Going to the supermarket isn’t necessarily an exciting experience. But these days, consumers are spending more time and money at the grocery store in the wake of rampant inflation.
Higher living costs have made it difficult for consumers to justify the expense of restaurant food. Even fast food has gotten too pricey for a lot of people’s budgets.
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Consumers can’t just throw their hands in the air and give up on eating. But they can pivot from dining out on a regular basis to hitting up supermarkets more regularly to stock their pantries and fridges.
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Of course, consumers have plenty of choices when it comes to food shopping. But Aldi has evolved into a consumer favorite thanks to its ultra competitive prices.
Plus, there’s an element of fun to shopping at Aldi.
Because the chain’s shelves are stocked with exclusive brands, consumers never know quite what they’re going to get when they enter the store.
It’s that treasure hunt-style experience — the one retail giants like Costco have perfected — that keeps customers coming back to Aldi on top of the store’s remarkably low prices.
Aldi copies key Trader Joe’s strategy.
Image source: Getty Images
Aldi wants to expand its store footprint
Aldi recognizes that consumers today are looking to stretch their paychecks as much as possible. And the company is in a prime position to strengthen its U.S. presence and capture a larger customer base.
Last year, Aldi opened almost 120 new stores. And the company is planning to open another 225 by the time the current year comes to an end.
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Aldi is also branching out into new markets. It recently opened its first two stores in the Las Vegas area.
The chain is also looking to have more of a presence in Southern California as well as Arizona.
Aldi takes a key move out of Trader Joe’s playbook
Aldi’s low prices are probably more of a draw for consumers than the store’s selection of inventory.
Although some people might enjoy roaming the aisles in search of new products, for shoppers with an agenda and preset grocery list, Aldi can actually be a frustrating experience.
Related: Trader Joe’s copies Costco, delights fans
If there’s one drawback of Aldi, it’s the store’s limited and somewhat inconsistent inventory. Consumers can’t save money on products they can’t find.
But Aldi takes steps to make up for that by making its low prices as accessible to consumers as possible without a hassle. To this end, it mimics a key strategy long employed by Trader Joe’s.
Aldi, along with Trader Joe’s, does not require customers to clip or download coupons and bring them to the store. Instead, it makes its irresistibly low prices available to anyone who walks in the door.
There’s perhaps no more frustrating an experience than grabbing sales items off a supermarket shelf only to realize that in the absence of a physical or digital coupon, the lower price is off limits.
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Aldi doesn’t believe in putting its customers through that torture or forcing them to do extra legwork to snag a deal.
Aldi also takes a similar approach to customer satisfaction as Trader Joe’s. The company has a policy of offering refunds to any shopper who’s not 100% satisfied with their haul.
Aldi even goes above and beyond with its Twice as Nice Guarantee. For qualifying returns, Aldi will issue a refund as well as a replacement item to compensate consumers for their trouble.
