I shopped at Save A Lot, a discount grocery store chain, for the first time and believe it should be as popular as Aldi

Frank OlitoJul 21, 2021, 22:24 IST

Save a Lot is a discount grocery store.Frank Olito/ Insider

Save a Lot is a discount grocery store located in over 30 states, and I shopped at one in Chicago.
The store was smaller than most supermarkets, and products were in shipping boxes on shelves.
Save a Lot's delicious brands and intelligent design makes it a strong rival to Aldi.

During a recent trip to Chicago, I went to a Save a Lot grocery store and found a very different shopping experience than the one I'm used to.

Save a Lot. Frank Olito/ Insider

Like Aldi, Save a Lot is a discount grocery store, but this chain got its start in the Midwest, not Europe.

The exterior of Save a Lot in Chicago. Frank Olito/ Insider

When I entered the Save a Lot in Chicago, I noticed how small the store was, with just seven aisles.

The entire Save a Lot store. Frank Olito/ Insider

The store was also designed to have wider aisles.

The aisles are wider. Frank Olito/ Insider

As I walked down the aisles, I also noticed the shelves were bare bones.

The shelves were stocked with boxes. Frank Olito/ Insider

Even the bread aisle was just a row of carts.

The bread aisle. Frank Olito/ Insider

Signs above the produce section read, "Low prices. Every day," and "Get more. Spend Less," and these rang true.

The produce section. Frank Olito/ Insider

The meat section was also reasonably priced.

The fresh meat section. Frank Olito/ Insider

There was a wall of products called "special buys," which had even bigger discounts.

The special buys section. Frank Olito/ Insider

The frozen-food aisle was one of the smallest sections, which surprised me.

The frozen-food section. Frank Olito/ Insider

The products on the shelves are curated to cut costs, which means you won't find many popular brands at Save a Lot.

Ginger Evans is exclusive to Save a Lot. Frank Olito/ Insider

The shelves were filled with brands like Ginger Evans, Kiggins, and J. Higgs.

The J. Higgs brand is exclusive to Save a Lot. Frank Olito/ Insider

The store does sell some popular brands, like Coca-Cola, albeit at cheaper prices.

The Coca-Cola was cheap. Frank Olito/Insider

I decided to buy three Save a Lot brand products.

The three items I bought. Frank Olito/ Insider

There were no lines at checkout - that's because I had to bag my own items in a separate area.

The bagging station. Frank Olito/ Insider

Save a Lot is not only offering a great shopping experience at low prices, it's also helping underserved communities.