And it's all good!!!!
Lots of Americans are crazy about German grocery chain Aldi because they have low prices on quality food. But it is a little different than the supermarkets we’re used to. So here’s the inside scoop from an Aldi employee, who shared what it’s really like to work there in a recent Reddit Ask Me Anything and some insider info from Aldi spokesperson Liz Ruggles.
There's a reason it's so inexpensive - Ruggles says they keep costs down by choosing to help shoppers save money instead of offering nonessential supermarket services like pharmacies, check cashing, and in-store banking.
You have to pay a quarter deposit to use a shopping cart - But you get the $0.25 back when you return the cart to the cart corral. It keeps people from leaving them in the parking lot and they don’t have to pay an employee to round them up.
The cashiers don't sit because they're lazy - The anonymous employee on Reddit says the register chairs are a German thing, we just think it looks strange because we’re used to cashiers standing in the U.S.
You can return any Aldi-exclusive brand product for a full refund, no questions asked - Ruggles says Aldi is so confident in the quality of their products that they offer a “double guarantee,” which means if you don’t like an Aldi-exclusive brand item, you can get your money back and they’ll replace the item.
Baking soda can be tough to find - It seems customers always struggle to find baking soda at Aldi, so if you’re looking, it’s on the top shelf of the baking aisle.
They sell knock-off Girl Scout cookies - So when you need your cookie fix during the off-season, these are an “amazing” tasting option. This alone is worth a trip to Aldi!
Purchasing Aldi-exclusive brands is the easiest way to save a ton of money - When you really want to cut your grocery costs, swapping national brands for Aldi-exclusive brands can save you up to 50% on your bill, according to Ruggles.
The produce is as fresh as it is inexpensive - Their cheap produce is a top-seller and it’s always fresh. The employee reveals that they get produce deliveries every morning and they don’t over-order, so it’s more common for them to be out of broccoli at the end of the day than have extra that ends up getting thrown away.
Source: Redbook