What’s Really Behind Strange Practices at Louisiana Aldi’s?

Aldi grocery stores do things a little bit differently, and it's about efficiency, and they pass the savings on to customers. They also do things to help customers get the best experience, but what they do differently might seem strange to what is traditionally done in other stores homemaking.com reports.

Why Do They Supply Items in the Containers They Arrive In?

The simple answer is that Aldi does this to lower the cost of labor. Instead of a worker having to take the products to the floor and arrange them in some other container on a shelf, they simply load the items onto the shelves, whether it's produce or a package of cookies. This saves time for workers, and in the end, it translates into savings for you.

Why Does Aldi Make Me Rent a Shopping Buggy?

It's all about saving money and making sure things are neat and clean in the parking lot. Think about it, you can either rent the shopping cart and get your quarter back or you can leave it in there for the next person. Most of us will return the cart to plug it into the plastic key attached to the other buggies. The fewer shopping carts that disappear the more savings Aldi passes on to customers with lower costs for food.

Shopping carts are super expensive! If the carts are always returned, and no one takes off with them, it makes for a better bottom line for Aldi, but for you too. The company can then pass the savings on to you. A standard-size plastic shopping cart can cost around $269 according to thefixturezone.com. As far as a metal shopping basket, they can run around $249.

And, if you think about it, having people actually return their carts to the cart holder there is less of a chance of one of the shopping carts hitting your car. How many times have you been in a parking lot and a shopping cart gets pushed by the wind into your car dinging your door? People will just leave their carts anywhere.

And because people will leave their carts anywhere, it can be hard to get the parking space you want as someone has left a cart right in the middle of a space.

Why Is It So Quiet in Aldi? How Come There Is No Background Music?

It's once again a savings measure. In order to have music played over the speakers in any store you are going to have to pay for a music service of some kind, and that can become very pricey.

Why Do I Have to Buy Bags at Aldi?

If you go into an Aldi store you will notice that if you want to take your items in a shopping bag you are going to have to buy a reusable one for a nominal fee. But, you can also bring your own bags if you prefer.

Officials with Aldi want to help reduce the amount of plastic we use as a society.

In all, the company maintains its strategy is about helping customers get a quick, efficient grocery experience that reduces costs to the consumer.