Aldi isn’t your traditional supermarket.
Shoppers bag their own groceries, and employees don’t spend much time restocking.
Stores are relatively small and you may not recognize many of the brands unless you’re a regular.
With all this growth, you might be wondering how the German-based grocer manages to keep its pricesso low.
Well, much of it is a result of Aldi’s shoestring operation, which we’ll get into.
So let’s break it down and see exactly how Aldi keeps its prices so low.
But don’t worry about losing your money.
Yet and still, Aldi has never wavered from the quarter-cart model.
Subsequently, the chain doesn’t need to hire as many cashiers.
So, how exactly do you bag your own groceries at Aldi?
Not to mention, it also saves you time.
“Those lines fly.
You’re not waiting for people to bag.
They’re not messing around there,” Baltimore-based food writer Allison Robicelli told CNN.
You probably won’t see an employee taking calls, either.
It may not look as pretty, but Aldi and its customers save some coin thanks to this practice.
“People love saving money on staples,” he further acknowledged at anindustry conferencein 2019.
If boxes are what help you do that, then so be it, right?
It’s all in Aldi’s business strategy.
“I’m a busy mom.
“I can get in and out of an Aldi in no time.
I’m not sifting through 50 different varieties of salsa.”
Aldi has solar panels installed at stores and warehouses and has stores equipped with LED lighting and sustainable refrigeration.
Aldi is big on solar energy.
The grocery chain is also big on reducing plastic.
“Aldi has never offered single-use plastic shopping bags.
Aldi has also saved money on shopping bags as theychargecustomers for bags and encourage them to bring their own.
But unlike some other grocers, Aldi doesn’t want to spend money for a third-party licensed music service.
“People are there to save as much money on essentials as possible, period,” McGrath added.
And music would essentially take some of that away from customers.
So if you’re looking for music during your shopping trip, better pop in those earbuds.
Even if you’re into name brands, these private-label products aren’t really all that different.
“They’re absolutely recognizing they can get great quality product at a great price.”
However, Aldi isn’t alone in this.
Other grocers like Costco have also found success with their private-label brands, according to CNN.
But how do you know a product is locally sourced?
Every item that comes from a local farmer is marked with a “locally grown” logo.
you’re able to even find locally-sourced craftbeer,bread, andmeatat Aldi stores.
Buying local is both good for the planet and good for your wallet.
This is a win-win for the grocer and its customers.
John Karolefski, editor ofGrocery Stories, told CNBC that Aldi delivers on both.
