I shopped at Aldi and saw why the chain is one of the fastest-growing retailers in the US

Alex BitterMar 25, 2024, 14:10 IST

Aldi has several stores in the Washington, DC area, including this one in Hyattsville, Maryland.Alex Bitter/BI

German grocer Aldi is planning to add hundreds of stores to the thousands it already has in the US.
The chain focuses on keeping costs and prices low, making it popular as food remains pricey.

Aldi just keeps growing.

The German discount grocery chain already has thousands of stores in the US. Now, Aldi is planning to open 800 more locations over the next four years, bringing its store count in America to 3,200.

Aldi says it keeps prices low through its cost-limiting business model, which relies on selling lots of store-brand goods and asking employees to hop between ringing up customers and organizing stockrooms.

It's a pitch that has attracted many consumers as food prices have risen over the last few years.

I decided to head to an Aldi store in Maryland, near Washington, DC, to see what it's like to shop at the fast-growing supermarket. I also contacted them for comment but Aldi didn't immediately respond to Business Insider.

Here's what I found.

Do you work at Aldi and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com

The store I visited is located in Hyattsville, Maryland.

Aldi's stores look pretty simple from the outside.Alex Bitter/BI

The first step was getting a shopping cart.

Aldi posts a sign outside the store's entrance so you know how to operate its carts.Alex Bitter/BI

I got my quarter ready and inserted it into the slot on a cart.

The quarter unlocks the grocery cart.Alex Bitter/BI

Once inside, the first thing I saw was a variety of fresh foods.

Just like a traditional US grocery store, the entrance led right into the produce section.Alex Bitter/BI

There were also some prepared foods that just needed to be baked or heated before serving.

Pizzas, pasta, and other heat-and-eat options were located next to the entrance.Alex Bitter/BI

Included was this large take-and-bake pizza.

There were a few different kinds of pizzas at Aldi, including cheese.Alex Bitter/BI

It didn't take long to come across Aldi's store-brand versions of popular foods.

Millville is one of Aldi's store brands.Alex Bitter/BI

But there were also equivalent products from big brands, often right next to Aldi's cheaper version.

General Mills' Honey Nut Cheerios were to the left of the Millville version.Alex Bitter/BI

Aldi's store brands are key to its strategy, as this poster in the store makes clear.

Aldi doesn't hide the fact that many of its store-brand products imitate those of big brands.Alex Bitter/BI

I decided to try these chips, which looked a lot like Doritos to me.

Clancy's is another Aldi store brand.Alex Bitter/BI

There was also signage throughout the store promoting Aldi's lower prices.

It seems like Aldi is trying to appeal to customers who are tired of inflation.Alex Bitter/AI

Aldi's claim about being cheaper than rivals seemed to hold up.

Aldi sells its mac an cheese under the Cheese Club brand name.Alex Bitter/BI

Prices at Giant were higher across the basket of foods I checked.

You could have bought two boxes of Aldi mac and cheese for the price of one at Giant.Alex Bitter/BI

Aldi even beat out the Family Dollar down the street on many items.

Dollar stores have a reputation of being cheaper than grocery stores, but that's often not true.Alex Bitter/BI

Not every store-brand product at Aldi was just an imitator.

Emporium Selection was one of several brands of cheese for sale at Aldi.Alex Bitter/BI

I also found several own-brand products with a German theme in tribute to Aldi's home country.

This pack of Aldi-brand bratwursts was $4.99.Alex Bitter/BI

I then headed into the center of the store, where you can find products other than food.

Aldi emphasizes that products in its "Finds" section are limited and could sell out soon.Alex Bitter/BI

I found everything from seasonal merchandise...

The selection of Easter treats was robust since I was visiting Aldi two weeks before Good Friday.Alex Bitter/BI

...to kitchen supplies like this bamboo steamer.

The kitchen supplies in the "Finds" section ranged from baking dishes to knives.Alex Bitter/BI

And for younger Aldi patrons, I found this toy set perfect for kids who want to play store.

This Aldi "Wooden Food Market" set will set you back $24.99.Alex Bitter/BI

Having seen the shop, I headed toward the checkout area.

This Aldi store had several self-checkout kiosks and a few human-staffed checkout lanes.Alex Bitter/BI

Most of the self-checkout kiosks were closed.

I would've used this self-checkout kiosks if it had been open.Alex Bitter/BI

So I headed to one of the employee-run checkouts instead.

This haul cost about $40. Alex Bitter/BI

Now, I just had to bag my own groceries before heading out.

There was counter space just past the checkouts to pack my groceries into my bag.Alex Bitter/BI

I made sure to return my cart and reclaim my quarter once I left the store.

Once a lock on my cart clicked into the one ahead of it, it ejected my quarter.Alex Bitter/BI

Overall, I see why Aldi is popular, as well as why the company feels comfortable opening so many new stores.

This Aldi was easy to access with a car and by foot from the nearby metro station.Alex Bitter/BI

I shopped at Family Dollar and saw why the chain is struggling and shuttering stores

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