This past week I got the unique opportunity to step behind the scenes and find out more about Aldi Supermarket and the products that they offer their customer. As a longtime fan of the grocery retailer, I could not wait to see how this company operated and, frankly, how in the world they can offer food for such a low price.
During the trip I got to do a wine and cheese tasting, got a grocery store tour to learn more about how their stores were set up, and then I got to participate in a blind taste-testing of the products to see how they compared with other national brands. There was truly not a single element of this trip that I was not fascinated with.
The first question on everyone’s mind was how do they get their prices so low?
This is an answer that we were told would take years to explain, but the main points all pointed to simple cost-cutting measures, employee training that goes beyond other grocery stores, a limited selection of items, smart store design, and in-house private labels. The savings are in the big things like having baking items on pallets and dairy items on rolling carts so the employees don’t need to stock shelves and then are reflected in the smaller things like the quarter deposit for your cart and bagging those groceries yourself.
All of these little and big things translate into great prices for their customers.
If you have ever stood in a line at Aldi, one thing you will see is that these cashiers work at lightning speed and can wait on customers quicker than any other store I have ever been to. You may not know it, but Aldi offers smart packaging that can speed up your wait time at their store. In this picture is a single bag of chips, simply held at all different angles. Practically every corner of their bags and boxes have a UPC code that can make scanning your items that much faster. Go ahead and take a peek in your pantry at your Aldi items and you will see it too. It is one of those things that you may have never noticed, but translates into saving time for you.
The typical Aldi store only has between 6-8 employees and it is common for their employees to celebrate 15, 20, or 25 years of service. They pay their employees significantly higher than the national average and with 20 hours a week, they give their employees full health insurance benefits. Employees go through extensive training and they do everything from putting out the new pallets of food to ringing up the customers to tidying the store. It is this efficiency and the smaller pay rolls that translate into big savings for their customers.
Perhaps, the most surprising thing for me was discovering the amazing wine selection that Aldi offers. I admitted that I walked by the wine section of the store because the low prices on the bottles made me question the quality of the wine. I will never look at their wine section the same again after their wine tasting. Don’t believe me? Aldi has received many awards and accolades for their wines.
Here are just a few of the accolades that Aldi has received. Did I mention these bottles are all under $6?
Wine Spectator
Sunshine Bay 2009 Marlborough (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc
Best Values Award
Received 85 points
2009 Gonfalone (Italy) Chianti
Received 85 points
Beverage Testing Institute
Landshut (Germany) Riesling Mosel 2010
2010 World Value Wine Challenge- Top 10 White Wine $8 and Under Exceptional Value
World Wine Championships Award Silver Medal (2009)
Landshut (Germany) Sweet Red Rheinhessen 2010
World Value Wine Challenge- Top Dessert Wine $8 and Under Best Value German Dessert Wine
World Wine Championships Award Silver Medal (2009)
Toca Diamonte (Argentina) Malbec Mendoza 2009
World Wine Championships Award Bronze Medal
2009 Gonfalone (Italy) Chianti
World Wine Championships Award Bronze Medal
Of those wines that I sampled, I fell in love with the Sunshine Bay 2009 Marlborough (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc, the 2009 Gonfalone (Italy) Chianti, the Toca Diamonte (Argentina) Malbec Mendoza 2009, and the Landshut (Germany) Sweet Red Rheinhessen 2010. Most of the bottles were $4.99, which make them quite affordable both for entertaining and for giving around the holiday season.
We paired these wines with some of Aldi’s cheese offerings which included a delicious goat cheese, a Havarti cheese, and Brie cheese. All of the cheeses were equally delicious and I am looking forward to offering these with these wines around the holidays.
I am a longtime customer and super fan of the products that Aldi offers, but the blind taste test that I participated in surprised even a super fan like me. Aldi is challenging shoppers to switch from national brands to their private label Aldi brand for the holidays, to save their families up to fifty percent on their shopping.
We sampled many items from their holiday line and compared them to the national brands. Even though I love Aldi, I can be a bit of a food snob when it comes to certain foods like high quality cheeses and meats.
When we taste tested Tyson chicken versus Aldi chicken, I truly loved the Aldi brand better. I knew the meat that I had tasted must have been the Tyson meat, but I was dead wrong. It goes to show that sometimes we are just conditioned to believe one brand is better than the other.
Another surprise was the difference between Mrs. Smith’s apple pie versus the Aldi Belmont Deep Dish Apple Pie. The Aldi pie is pictured on the right and you can tell just by looking at the bottom of the crust that the pie cooked and browned more evenly. The difference in the taste was significant and the price was 28% lower.
Even being the Aldi fan girl that I am, I came away feeling validated that the choice that I had made to shop at the store, out of necessity due to the financial strain we had been under, for our family was a good one. The cost-cutting measures of the store do not cost-cut on the bottom line of the quality of the items in the store. In fact, the company does their best to offer a better product that the name brand. After doing this blind taste-testing, I believe they have exceeded the standard.
If you haven’t checked out the store before, you really are missing out on so much. I can feed my family of four for $220 for three weeks by shopping there. I do not clip coupons. I do 95% of my shopping at this store. I am rarely disappointed in the quality. If I ever was disappointed though, they offer a double guarantee and I could bring the item back for a refund and get it replaced. I don’t know very many places that offer that to their customers.
If you want to learn more about shopping at the store, I have several resources that you can check out on the site:
If I was a fan girl of Aldi before, this trip took it to another level for me. I can confidently say that this store is THE place for families on a budget. I promise, you will not be disappointed.
Let’s talk! Have you shopped at Aldi Supermarket before? Did anything surprise you about the behind the scenes look? What is your favorite item to buy at the store? Please share!
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I tend to go for items that have whole grains, evaporated cane juice instead of white sugar, less preservatives and artificial ingredients, and no artificial dyes. This adds to the price. Does Aldi have an organic line or choices like these?
And I’m totally curious to try the Malbec!
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Amy Reply:
October 18th, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Leighann- They offer loads whole foods and whole grain choices like whole grain breads, brown rice, brown pasta. I buy all of my fish, dairy, whole grain breads, and fruits & vegetables from them. They do not have a lot of organic choices and items like cane juice just because the store only stocks 1,400 items in the entire store and they try to offer what would sell well to their customers. I really pushed and asked for whole grain flour though- I would really like this to be an option since I have to make a trip to another store to purchase it. And the Malbec is DIVINE!
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I love Aldi! I buy all the regular staples there, but a few things stand out to me. Their chocolate bars (Dark, Milk, etc.) are better than any other brand (That includes Trader Joe’s and Lindt) and their cheeses and hummus are awesome too! Their produce is the one area that does not impress me except for one item – zucchini. You get three nice zucchini in a package for a very cheap price, rather than paying a high price for one little skimpy one at a regular store. I wish they had better produce, but it may just depend on the store or the area of the country you live in.
Christine in Ohio
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Amy Reply:
October 18th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
I also asked about the produce, Christine. Each store has a division (head store) that handles the produce for each division. That division manager handles the purchasing of the produce from farmers close to their area who supply that particular store with the produce. We live in South Bend, but our produce comes from Valpo. If there is ever any recall on produce, they know exactly who to contact (which farmer) and where it came from (which tree, crop, etc…) They do their best to offer good produce options and deliveries are made daily to stores. If you get something and it isn’t good, be sure to let them know and they will replace the item and give you your money back. Just like any store though, I try to buy what is fresh seasonally because no matter what store I shop in, if I buy out of season it just isn’t good. I hope that helps a little bit! PS- Love the chocolate too!
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Criss Reply:
October 18th, 2011 at 12:35 pm
Christine, Aldi’s produce can be hit or miss. What I did was visit on different days of the week until I figured out which day of the week they had their produce delivery. (They wouldn’t straight up tell me.) Better selection and much fresher!
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Ann Reply:
April 11th, 2012 at 1:53 pm
They would not tell you because they cannot. Some stores get a produce load in every day, other stores every other (not every Monday, Wednesday etc. but literary every other day, which means the days are opposite every week and days such as holidays change the schedule), and sometimes there are a few days on a month where stores are not scheduled to receive a load at all.
The stores are stocked in the morning before the store opens though, so the earlier you get there the better the selection will be.
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We love Aldi here! While I wish they offered their natural applesauce and other natural options year round (not just a special buy), over all I am always happy with their options. We love their buckets of ice cream, the fudge swirl being a family favorite. I buy their romaine lettuce and keep it in mason jars, so we always have fresh lettuce from them.
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Amy Reply:
October 18th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
I asked about that too, Alli. We found out that sometimes they offer natural options on a special buy to see how to sells and if it is a viable option to carry it in the store year round. If those items sell really well than they may consider adding it to their portfolio of products. Keep buying it and maybe someday they will carry it all the time!
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I love love love Aldi ……great post!!
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Amy Reply:
October 18th, 2011 at 12:29 pm
Thank you so much, Autumn! I love it too!
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Amy -
I haven’t shopped at Aldi’s in over 15 years, but your behind the scenes post has made me want to go back and see what they have to offer. Thanks for sharing.
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Amy Reply:
October 18th, 2011 at 12:29 pm
Susan- If you haven’t been in 15 years, I think you will be surprised how much it has changed (both the brand and the quality). I was hesitant to shop there at first, but now I can’t imagine shopping anywhere else. Let me know if you check it out- I think you will be surprised at the value!
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Can you believe I still haven’t tried Aldi? THIS IS THE WEEK. Thanks for the run-down on your visit. I’m definitely going to buy a few bottles of wine for entertaining!
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Amy Reply:
October 18th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Let me know if you need a tour guide, Nancy!! Pick up some of their Greek yogurt while you are there. It is my new favorite thing
xo
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Amy, Aldi is what led me to you.
My husband was laid off about a year ago, so we started really looking for ways to cut cost. He suggested we try Aldi, so we did. I don’t remember what I “googled”, but I know it included Aldi and it led me to your site. I quickly printed out your month of meals and shopping list. We tried several of your recipes and been very pleased! I haven’t been brave enough to try the dishwasher fish yet – but, truth be told, I’m not a huge fish fan to begin with. 
I love reading your blog. And one of the first things I do on Friday is check for your “what are you reading” post on facebook. I’ve gotten some great suggestions there.
Thanks for sharing your behind the scenes. I can’t wait to show it to my husband!
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Amy Reply:
October 18th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
Oh, I love that you found me because of Aldi. I need to pitch myself for a job over there
As for the dishwasher salmon, I leave it on the menu planner because it is so funny to see how many people google search how to do it and we get some traffic from it. I saw it on Food Network once and thought it was pretty genius 
I am so glad you like our reading round-up and the site- it means so much!! xo
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I shopped at Aldi when we lived in michigan for a short time and fell in love with the store. How I wish they would open stores in Nevada or California now that I am back west.
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Amy Reply:
October 18th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
It sounds like they are expanding pretty rapidly. They opened 81 new stores in 2011 alone. Hopefully they will have one near you very soon!
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I grew up on Aldi and I never liked the taste of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup or Kraft mac n cheese because of it! I have slowly converted DH over, and now he insists we only buy milk from Aldi because they specifically point out there are no growth hormones. It is actually tough to find that at our other area stores! I don’t agree that produce is delivered every day, you really need to watch and find out when they get deliveries.
One thing I’d ask is why the mixed cases of things – that means that sometimes you’ll want vanilla frosting and they only have cream cheese frosting because it sells slower. And why did they do away with the Fit n Active Mayo??
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Amy Reply:
October 18th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
I was told that if items don’t sell well, they don’t keep them stocked. Not sure if the mayo did not sell well there or what. I am sure they will be reading these comments though, Helen, as I just sent them the link to my post so thanks for sharing and asking these questions!
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Hi Amy! I wanted to tell you it was because of you I was willing to try Aldi also. I was really into clipping coupons and doing that whole thing until Baby #3 came along. I was struggling to find time for anything! They opened a new Aldi only 2 miles from our house so I pulled up your blog to see what to buy. Aldi has saved our family so much money and my time and sanity! I am continually amazed how I walk out with SO many groceries and it is usually under $50, for almost a cart full!
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Amy Reply:
October 18th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
I am so glad you gave it a chance, Becky! It is amazing how much you can get for your money there especially when I compare it to our neighborhood stores and how much I push out of there for the same amount of money! So glad that this has been a good option for your family and I love that you don’t have to coupon clip to get the savings. It saves me a ton of time!
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we like aldi’s their produce doesn’t last as long as a regular grocery store. I do wish they offered more vegetarian/vegan options but they are getting there.
hope they carry whole wheat flour! I also wish they carried more dried bean varieties.
great post! do you still shop there I noticed you don’t post the menu plans and stuff anymore.
on a side note we made a fun halloween ispy bottle you might like to do with your kids: http://lettersnumbersandbooksohmy.blogspot.com/2011/10/halloween-i-spy-bottle-and-our-favorite.html
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Amy Reply:
October 18th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
I do shop there still and then supplement what I can’t find there at Walmart. I had stopped doing the menu planners because of how time consuming they were, but we were thinking of offering them again and starting a newsletter with these that would be emailed to our subscribers. My husband just got done designing a newsletter for the site and now the work for me will begin on that project. Let us know if you are interested in this option for your families still! Thank you so much for sharing your I Spy bottles too- too cute!!
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Peace Love and Rainbows Reply:
October 18th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
very interested!
thanks for all your work. my blog is no where near as big as yours and it is some work so I can’t imagine how much work yours is.
love it and been a reader for a long time.
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I grew up with Aldi in Austria.There it’s called “Hofer”.I always thought that is was a store for the poor and hated it when my parents would buy stuff there. Anyways, now that I am grown, married an American and moved over here and have my own family we really need to live on a budget system. We also lived overseas and I fell completely in love with the Aldi in the UK. Especially since they carried a great variety on German and Italian style deli meats. I was in heaven. Now that we are back I was thrilled to learn that the area where we live in now has an Aldi too – unfortunately none of that wonderful German and Italian ham deli meat like in the UK but there is other things that I really have enjoyed. Even though they don’t take credit card, I still go there and make sure I’ve got enough cash in my debit account. But the thing is, my cart is full and yet I still don’t pay over $100 for what’s in there. That is always such a blessed shock for me. I love going to Aldi and know that it helps my family with our finances. Oh, what surprised me even more, was when I bought the carton of eggs, opened it and found the verse of Psalms 118:24 – I loved it. Not sure if you noticed that. Anyways, thanks for your great article. Really enjoyed it.
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What a great peek inside one of my fave stores! I would have never thought to try their pies and such before so thank you for touching on that. My hubby loves their brand of salsa! I have never tried their cheeses before…will have to give those a try. One thing i did not prefer over name brand was their raisin bread. It just had a funny flavor and aftertaste so i went back to pepperidge farm. I also wish they had a loaf of bread that did not have high fructose corn syrup in it. Overall however, i will be trying to do most, if not all, of my holiday shopping there! I also love their seasonal non-food items like home wares and toys! Such a great value! Thanks Amy for the inside look! I envy you for being able to have that opp!
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I love Aldi, and because of your website I actually decided to start going there. Aldi was new here in Tulsa, and I had never heard of it. I thought it was a health food store, until I saw your website. I finally went in and I love it. The quality is always the best, and although there are times I don’t like the taste of something over another brand, it never has to do with their quality. I have to drive over 30 minutes to go there, but I love going there. My only wish is that they would build one on my side of town!!
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I am also and Aldi fan. I had trouble with their canned green beans one time. They just tasted bitter. I wrote to the company and they stood behind their double guarantee. They refunded my money and replaced the product. I also feel confident that they were going to look into the issue to resolve it. I’m curious about others who attended this event and if any of them were not previously Aldi fans and may have been “converted”?
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So glad they invited you for a tour! You are Aldi’s best “unofficial spokeswoman” and I’ve discovered some yummy products there thanks to you, Amy.
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This was so interesting, Amy! I would be love a tour like that, too.
We don’t live anywhere near an Aldi, but I always have a shopping list when we visit relatives in Kansas City.
Overall, I’ve been very impressed. I did purchase their hummus this past time, and was not a fan. But it will be months before I’m near another store, so I’ll just have to let it go.
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I’ve been a huge Aldi fan for at least 15 yrs now. I love the employees at my local store. They are so friendly & helpful. I’m glad to hear they pay them well because they work very hard.
Very interesting article.
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Thanks for this behind-the-scenes look, Amy – great article and photos! I’ve been preaching the Aldi gospel to friends and family for YEARS; it seems some people get it, and some people don’t. To spread the word, I recently started my own blog about Aldi where I review the products – I don’t do so much with the week-to-week price comparisons, others already do that very well. I agree that in almost every case, the Aldi products compare VERY well with the national brands, and they’re getting better all the time. How cool that you had the opportunity to visit and get the “grand tour”. Aldi is doing so many things right these days!
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Ahh I SOOOO wish we had an Aldi up here where I live!
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Very nice post! I love Aldi as well, and where we live, we’ve been very happy with their produce. We rarely have any trouble with it. I did not care for their breaded fish, they were very skinny and very little fish in each. We love the “real” fish fillets, though. I also absolutely LOVE their high quality chocolates, it’s truly the real thing, very good stuff!
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LOVE Aldi!!! Absolutely love the Sunshine Bay Sauvignon Blanc…..& I am a wine snob…..traveled quite a bit,all over the world,this seriously is fantastic wine….the Chianti is also very good……so is the coffee,the wild caught salmon fillets(@$4.99 a bag) no less,some of the very best tomatoes you will ever taste,even in the winter……i could go on & on &on……..I too was a little weirded out the 1st time I shopped there,but I got over that real fast…they offer an excellent product!
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I have been a huge Aldi fan for a couple of years now. I especially like their Fit & Active line of items. The frozen chocolate bars are as good as Weight Watchers and 40% less costly than some other chain stores. Other favorites are their healthy cereals and the prepared guacamole – fantastic. Have enjoyed many of their wines, especially the Chiante, Malbec and Pinot Grigio. Now that I am retired, Aldi’s is my go-to grocery store, and I don’t feel I am getting anything other than great quality items. My mother-in-law was visiting from out of state recently and went to the store with me. She could hardly believe the prices and, after trying the items over a couple of weeks, was impressed with the quality as well.
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My husbands favorite wine is the Landshut Reisling! LOL! I’m definitely going to try the Sunshine Bay Sauvingon Blanc, it sounds delightful. I’m also pleased to hear about the cheese quality, I have a 15 year old sone that is a real cheese afficianado, and I have pondered trying their more gourmet offerings for him. He’s into goats milk and sheeps milk cheeses, never the orange stuff! LOL!
Aldi is actually the closest grocery store to my house, though I admit that I haven’t stopped there as much lately, for whatever reason. Probably because I know it’s not ever a one stop shop for me, I always have to pick up something somewhere else. Still, I’m throwing money away by not making it my first stop to get basic things like eggs, milk, sour cream, etc. It isn’t the special occasion stuff that breaks the bank, is it? It’s the every day things that have gone up sometimes 50% in cost that busts the budget! Thanks for the nudge to get back to my more frugal habits!
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Amy Reply:
September 19th, 2012 at 11:54 am
Too funny about the Reisling! They had a wine out for awhile called the Grate Red Wine that we were loving this summer with our grilled meats.
I totally understand about the multiple trips. I feel so guilty though when I shop anywhere else because I am constantly thinking about how much cheaper it would have been at ALDI. It is my own guilt that keeps me from going anywhere else- ha!
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Bobbijo Reply:
December 20th, 2012 at 5:51 pm
Haha agree in the guilt thing, I almost refuse to go anywhere else aside for dog food and boars head , it’s Aldi for me
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I shop at Aldi all the time. Great buys. I recently tryed the Belmont deep dish apple pie. It was so good I an telling all my family & friends about it.
Chuck from Wi.
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I LOVE Aldi, I save so much money, every time I go to target, leave with 2 bags and an $80.00 bill my daughter always points out how we get double for half price at Aldi. This very morning my son saw the Aldi receipt on the table during breakfast and said, how did you get all this stuff for $40.00??? I tell everyone to shop at Aldi. For the most part their food is usually better than name brand if not exactly the same, of all the products I have tried only one I wouldn’t buy there, iced tea mix. It is just a taste preference, I didn’t like it. Otherwise, Aldi is da bomb!
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I am hooked on the Belmont Deep Dish Pies. They are beautiful and taste just like homemade, i have bought and served over ten this year alone and it’s only January 10th. I sometimes cook them at 1 o’clock in the morning if I get a craving. I wonder if you ever have any besides Apple and Berry? The crusts are awesome!
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