We’ve all heard or read it somewhere before – ALDI is the ‘cheapest’ grocery option among the major supermarkets across the country.

This is why many find ALDI an alluring place to shop. Just recently, a reporter with a $50 budget put three of Australia’s top supermarkets to the test to find out which one would give her the most value for money. By the end, ALDI was the clear winner. You can read the details of her ‘experiment’ here.

As great as that sounds, there’s still one reason why shopping at ALDI isn’t as budget-friendly as we think.

Journalist Mary Madigan was considering buying a three-in-one bathroom heater, an exhaust fan and light in ALDI’s middle aisles when she realised that shopping at the ‘cheapest grocery store’ is costing her more.

‘ALDI has long been heralded as the affordable place to get your groceries – the oasis of bargains. Sure, it isn’t as glitzy as Coles and Woolworths, but you can buy more for less,’ she stated.

And while she agrees with most people (to an extent) that ALDI is one of the most affordable places to go grocery shopping, she could also sympathise with those who are ‘sick of hearing’ why ALDI is the ‘best’ out of the retailers in the country.

ALDI has always been the cheapest grocery store option, but can it really help you save more in the long run? Credit: emirkhan bal/Pexels

This comes after one anonymous shopper vented out their frustration at being told to just ‘shop at ALDI’ to solve their budgetary needs.

‘Stuff is cheaper at ALDI, yes. Some stuff. A lot of stuff, but not all of it. And OK, cool, you save a few bucks on a shop. Awesome. I have ten more dollars this week! I’ll definitely get a house with that ten dollars,’ they said. You can read the rest of the shopper’s rant – and what other social media users had to say about it – in this article.

Ms Madigan shared that if people really wanted to save money by shopping at ALDI, they’ll have to resist the urge to check out the ‘middle aisle’.

‘And good luck with that,’ she stated.

‘The iconic Special Buys section of every ALDI store is crammed full of bargains, with new stock released every Wednesday and Saturday. It isn’t uncommon to see droves of people lining up outside an ALDI, clambering to get their mitts on anything from televisions to gumboots,’ Ms Madigan continued before saying that ‘the aisle of dreams weakens us all’.

She then said that while you might think you’re ‘saving a fortune’ by purchasing a coffee at the retail giant, it’s not as impressive when you come out of the store with a tent or a new drill.

‘“Savings” may actually be a misnomer,’ she explained.

Is ALDI truly ‘budget-friendly’? Credit: ALDI Australia

‘Are you actually coming out ahead financially?’ She asked before claiming that the Special Buys aisle, which is always situated right in the middle of the store, features ‘anything and everything’ that people don’t necessarily need.

‘Want a pair of skis? They’ve got it. A heater? It’s there. A new yellow toaster? No problem. Its middle location makes it almost impossible to avoid, and the temptation is hard to ignore,’ she stated.

Ms Madigan continued to say that she knew she wasn’t the only one ‘struggling against the pull’ of the middle aisle.

According to the journalist, a Facebook group made for bargain-hunting mums shared their concerns that ALDI isn’t the most budget-friendly supermarket because the middle aisle was ‘a money pit’.

One shared that they were only able to ‘survive their ALDI trip’ by keeping their eyes away from the middle aisle. ‘It takes a lot of willpower,’ they added.

Another admitted that they stopped coming to the store with their credit card to mitigate their ‘compulsive spending habits’.

‘I started taking cash instead, and I find I have that in my mind as I fill the trolley,’ the shopper claimed before admitting that the plan wasn’t ‘foolproof’.

‘I do buy things from the middle aisle depending on what they have,’ the shopper added.

One more shared that the middle aisle eventually saw her break up with the retailer.

‘I no longer shop at ALDI,’ the shopper stated.

Others shared their techniques to avoid falling for the ‘allure of the middle aisle’.

‘I go there first! Take what I think looks good, do my shopping, and then if I really want the item or really need the item, I’ll get it,’ one wrote.

The shopper explained that by tackling the middle aisle first, the ‘thrill’ of looking at the discounted items wears off by the time they get to the cash register. ‘There’s less chance of impulse buying a camping chair,’ they added.

Ms Madigan then said she put a call out on her social media pages to ask more ALDI shoppers what they’ve been buying from the store – aside from their weekly food shop.

‘One confessed she’d bought everything from “thermals [to] gardening supplies,” adding she’d also bought pickles in bulk,’ the journalist shared before adding that another shopper claimed they’d become distracted during grocery shopping.

This led the shopper to buy ‘arts and crafts for the kids, children’s books, and slippers’ instead.

One admitted to buying a unicycle, while another revealed they ended up buying ‘an air fryer, snowboarding gear, and a kilo of olives’ while out grocery shopping.

One customer secured an ‘office chair, lawnmower and meat slicer’ in one shopping trip.

Another bragged they’d grabbed a ‘70-inch television for $800’. ‘Cracker deal,’ they said.

Key Takeaways

• ALDI is considered the cheapest grocery option, beating Coles and Woolworths in a $50 shopping test.
• However, shoppers may struggle to save money at ALDI due to the allure of the middle aisle's Special Buys section, which features a variety of non-grocery items.
• Some customers have found ways to avoid or manage the temptation of the middle aisle, such as using cash instead of a credit card or visiting the aisle first to let the 'thrill' wear off.
• Shoppers have purchased a wide range of items in addition to their groceries, from snowboarding gear to office chairs and even unicycles.

Members, has the middle aisle of ALDI been your downfall or have you found a way to resist the temptation? Share your stories and tips in the comments below!

 

[Barbara V]

Y

We’ve all heard or read it somewhere before – ALDI is the ‘cheapest’ grocery option among the major supermarkets across the country.

This is why many find ALDI an alluring place to shop. Just recently, a reporter with a $50 budget put three of Australia’s top supermarkets to the test to find out which one would give her the most value for money. By the end, ALDI was the clear winner. You can read the details of her ‘experiment’ here.

As great as that sounds, there’s still one reason why shopping at ALDI isn’t as budget-friendly as we think.

Journalist Mary Madigan was considering buying a three-in-one bathroom heater, an exhaust fan and light in ALDI’s middle aisles when she realised that shopping at the ‘cheapest grocery store’ is costing her more.

‘ALDI has long been heralded as the affordable place to get your groceries – the oasis of bargains. Sure, it isn’t as glitzy as Coles and Woolworths, but you can buy more for less,’ she stated.

And while she agrees with most people (to an extent) that ALDI is one of the most affordable places to go grocery shopping, she could also sympathise with those who are ‘sick of hearing’ why ALDI is the ‘best’ out of the retailers in the country.

View attachment 17409

ALDI has always been the cheapest grocery store option, but can it really help you save more in the long run? Credit: emirkhan bal/Pexels

This comes after one anonymous shopper vented out their frustration at being told to just ‘shop at ALDI’ to solve their budgetary needs.

‘Stuff is cheaper at ALDI, yes. Some stuff. A lot of stuff, but not all of it. And OK, cool, you save a few bucks on a shop. Awesome. I have ten more dollars this week! I’ll definitely get a house with that ten dollars,’ they said. You can read the rest of the shopper’s rant – and what other social media users had to say about it – in this article.

Ms Madigan shared that if people really wanted to save money by shopping at ALDI, they’ll have to resist the urge to check out the ‘middle aisle’.

‘And good luck with that,’ she stated.

‘The iconic Special Buys section of every ALDI store is crammed full of bargains, with new stock released every Wednesday and Saturday. It isn’t uncommon to see droves of people lining up outside an ALDI, clambering to get their mitts on anything from televisions to gumboots,’ Ms Madigan continued before saying that ‘the aisle of dreams weakens us all’.

She then said that while you might think you’re ‘saving a fortune’ by purchasing a coffee at the retail giant, it’s not as impressive when you come out of the store with a tent or a new drill.

‘“Savings” may actually be a misnomer,’ she explained.

View attachment 17408

Is ALDI truly ‘budget-friendly’? Credit: ALDI Australia

‘Are you actually coming out ahead financially?’ She asked before claiming that the Special Buys aisle, which is always situated right in the middle of the store, features ‘anything and everything’ that people don’t necessarily need.

‘Want a pair of skis? They’ve got it. A heater? It’s there. A new yellow toaster? No problem. Its middle location makes it almost impossible to avoid, and the temptation is hard to ignore,’ she stated.

Ms Madigan continued to say that she knew she wasn’t the only one ‘struggling against the pull’ of the middle aisle.

According to the journalist, a Facebook group made for bargain-hunting mums shared their concerns that ALDI isn’t the most budget-friendly supermarket because the middle aisle was ‘a money pit’.

One shared that they were only able to ‘survive their ALDI trip’ by keeping their eyes away from the middle aisle. ‘It takes a lot of willpower,’ they added.

Another admitted that they stopped coming to the store with their credit card to mitigate their ‘compulsive spending habits’.

‘I started taking cash instead, and I find I have that in my mind as I fill the trolley,’ the shopper claimed before admitting that the plan wasn’t ‘foolproof’.

‘I do buy things from the middle aisle depending on what they have,’ the shopper added.

One more shared that the middle aisle eventually saw her break up with the retailer.

‘I no longer shop at ALDI,’ the shopper stated.

Others shared their techniques to avoid falling for the ‘allure of the middle aisle’.

‘I go there first! Take what I think looks good, do my shopping, and then if I really want the item or really need the item, I’ll get it,’ one wrote.

The shopper explained that by tackling the middle aisle first, the ‘thrill’ of looking at the discounted items wears off by the time they get to the cash register. ‘There’s less chance of impulse buying a camping chair,’ they added.

Ms Madigan then said she put a call out on her social media pages to ask more ALDI shoppers what they’ve been buying from the store – aside from their weekly food shop.

‘One confessed she’d bought everything from “thermals [to] gardening supplies,” adding she’d also bought pickles in bulk,’ the journalist shared before adding that another shopper claimed they’d become distracted during grocery shopping.

This led the shopper to buy ‘arts and crafts for the kids, children’s books, and slippers’ instead.

One admitted to buying a unicycle, while another revealed they ended up buying ‘an air fryer, snowboarding gear, and a kilo of olives’ while out grocery shopping.

One customer secured an ‘office chair, lawnmower and meat slicer’ in one shopping trip.

Another bragged they’d grabbed a ‘70-inch television for $800’. ‘Cracker deal,’ they said.

Key Takeaways

• ALDI is considered the cheapest grocery option, beating Coles and Woolworths in a $50 shopping test.
• However, shoppers may struggle to save money at ALDI due to the allure of the middle aisle's Special Buys section, which features a variety of non-grocery items.
• Some customers have found ways to avoid or manage the temptation of the middle aisle, such as using cash instead of a credit card or visiting the aisle first to let the 'thrill' wear off.
• Shoppers have purchased a wide range of items in addition to their groceries, from snowboarding gear to office chairs and even unicycles.

Members, has the middle aisle of ALDI been your downfall or have you found a way to resist the temptation? Share your stories and tips in the comments below!

Yes and no,everything I get from middle aisle I needed ,on the odd occasion I treat myself to something that catches my eye . I shop in all stores anyway as some stores don't stock what I want

 

[rathompson]

Some items at Aldi taste better - I only use Aldi butter for cooking; their dried fruit - figs, sultanas, currants etc are juicier and not as dry as other brands. Aldi’s lactose free milk is cheaper and it tastes better than other home brands. They are not necessarily cheaper, I buy them because they taste better. If you need a special from the middle aisle, buy it, be disciplined if you don’t need it and/or can’t afford it.

 

[Pat T]

Did you actually need all those things you bought from the middle aisle? I check the catalogue and only go into ALDI if I know they have everyday items I want to purchase or something from the middle aisle that I need. Nothing else gets bought.

I do the same. Check the catalogue a couple of times and if nothing of interest take only the shopping list and nit even tempted to look at the centre aisle.

 

[freedy50]

I mainly use Aldi for fruit and veg. Seems to be a bit cheaper and better then W or C, but also might buy a few other bits that W (my usual store) might not sell like King Prawn, Scallop & Lobster Bisque Pots. Only $9.99 for 2 pots

As for the middle aisle. I'm always looking for gadgets. Recently bought some outdoor solar wall lights to replace some older ones. They work very well. Sometimes buy their Workzone DIY stuff depending on what I need, although their drill bits are cheap and useless. Have even bought something like an egg seperator. No idea why as its just in the gadget draw now.

And it's about time my local Aldi got self serve checkouts. They've only just caught up with the other supermarkets in having baskets and smaller trollies.

Overall I just treat it as one of the 3 main supermarkets to go to for shopping.

 

[Rash Patel]

Aldi usually do not have similar products and only one a multi buy or on Specials.
Major Australian Supermarkets do as to boost Profits,Sales and mislead specially the Seniors & the blind Australians who without realising picks up with the intention without reading the fine prints ( Must have gone to Specsavers ad)
These merchandising & ticketing and similar product positioning has been and is definitely misleading all thanks to NSWDFT & ACCC still asleep with regulating the issue and same in many small Retail outlets no price ticketing- This is now Australian Shopping Experience in Australia without experiencing it in a 3rd World Country.
Budgeting works if Retailers price point is made visible not a Specsavers ad.
PN: Experienced photo of display attached.
Self check out no physical docket.Went to Service desk and complained and said refund for did not realise this is not 2 for $6. Woolworths Service Desk refused refund and check for ticket/product display. How does a Senior win on budget - Australian Fools believe led by Australian Retailer.

 

[Da Freddo]

I have an interesting anecdote about Aldi, but before I share it with you I need to make it clear that I don’t like shopping at Aldi for the reasons detailed below.

Unfortunately, I have no choice because I do the shopping for my wife, who is mobility-impaired so she can’t shop personally for her favourite Aldi products.

These are the reasons I don’t like shopping at Aldi:

* There is rarely more than one register open even at peak times, so the wait time to check out can be extremely frustrating.

Aldi are the only supermarket that doesn’t have self-checkouts, so you’ve no choice but to wait.

* When there is a rare PA announcement of a register opening, there is a typical 5-minute wait for the operator to actually get to the register.

I used to rush with others on seeing the displayed register number change from red to green.

However abandoned doing that because I found it better to stay in the now-depleted current queue and let others waste their time waiting for the other register to open.

* There is no service desk

So when you have a product to return, you have wait patiently at the usual single open register; then have a dialogue with the register operator whilst being frowned on by the long queue of waiting customers.

* Register operators do not bag your products.

Aldi obviously reckoned it would improve register operators productivity by not bagging.

However the operator takes the same time in sliding the scanned product towards you as they would in dropping it into a bag.

So the result is that there is no benefit to Aldi, but extra work for the customer.

To keep up with the operator’s scanning, the customer has to frantically throw the products into their trolley; then go to the customer counter to do the bagging: a classic case of double-handling.

And whilst the customer was at the register filling their trolley then paying, the register operator couldn’t serve the next customer in any case, so there is no increase in operator productivity.

* There are no product category signs in the aisles.

There is thus a continual need to find an Aldi staff member to enquire where a particular product is located (if you can find a staff member!)

Now the anecdote.

All Aldi’s products are priced to end in 9c.

Historically in all retail outlets, a $10 product for example would be priced at $9.99.

The philosophy was that naïve customers would regard the price as $9 instead of $10, so thinking they are getting a bargain.

That marketing ploy started in pre-history before credit cards, so the store got it’s 1c back as the customer had to pay $10 in cash.

Now that cash is in the minority, that practice has largely been discontinued because the store is losing 1c per sold item on credit card payments which adds up to a significant sum on the total annual sales.

The exception is Aldi where EVERY product is priced to end in 9c.

So Aldi naively believes that a customer seeing a product priced at 29c will think it’s 20c.

Recently as I was walking down an aisle at Aldi my eyes nearly popped out on seeing a product priced at 75c.

They nearly popped out again on seeing an Aldi staff member further down the aisle; I rubbed my eyes; yes it was an Aldi staff member actually on the sales floor!

“Excuse me” I said, with pointed finger, “There is a price error on a product down the aisle”

“Where about?” he said as he started to walk down the aisle.

We walked together to the shelf with the 75c product.

“Look” I said, pointing to the product “It should be 79c”

“Oh” he exclaimed, “thanks very much for letting us know, I’ll get it fixed straight away!”

As mentioned, Aldi Australia stores have the following defects;

• Typically only one register open
• Delay in manning an announced opening register
• No self-checkouts
• Operators don’t bag your purchases
• No signage in aisles
• All prices end with 9c
• Hard to find staff on the sales floor

I reckon you love it. Why else would you write a book about it?? "Eh"

 

[Nana Zorak]

I shop every pension day at Aldi but I only have ever bought seeds for the garden when looking at the specials. I never have enough money to cope with the middle aisle I only look at the gear on sale & am thankful that I have no little ones to buy for. It is hard enough deciding what meat to buy for the fortnight to worry about the middle aisle. Luckily I nearly always get the same products so I rarely forget anything although this week I did. I will stop going to my local Aldi if they get self-serve checkouts I hate them& they are not good if you are doing a full shop.

 

[Pipeliner]

I really can’t believe that people won’t shop at Aldi because they get tempted by the middle aisles! I love shopping at Aldi, but I usually do my main shopping elsewhere for the 5% pensioner discount one day a week. It’s the specials in the middle which keep me coming back to Aldi: for example I recently bought a solar powered motion light for the alley where we store the rubbish bins for $12.99 - great value.
Choice recently did a dishwasher tablet comparison. Finish Powerball Quantum Ultimate came out top at 76% and a cost of $1.13 a wash. Aldi Logix Platinum 18 in 1 were slightly behind at 75% - but they only cost $0.18 awash! I know where I’ll be getting my dishwasher tablets in future!

Yes, most of the negative points are true, but the positives outweigh th‘‘em in my opinion.

 

[mylittletibbies]

I agree ,the world has changed and its time people appreciate things

 

[sail]

I have an interesting anecdote about Aldi, but before I share it with you I need to make it clear that I don’t like shopping at Aldi for the reasons detailed below.

Unfortunately, I have no choice because I do the shopping for my wife, who is mobility-impaired so she can’t shop personally for her favourite Aldi products.

These are the reasons I don’t like shopping at Aldi:

* There is rarely more than one register open even at peak times, so the wait time to check out can be extremely frustrating.

Aldi are the only supermarket that doesn’t have self-checkouts, so you’ve no choice but to wait.

* When there is a rare PA announcement of a register opening, there is a typical 5-minute wait for the operator to actually get to the register.

I used to rush with others on seeing the displayed register number change from red to green.

However abandoned doing that because I found it better to stay in the now-depleted current queue and let others waste their time waiting for the other register to open.

* There is no service desk

So when you have a product to return, you have wait patiently at the usual single open register; then have a dialogue with the register operator whilst being frowned on by the long queue of waiting customers.

* Register operators do not bag your products.

Aldi obviously reckoned it would improve register operators productivity by not bagging.

However the operator takes the same time in sliding the scanned product towards you as they would in dropping it into a bag.

So the result is that there is no benefit to Aldi, but extra work for the customer.

To keep up with the operator’s scanning, the customer has to frantically throw the products into their trolley; then go to the customer counter to do the bagging: a classic case of double-handling.

And whilst the customer was at the register filling their trolley then paying, the register operator couldn’t serve the next customer in any case, so there is no increase in operator productivity.

* There are no product category signs in the aisles.

There is thus a continual need to find an Aldi staff member to enquire where a particular product is located (if you can find a staff member!)

Now the anecdote.

All Aldi’s products are priced to end in 9c.

Historically in all retail outlets, a $10 product for example would be priced at $9.99.

The philosophy was that naïve customers would regard the price as $9 instead of $10, so thinking they are getting a bargain.

That marketing ploy started in pre-history before credit cards, so the store got it’s 1c back as the customer had to pay $10 in cash.

Now that cash is in the minority, that practice has largely been discontinued because the store is losing 1c per sold item on credit card payments which adds up to a significant sum on the total annual sales.

The exception is Aldi where EVERY product is priced to end in 9c.

So Aldi naively believes that a customer seeing a product priced at 29c will think it’s 20c.

Recently as I was walking down an aisle at Aldi my eyes nearly popped out on seeing a product priced at 75c.

They nearly popped out again on seeing an Aldi staff member further down the aisle; I rubbed my eyes; yes it was an Aldi staff member actually on the sales floor!

“Excuse me” I said, with pointed finger, “There is a price error on a product down the aisle”

“Where about?” he said as he started to walk down the aisle.

We walked together to the shelf with the 75c product.

“Look” I said, pointing to the product “It should be 79c”

“Oh” he exclaimed, “thanks very much for letting us know, I’ll get it fixed straight away!”

As mentioned, Aldi Australia stores have the following defects;

• Typically only one register open
• Delay in manning an announced opening register
• No self-checkouts
• Operators don’t bag your purchases
• No signage in aisles
• All prices end with 9c
• Hard to find staff on the sales floor

Get over it and move on. Leaving all those savings to those of us that care to save by simply putting our bargains into our trolley and our own baskets.(The best $9.99 spent buying that basket)

Que up, shut up and be happy with the massive savings. I find it amazing people whinge about so little when saving so much.

 

[mylittletibbies]

I agree just wish people would stop whinging and blaming everybody but themselves for their own weaknesses.
How can that stupid woman say it is not cheaper to do your grocery shop at Aldi because of the middle aisles, what a ridiculous comment.
Then we have the other peabrain complaining about only saving $10 a week ($520/year). Obviously she never heard the old saying "if you take care of the pennies (cents)the pounds (dollars)will take of themselves". No wonder she's having trouble saving for a home.

Is this world made up of wingers if you dont like the store ,dont go there ,do not become an author and write a composition about all the negatives ,try being a bit more positive you never know it may make the chore more enjoyable .

 

[Zoya]

Did you actually need all those things you bought from the middle aisle? I check the catalogue and only go into ALDI if I know they have everyday items I want to purchase or something from the middle aisle that I need. Nothing else gets bought.

Same here.

 

[IAN3005]

I have an interesting anecdote about Aldi, but before I share it with you I need to make it clear that I don’t like shopping at Aldi for the reasons detailed below.

Unfortunately, I have no choice because I do the shopping for my wife, who is mobility-impaired so she can’t shop personally for her favourite Aldi products.

These are the reasons I don’t like shopping at Aldi:

* There is rarely more than one register open even at peak times, so the wait time to check out can be extremely frustrating.

Aldi are the only supermarket that doesn’t have self-checkouts, so you’ve no choice but to wait.

* When there is a rare PA announcement of a register opening, there is a typical 5-minute wait for the operator to actually get to the register.

I used to rush with others on seeing the displayed register number change from red to green.

However abandoned doing that because I found it better to stay in the now-depleted current queue and let others waste their time waiting for the other register to open.

* There is no service desk

So when you have a product to return, you have wait patiently at the usual single open register; then have a dialogue with the register operator whilst being frowned on by the long queue of waiting customers.

* Register operators do not bag your products.

Aldi obviously reckoned it would improve register operators productivity by not bagging.

However the operator takes the same time in sliding the scanned product towards you as they would in dropping it into a bag.

So the result is that there is no benefit to Aldi, but extra work for the customer.

To keep up with the operator’s scanning, the customer has to frantically throw the products into their trolley; then go to the customer counter to do the bagging: a classic case of double-handling.

And whilst the customer was at the register filling their trolley then paying, the register operator couldn’t serve the next customer in any case, so there is no increase in operator productivity.

* There are no product category signs in the aisles.

There is thus a continual need to find an Aldi staff member to enquire where a particular product is located (if you can find a staff member!)

Now the anecdote.

All Aldi’s products are priced to end in 9c.

Historically in all retail outlets, a $10 product for example would be priced at $9.99.

The philosophy was that naïve customers would regard the price as $9 instead of $10, so thinking they are getting a bargain.

That marketing ploy started in pre-history before credit cards, so the store got it’s 1c back as the customer had to pay $10 in cash.

Now that cash is in the minority, that practice has largely been discontinued because the store is losing 1c per sold item on credit card payments which adds up to a significant sum on the total annual sales.

The exception is Aldi where EVERY product is priced to end in 9c.

So Aldi naively believes that a customer seeing a product priced at 29c will think it’s 20c.

Recently as I was walking down an aisle at Aldi my eyes nearly popped out on seeing a product priced at 75c.

They nearly popped out again on seeing an Aldi staff member further down the aisle; I rubbed my eyes; yes it was an Aldi staff member actually on the sales floor!

“Excuse me” I said, with pointed finger, “There is a price error on a product down the aisle”

“Where about?” he said as he started to walk down the aisle.

We walked together to the shelf with the 75c product.

“Look” I said, pointing to the product “It should be 79c”

“Oh” he exclaimed, “thanks very much for letting us know, I’ll get it fixed straight away!”

As mentioned, Aldi Australia stores have the following defects;

• Typically only one register open
• Delay in manning an announced opening register
• No self-checkouts
• Operators don’t bag your purchases
• No signage in aisles
• All prices end with 9c
• Hard to find staff on the sales floor

 

[IAN3005]

Traditionally retailers price the good ending in a 99 because it rakes an extra $1.00.... note the rounding added to the docket!!!!
WALMART in the states (affiliated with Big W) has a different approach... so the customer cant "price compare" They end some of the items with a 5.

 

[IAN3005]

We’ve all heard or read it somewhere before – ALDI is the ‘cheapest’ grocery option among the major supermarkets across the country.

This is why many find ALDI an alluring place to shop. Just recently, a reporter with a $50 budget put three of Australia’s top supermarkets to the test to find out which one would give her the most value for money. By the end, ALDI was the clear winner. You can read the details of her ‘experiment’ here.

As great as that sounds, there’s still one reason why shopping at ALDI isn’t as budget-friendly as we think.

Journalist Mary Madigan was considering buying a three-in-one bathroom heater, an exhaust fan and light in ALDI’s middle aisles when she realised that shopping at the ‘cheapest grocery store’ is costing her more.

‘ALDI has long been heralded as the affordable place to get your groceries – the oasis of bargains. Sure, it isn’t as glitzy as Coles and Woolworths, but you can buy more for less,’ she stated.

And while she agrees with most people (to an extent) that ALDI is one of the most affordable places to go grocery shopping, she could also sympathise with those who are ‘sick of hearing’ why ALDI is the ‘best’ out of the retailers in the country.

View attachment 17409

ALDI has always been the cheapest grocery store option, but can it really help you save more in the long run? Credit: emirkhan bal/Pexels

This comes after one anonymous shopper vented out their frustration at being told to just ‘shop at ALDI’ to solve their budgetary needs.

‘Stuff is cheaper at ALDI, yes. Some stuff. A lot of stuff, but not all of it. And OK, cool, you save a few bucks on a shop. Awesome. I have ten more dollars this week! I’ll definitely get a house with that ten dollars,’ they said. You can read the rest of the shopper’s rant – and what other social media users had to say about it – in this article.

Ms Madigan shared that if people really wanted to save money by shopping at ALDI, they’ll have to resist the urge to check out the ‘middle aisle’.

‘And good luck with that,’ she stated.

‘The iconic Special Buys section of every ALDI store is crammed full of bargains, with new stock released every Wednesday and Saturday. It isn’t uncommon to see droves of people lining up outside an ALDI, clambering to get their mitts on anything from televisions to gumboots,’ Ms Madigan continued before saying that ‘the aisle of dreams weakens us all’.

She then said that while you might think you’re ‘saving a fortune’ by purchasing a coffee at the retail giant, it’s not as impressive when you come out of the store with a tent or a new drill.

‘“Savings” may actually be a misnomer,’ she explained.

View attachment 17408

Is ALDI truly ‘budget-friendly’? Credit: ALDI Australia

‘Are you actually coming out ahead financially?’ She asked before claiming that the Special Buys aisle, which is always situated right in the middle of the store, features ‘anything and everything’ that people don’t necessarily need.

‘Want a pair of skis? They’ve got it. A heater? It’s there. A new yellow toaster? No problem. Its middle location makes it almost impossible to avoid, and the temptation is hard to ignore,’ she stated.

Ms Madigan continued to say that she knew she wasn’t the only one ‘struggling against the pull’ of the middle aisle.

According to the journalist, a Facebook group made for bargain-hunting mums shared their concerns that ALDI isn’t the most budget-friendly supermarket because the middle aisle was ‘a money pit’.

One shared that they were only able to ‘survive their ALDI trip’ by keeping their eyes away from the middle aisle. ‘It takes a lot of willpower,’ they added.

Another admitted that they stopped coming to the store with their credit card to mitigate their ‘compulsive spending habits’.

‘I started taking cash instead, and I find I have that in my mind as I fill the trolley,’ the shopper claimed before admitting that the plan wasn’t ‘foolproof’.

‘I do buy things from the middle aisle depending on what they have,’ the shopper added.

One more shared that the middle aisle eventually saw her break up with the retailer.

‘I no longer shop at ALDI,’ the shopper stated.

Others shared their techniques to avoid falling for the ‘allure of the middle aisle’.

‘I go there first! Take what I think looks good, do my shopping, and then if I really want the item or really need the item, I’ll get it,’ one wrote.

The shopper explained that by tackling the middle aisle first, the ‘thrill’ of looking at the discounted items wears off by the time they get to the cash register. ‘There’s less chance of impulse buying a camping chair,’ they added.

Ms Madigan then said she put a call out on her social media pages to ask more ALDI shoppers what they’ve been buying from the store – aside from their weekly food shop.

‘One confessed she’d bought everything from “thermals [to] gardening supplies,” adding she’d also bought pickles in bulk,’ the journalist shared before adding that another shopper claimed they’d become distracted during grocery shopping.

This led the shopper to buy ‘arts and crafts for the kids, children’s books, and slippers’ instead.

One admitted to buying a unicycle, while another revealed they ended up buying ‘an air fryer, snowboarding gear, and a kilo of olives’ while out grocery shopping.

One customer secured an ‘office chair, lawnmower and meat slicer’ in one shopping trip.

Another bragged they’d grabbed a ‘70-inch television for $800’. ‘Cracker deal,’ they said.

Key Takeaways

• ALDI is considered the cheapest grocery option, beating Coles and Woolworths in a $50 shopping test.
• However, shoppers may struggle to save money at ALDI due to the allure of the middle aisle's Special Buys section, which features a variety of non-grocery items.
• Some customers have found ways to avoid or manage the temptation of the middle aisle, such as using cash instead of a credit card or visiting the aisle first to let the 'thrill' wear off.
• Shoppers have purchased a wide range of items in addition to their groceries, from snowboarding gear to office chairs and even unicycles.

Members, has the middle aisle of ALDI been your downfall or have you found a way to resist the temptation? Share your stories and tips in the comments below!

I only shop basics.. even then I find the price increases extortionate. their vegetables leave a lot to be desired.... I shop at the local greengrocers for less and better quality.

 

[Dougal]

Get over it and move on. Leaving all those savings to those of us that care to save by simply putting our bargains into our trolley and our own baskets.(The best $9.99 spent buying that basket)

Que up, shut up and be happy with the massive savings. I find it amazing people whinge about so little when saving so much.

My sanity and peace of mind is more important than money

 

[Dougal]

Traditionally retailers price the good ending in a 99 because it rakes an extra $1.00.... note the rounding added to the docket!!!!
WALMART in the states (affiliated with Big W) has a different approach... so the customer cant "price compare" They end some of the items with a 5.

A price ending in 99 cents does not add an extra dollar to the total sale.

The majority of sales are by credit card where the sale is recorded ending with 99 cents so the retailer loses 1 cent per sale which over the year is a substantial loss.

For cash sales, the docket total is rounded up to 0 cents or 5 cents whichever is nearer.

 

[orange]

I often do my shopping @ Aldi and yes I have been there on a Wednesday when they have
“ SPECIALS “ in the middle isle I look and no matter how “ cheap” something is if I don’t need it I dont buy it.. just ask yourself “ do I really need this ? “ I think you will come up with the answer quicker than you can lay your hand on the item.

 

[Jumping Jack Flash]

I am not an 'impulse' buyer; can happily walk down the centre aisle of ALDI and barely take notice on what is on offer. Yes .... occasionally I will stop and look but very rarely purchase from this aisle.

 

[LorelleD]

I am a shopping list buyer. It's really rare for me to look at the middle aisles so don't have a problem there. I'm on too tight a budget to look at doing any impulse shopping.