think because no one is in a better position than the employees to advise you on the products sold at Aldi.
Giving it back to the community
We are all rational enough to acknowledge the fact that food waste is a huge scourge of society. A huge amount of food goes to waste, especially in restaurants and grocery stores but Aldi sits on the different end of the table as it does not contribute to this scourge!
Aldi is in partnership with the non-profit organization Feeding America. Under this partnership, Aldi donates the leftover food that has not been sold. It is such a nice gesture!
Surprising products on sale
Apart from selling products that we all know, need, and consume, Aldi also sells products that we didn’t even know existed! Take the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix for instance.
It is also one of Aldi employees’ favorite products. Also, what is worth knowing is a divine Funnel Cake Kit with a pitcher pouring spout.
Screw reusable bags, Aldi has boxes for you!
For the collective good of the environment, the use of plastic bags is now banned or restricted in many places. We must, therefore, remember to bring our reusable bags if we don’t want to pay extra, whenever we are out shopping.
But what if you forget? Fret not! At Aldi’s, you might have seen empty cardboard boxes that are often lying around the store. Any customer in the store can take them to put their purchases in because these are the boxes used in past shipments.
New plastic bag strategy
Aldi has banned plastic bags from its stores since February 24, 2020. It is pretty obvious that the company takes the environmental and climate issues to heart. Aldi also tries as much as possible to promote recycling and reusable bags.
Talking about the progress, it is basically a trial run in 100 stores across the Midlands. If you are wondering, Aldi, will continue to offer its low-cost compostable bags. Still, at the same time, it will also encourage the purchase of reusable fruit and vegetable bags, reusable drawstring produce bags, and Flexi-loop bags for life.
Packing your groceries for yourself
While in almost all the stores, packers put your products in your bags for you but Aldi works in a different manner in this regard as well. Aldi doesn’t offer this kind of service and you have to pack your purchases yourself.
To speed up the packing process, almost all the stores have a packing area. In these specified areas, you can take as much time as you want to pack your purchases before you leave. So, how did you like this article? Don't forget to comment down below!