Aldi Can Shave 40% off Your Grocery Bill

Does it matter where you shop? Since the 1970s, a German grocer called Aldi has been

in America, at first in a few communities and now in 31 states. Aldi recently even opened

its first store in New York City!

 

Shoppers can save up to 40% off traditional supermarket prices at Aldi. But beware that

there are tradeoffs for that savings:

 

Are you really saving at your local Aldi store? You rent the cart, you have a tiny selection

per product and bag your own items. Aldis is not know for their big selections. So yes you

have a trade-off as compared to your local competition like Wal-mart. Lets not forget the

sometimes lousy and lazy customer service. Some of the Aldis I have been into, the check

out lanes cashiers are not friendly. 

 

Small stores. Aldi stores are about the size of a neighborhood chain drugstore with small aisles.

Less real estate means less overhead and more savings for you.

 

Focus on private labels. There's only a tiny selection of products because of the emphasis on store brands. You don't have 10 kinds of butter, for example. There may only be 1 or 2 kinds available. Forget about the paradox of choice.

No bags, but there are cart rentals. There are no grocery bags and you do have to rent the cart for 25 cents which you get back once you return the cart which reduces the cost of paying someone to chase carts in the parking lot and reduces accidents to vehicles in the parking lot.  Many Aldi location only accept cash because of the costs of the credit card machine which can drive up the cost quickly for businesses. In order for many locations to lower costs like some Aldi's location, they only accept cash-limited payment options. 

 

Personally I have been to Aldis twice and did not like to selected of the store. I thought the shopping experience was a waste of time. The cost comparison was not what I expected. So no I do not believe Aldi's is a bargain. However many people believe Aldi's is a great bargain compared to their experiences. 

I believe this experiment might be a long one depending on the amount of individual involvement.