The Extra Services You Should Never Count On Getting When Shopping At Aldi

Have you ever wondered how Aldi manages to sell groceries for lower prices than the competition? Two words: No frills. You can't cash a check, fill a prescription, or buy a fresh coffee at Aldi — and don't expect fancy product displays, either.

Aldi is a discount grocery store and nothing more. "We avoid non-essential services like banking, pharmacies and check cashing to bring more savings to you," Aldi explains. Those aren't the only non-essential services Aldi is missing. You not only have to buy your own grocery bags — you have to put your own groceries in them. No assistance.

Some customers might miss the extra bells and whistles. But others appreciate the low, low prices. In a 2023 U.S. Grocery Benchmark Study, 90% of shoppers agreed Aldi provides good value for money. And if you do your research before you shop, you can enjoy the value without missing the extra services.

Before you go shopping at Aldi, get your banking, prescription-filling, and snacking out of the way. You won't be able to do any of that in-store (unless you sneak some chili lime cashews while you shop). Next step: Bring your grocery bags. Aldi doesn't hand them out for free. That said, if you do forget, you can buy Aldi grocery bags. Still, you might as well save your wallet and the planet by shopping with reusable grocery bags.

Be ready to bag your own groceries. Aldi employees won't do it for you. Be sure that you are packing similar items in the same bag. For example, you don't want your raw chicken in the same bag as your cleaning supplies or toiletries. You should also put your heaviest items at the bottom of the bag to avoid any crushing.

Shopping carts are free. But you do have to bring a quarter deposit.

Cutting back on extra services is one reason Aldi is cheaper than the competition. But it's not the only reason. Another factor is Aldi's own brand products, which make up more than 90% of what's on the shelves. They tend to be way cheaper than name brands. Aldi's Golden Round crackers cost $2.75; a box of Ritz crackers at Walmart costs over $1 more.

To guess some other reasons Aldi offers lower prices than other brands, all you need to do is look around the store. You'll notice one thing before you even enter the door: Aldi grocery stores are small (about 17,000 square feet). That means the building is cheaper to acquire and manage. The range of products is small, too. "Most of our stores will have a maximum of 2,000 carefully curated products depending on the time of year," Aldi UK communications director Mary Dunn told Essex Live. "At other supermarkets, you can expect to find 40,000 products ... This difference of 38,000 products allows us [to] be extraordinarily efficient in the way we are able to purchase products."

Maybe Aldi will add other extra services in the future. In the meantime, enjoy the low prices.