ALDI - Why They're Successful

Aldi is a grocery store unlike any other. If you're not familiar with them, you may be soon because they're in the middle of an aggressive U.S. expansion plan. This video explains why they're successful by highlighting 11 unique cost saving methods they implement.
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[@sebwyl]

As a European, I actually learned more about American supermarkets than about Aldi.

[@Supergecko8]

lol true

[@chaddanylak8706]

I surprise the staff need to put the shopping karts at American supermarkets

[@christopheralthouse6378]

Trust me, having BEEN one of those people collecting carts...it's brutal... American grocery store chains seem to have low regard for the very people they force to go out in all kinds of weather and bring carts in, on top of that, ugly evil lazy customers seem to LOVE finding more and more awful places to hide the carts that they used for shopping, sticking them on curbs and in bushes, sometimes just giving them a little shove in the parking lot in hopes they hit someone else's car or that they can make the exhausted and overworked cart pusher chase after them, sometimes just outright stealing the carts or placing them blocks away at some other store...it's honestly horrific... Personally, I wish other stores would adopt Aldi's model in this respect. It encourages customers to be a bit more respectful of what IS the store's property. I've noticed before that you NEVER see an Aldi employee collecting carts yet the parking lot is ALWAYS clear of them and they don't even have cart returns all over the place...just the one ALL THE WAY BACK at the store entrance...but people will walk the cart all the way back there and put it away, nice and neat, not being willfully destructive with or to them, not stealing the cart or hiding it somewhere else...all just to get that one quarter BACK... It's just a flat-out better system and I can ONLY imagine just how much better work IS for the average Aldi employee versus any other grocery store worker...

[@qwerty13380]

To our European friends. Many people do not shop at Aldi's because they are so small, typically only 5 isles wide. In my middle class area we have three food stores within a few miles of each other. The next biggest is Piggly Wiggly, 5 to 8X bigger than Aldi and has fair prices, a little higher than Aldi. The other food store is Pick & Save, about 50% bigger than Piggly Wiggly. You could easily put the Aldi store in the bakery and produce department, the prices here are at least 50% higher than Aldi. We are used to having a large assortment to choose from. Soda will take up an entire isle, grape, orange, root beer, coke, Pepsi, diet regular etc from a half a dozen different brands. Snacks like potato chips, popcorn, pretzels, etc from many brands takes another isle. Ice cream and ice cream snacks take up another isle (Popsicle, Klondike bars, ice cream bars, fudgesicles, etc, and ice cream of every imaginable kind and flavor in many brands. Just buying a lb of bacon can be dizzying with all of the choices. Even something simple like table salt will have at least four choices. I have trouble understanding the mindset of the people here. The three stores are Minuit's away from each other. I shop the weekly sale items or just go for the best deal. My friends and neighbors like to complain about money, but go to the expensive mega store only. I shout, wave my hands, tell them about the low prices but they always have an excuse for paying top dollar. The city next to us is slightly higher middle class. The city council will not let Aldi build a store there because it will "attract undesirable people". One of my favorite things about Aldi is the special cookware they have thru the year. I got a good deal on a large non stick frying pan for induction cook tops for $15 dollars or so, 1/2 to 1/3 the price from anywhere else. Next best thing about Aldi, they DO NOT play music! What i hate most about Aldi, they only sell one kind of soda, Coke, i hate coke!

[@lindahikes2760]

American here..just got back from Canada and noticed that shopping bags were never included..always an extra charge or not supplied. Also limited selections on water (what! only one option?) and diet soda. Only diet coke, diet pepsi..no diet 7up etc. Once I got back, I realized how much I waste on getting plastic bags on one or two items..now starting to skip the bag or bring my own... which I do do on major shopping trips but not much on quick stops. There are cart "corrals" here that encourages people to put their carts (in the parking lots) instead of them leaving by their cars.

[@trappedinacrystalfor10000years]

Unless you have worked retail you have no idea how much of a blessing the no music thing is. Going to work and hearing the same 12 top 80's contemporary jams on repeat over and over for 9 hours will absolutely drive you to insanity. Bless ALDI for this.

[@Tin_bAnger]

Dude. I don't mean to one up you, but I can. Work Rugrat Reptare Racers at the Mall of America in Bloomington,MN. IT IS PAIN. There are like nine songs. And I would get stuck there for hours some shifts. The Ghost Blasters rider was less painful than that ride.

[@CL2K]

At my local gym, they play the same 90s and 00s playlist over and over again, and I've been working out there for over two years now.

[@hecticerectic9588]

Only people whom worked retail will know this 8-12 list that they play all day. It is annoying and you even go home to sing them in the shower. 😂😂😂😂😂

[@trappedinacrystalfor10000years]

@@Tin_bAnger You have my condolences

[@RyTrapp0]

At least Walmart has their "Walmart radio station" thing now - some good stuff even comes on it too(because they take requests; which is just hilarious to me)!

[@skylarisms]

7:19 Aldi employee here, you can ask a cashier to give you a quarter while you shop and they’ll give you one from their till. It’s included in our training. The average customer will spend more money if they have a cart than if they don’t, so that quarter loss is well worth it to them. You can always return it after so the cashier’s drawer isn’t short :)

[@JoelLinus]

Thank you for your service, you guys are great!

[@Foatizenknechtl]

the more you know o:

[@poppy1x3]

They usually have some plastic quarters that fit the lock so they don't even have to give actual money

[@Achill101]

@@poppy1x3 - only one small problem: I like to "buy" my shopping cart for a quarter from customers in the parking lot that have emptied their cart already, so they don't have to bring it back. I wouldn't want to buy yours, and you have to bring it back yourself ;-)

[@labinot1363]

@@Achill101 people can bring their own carts back. No wonder obesity is such a problem in the US...

[@stephanclemens2348]

The best thing about ALDI (and Lidl) is that they operate on German Food safety standards which are way higher than the US ones.

[@DavidWVisuals]

@@fredbloggs2587 I live there, I am german, I have been to the US and many other countrys and I can say that Germany is absolutely great

[@tobakkracker]

@@fredbloggs2587 First the taxes depend on how much you earn second for paying that amount of taxes you at least get mostly working infrastructure and one of the (objectively) best highwaysystems in the world. And yes we too have problems but don't we all and for the standards they are higher because they operate after the Germany based once who are based on EU law. I hope you look it up and correct me if I stated something wrong.

[@seanthe100]

@@DavidWVisuals I live in the US, and I can say it's absolutely great too! I'm just glad y'all find the US so fascinating.

[@DavidWVisuals]

@@seanthe100 🤝

[@seantaggart7382]

@@seanthe100 yeah usa it has its issues but it aint all bad

[@lord_of_laugh3655]

The no music is huge, I find the experience so much better in aldi than having to listen grating repetive pop music the entire time. You act like it's a negative but it is so, so good.

[@javaadsportal6362]

as an employee, im so glad knowing i wont have to listen to christmas music on loop

[@vvitchuntt2983]

@@javaadsportal6362 ugh yes working at aldi is the best job i’ve ever had

[@ximfo4883]

I just realised that there is no music....

[@royalaza]

@@ximfo4883 same. I go to aldi every time for grocery shopping, havent noticed. Actually, i think most of the stores ive been to havent had music.

[@megadog_]

Same, it's one of the reasons I wish we had Aldi here. The music played in supermarkets is usually terrible

[@ClemensAlive]

It is absolutely normal in Europe to stick a coin into your shopping cart

[@MarchOnRome]

That's so strange lol

[@johnnyfroggo7361]

@@MarchOnRome They came to where I live a few years ago; it seemed strange for a while too. It's nice though, cheaper stuff, and there's pretty much no carts blocking parking spaces!

[@user-vk8yq8oq7p]

Absolutely and normal can’t really come after each other in a sentence

[@ConekQ]

And Singapore

[@coffeemakerbottomcracked]

It should prevent people from leaving the carts somewhere.

[@HyruleGamer]

As a European, Scottish to be exact. To me, it is VERY normal to put a coin into the trolley (cart). Not all shops do it, but it's probably a good 50/50 split in my experience.

[@ermi4973]

I live in Glasgow and I’ve never had to put a pound in Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA or Waitrose, it’s always been ALDI in my experience

[@Spiggle25]

1. Didn’t know you were Scottish 2. I like it when big youtubers don’t get 10s of thousands of likes, makes them seem more human

[@void1754]

I'm French, it's the same thing here except all carts require a coin or a plastic (or metal) token, I don't know why that is but it's annoying when you don't have change.

[@Spiggle25]

At the time of this reply, there are 69 likes on the comment

[@KaguyaH]

Same here in Australia.

[@morgangrider7676]

You didn't even mention my favorite reason I love aldi. Because they save so much money they actually pay their employees a lot better so they have less turnover

[@joe7725]

Not even, I used to work there back in the day and the workload is twice if not three times as much as other retailers. The sitting down at the register and “great pay” truly masks for the two to three employees running the whole store per shift.

[@labinot1363]

@@joe7725 to be fair, the stores aren't that big. Usually the customers don't need someone looking over them. They can find everything by themselves. But I can't really believe that there were only two to three employees in the store. Must have been an exception.

[@svenkluske4256]

@@labinot1363 You usually open a store with 3 to 4 people so this isn't really uncommon. And the amount of work you have to do sometimes is insane. It doesn't have to do with looking over customers but with filling shelves. You are literally filling the whole store within 4 hours with 2 or 3 employees every day. Aldi is said to pay the best wage to their staff, but other discounters are paying nearly the same when you have to be much more efficient in an Aldi - Should be paying more.

[@franzfred7511]

@@joe7725 welcome to a normal european work shift. no chit chat the whole day and shit like that. But when the shift is over, its over.

[@AURORAFIELDS]

@@joe7725 Two to three employees for a store this size is normal. Often you'd expect one or two be working on shelves and the back while one is working cashier, unless there's an influx of customers. However it's still manageable if you spend your time well during the work. Is this not the norm in America?

[@Dcaulder]

I work in a bread factory. We bake breads for a lot of different stores. And I can tell you this, Aldi demands a higher quality with their breads.

[@zedzoom5479]

bread is gospel in Germany, even the UNESCO has put it in their world heritage catalogue. surely ALDI´s bread won´t comapre to a german bakery "Meister" but it´s of above average quality

[@PattoDan88]

You do have to pay slightly higher prices for those high quality breads.

[@chrisrosado754]

That's dope bro

[@anthonybradley1555]

a good place for baked goods is aldi's domestic competitor lidl, every lidl i have been to have a fresh bakery section while i have only ever been to one aldi that also has a fresh bakery and it is right in a big town centre mall.

[@energysavingss]

Doesn’t surprise me. Whenever I travel to Germany, I make it a point to stop at a bakery EVERY day. German bread is sooo good you can eat it by itself without adding any thing. I wonder why we can’t get bread this good in our hemisphere.

[@MrMilf-zy5xo]

It's crazy how simple things that are normal in Europe are a miracle from another planet in the US.

[@bymedvjed]

yea lol

[@whynotstayhonest4706]

They havent always been normal in Europe. They have become normal there because Germans have introduced these things all over.

[@GarrusN7]

Not sure miracle is the right word here.

[@jessicaely2521]

Aldi isn't an amazing thing sorry. BJ's, Costco, and Sam's are similar to Aldi. Their stuff is kept in boxes, you dont have a person packing your groceries, and you have to bring your own bags or use their boxes to pack your stuff. The only difference between Aldi and these stores I named is you dont pay for your cart and once every 4 or 5 hours you have someone to pick up the carts. Aldi is terrible. You don't have a variety and they are to damn small. Having to go to 2 stores to get what you need is a pain in the ass. Give me one stop shopping. One stop shopping is actually better for the environment. You only have to drive to 1 place.

[@Adam-lz7sr]

Yeah,like health care lol

[@kokonana4086]

I think this store epitomizes German efficiency. No frill, no fanfare, just efficient. Love it!

[@luka6876]

and no old people talking to the chaser at the end of the register

[@AURORAFIELDS]

honestly Aldi seems to be closely related to most stores in Europe. All the shops here use 80% of these tactics, some do all. I didn't even realize this ISN'T how all stores operate. It seems so natural

[@magni5648]

@@AURORAFIELDS Natural selection. The grocery market in Germany, and much of Europe, was *brutal* in the 80's-2000's. (And has barely calmed down since.) Entire chains were going bust left and right for not being efficient enough to compete. Which really makes it even more of a laugh that Walmart came walking into that bloody warzone after having done zero research, and thought they'd be having an easy time dominating the place.

[@AdoMatic-dj6wp]

​@@AURORAFIELDS 😢

[@thomasharrison8092]

and with 70% less chance of world war violence!

[@darkredvan]

In Germany Aldi for several years was the winner in quality / price ratio tests. They might not be the cheapest at all, but they deliver the best quality for the price (though Lidl is just a tiny bit behind). Aldi keeps their eyes on manufacturers and products. About a year ago a producer of meat and sausages did not keep the level of quality they had promised. Two days after Aldi found out all products of this manufacturer were gone from the shops, a week later the same variety of products was delivered to the shops by a different manufacturer. It is not about low prices alone, it is about best quality for a low price. Other supermarkets try very hard to be able to compete with Aldi. The only one keeping the pace (in Germany) is Lidl.

[@Franz_]

Liebe Grüße aus Bayern.

[@christiank.8748]

Tatsächlich? Das meiste kommt doch immer noch von Tönnies unter diversen Namen.

[@dinosaur279]

I think lidl is way beyond aldi, at least in the netherlands. When i compare both stores and product ranges, lidl is a clear winner in every aspect of the game. Aldi is trailing.. This is reflected in market share as well

[@dingus_doofus]

>Other supermarkets try very hard to be able to compete with Aldi. The only one keeping the pace (in Germany) is Lidl. This is objectively wrong. Edeka (incl. Netto), Rewe and Schwarz Group (Lild & Kaufland) each have bigger market shares than Aldi, and mostly market shares are extremely stable. This statistical data is openly available and quickly googled.

[@darkredvan]

@@dingus_doofus Of course you are right regarding market share, ranking and sales volume. I did. not mean to diminish the effort of any of those. However Aldi has a better quality / price ratio than others in a wide variety of products. Though they are quite under pressure by the others you mentioned, namely Lidl as I stated in my OP. Anyway the German grocery market is very competitive and rankings regarding different objectives deliver different results. For the ones you chose your results are correct of course. I should have phrased my post differently to make ist clearer. My apologies. Thank you for your remark so things got set straight. 👍

[@danthecoasterman22]

Growing up, I never understood why my mom loved Aldi. As a college kid shopping on my own now, aldi might be the best store to ever exist.

[@nomorepartiezz]

Bro i go to fsu and its fucking torture not having an aldi here... I get my groceries from the damn target which is annoying

[@sir_vaughn2018]

@@nomorepartiezz I honestly forgot target had groceries I always go there for like Christmas gifts

[@myaevasion]

same. when i was little i literally hated aldi. it was so small and they had weird cerial brands. but its litterally sm better than the other stores.

[@dabigdee3401]

So you were a stupid kid.....

[@dabigdee3401]

@@nomorepartiezz dollar tree and Walmart my friend

[@famfamtime]

the shopping cart quarter thingy is actually pretty common in Europe

[@shawnevans26]

CookiePowerr I notice some dollar trees have been doing the quarter carts thing.

[@liamdavies7458]

And we use pound coins and euro coins, if I had to put 25p in a trolley of take the trolley

[@robertgash4555]

I can remember when it started in my local tesco store and that was way back in 1986. I think it was one of the first because they had a lot of trouble with kids throwing trolleys in the river next to the carpark.

[@ryan_alexander]

Canada as well. I didn't know americans didn't do it

[@nelsonricardo3729]

@Steve White I don't shop Walmart. I've never seen this at Target. It's positively un-American.

[@VioletIzzBlu]

I actually highly prefer the Aldi shopping experience; ultra large grocery stores like Walmart can be chaotic and overwhelming. Between the huge parking lots, large store w/fairly inefficient layout , and many long checkout lines, it feels like even if you only just want to grab one or two items you have commit to so much. If I know Aldi has what I need, I can be in and out of there in 5 minutes. Overall it's always a low-key and pleasant experience.

[@Endru85x]

Nice to hear that, i work in polish Aldi shop. If you need just the basics, you will do shopping much faster than in most stores like Lidl or Carrefour. Having smaller selection of brands make my job easier, we got two shifts most of the time, nightshift happens once in 3 month when we gotta do stocktaking. I worked in Carrefour before, and it was not even a big one but the job there was more demanding.

[@user-zh2xs6kb8x]

@@Endru85x They pay you above average right? I know they save many by employing fewer people but I think they generelly pay better

[@evan]

Aldi: is Open 9am-9pm Company Man: "If you can put up with Aldi's strict hours lmao

[@steve1reg]

By me, Aldi is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. while most supermarkets and Walmart are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Aldi is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Easter. Regular supermarkets and Walmart are only closed on Christmas.

[@SithCats]

Right? Those hours might have bothered me when I was a college student or unemployed (I liked to shop absurdly late to get shorter lines and not have to encounter people), but even as a working adult, it's not hard to plan around those hours.

[@chriswalls5831]

Think they should go to 10 pm they aren't open til 9 pm here

[@gbritto98]

Literally never noticed the lack of music at aldi till this video

[@vincentperratore4395]

I find that most of the music played in stores today is extremely revolting! Nothing but rock, hip hop or some other kind of low grade rubbish, designed to corrupt people's natural tendencies and ultimately make them sick!

[@psiangel]

@@vincentperratore4395 and what do you listen to your highness?

[@kuni2330]

Yeah, same. It really shows how it doesn't really mean anything for a customer.

[@kevingp12]

That's the reason I hate going to Aldi, it's so quiet, damn atleast put the free radio on, it's one reason I never shop there feels weird and lonely

[@romiboise]

I actually find it very relaxing to shop at Aldi, I guess it's quieter because of the lack of music

[@jamesslick4790]

"Shopping Experience"? Me, I just want to buy my groceries and get the hell out of there. I think Aldi "nails it".

[@kevinkarhan7237]

That's very German mindset.

[@jamesslick4790]

@@kevinkarhan7237 Well I am 1/2 German (ancestry).

[@illford]

@@kevinkarhan7237 no most people in Europe would agree. Who tf goes for an experience if I want entertainment I'll provide it myself lmao. At that having music means you either must pander really hard or play ultra generic music to wher eyou just shouldn't

[@robertzacharias6815]

Couldn’t agree more!

[@sasikaransunderalingam9450]

I agree 100 percent! I am an ALDI FAN!! JOIN THE ALDI CULT NOWWWW ALDI ALDI ALDI ALDI ALDI ALDI ALDI ALDI :)

[@mattfoltz7752]

The first time I went to an Aldi, my adult daughter took me there. We ended up with to carts of groceries. I was shaking my head thinking I'm going to be out $300-$400. Nope. Less than $100. Needless to say, I was impressed.

[@pkdude5334]

I've felt the same reverse sticker shock multiple times at Aldi.

[@sandracartica4932]

I'm in the US and I love shopping at Aldi. I find their brand to be superior than most others. I prefer to bag my own groceries and the quarter for the cart ensures the parking lot won't be littered with carts. I ❤ Aldi!

[@chattw6885]

For Europeans its more like a "11 Common Things That are Suprising to Americans" video I had much fun wathcing this video, keep up the work

[@inexfan89]

Right? This could also be called the standard practices of discounters in Europe.

[@alumlovescake]

Yea the bags thing the 10o thing

[@alumlovescake]

and the display thing

[@ruditheraven]

ikr

[@victoriaajang5818]

Is that the only one I have that

[@aanrrat1354]

The only thing this video taught me was that American supermarkets are horribly inefficient

[@thebabno]

That's for a reason. The longer you're in the store, the more likely you are to grab something off the shelf that you didn't plan to get, i.e a Snickers bar at the register.

[@carlson1740]

Yeah... as a german I can tell you all our stores operate similar. For the shopping cart, we have fake coins made from plastic or metal.

[@josephshamon7824]

@@carlson1740 I heard that lidl will open in the us

[@marcogrunwald6500]

@@thebabno That's exactly why aldi, atleast in germany, barely opens more then 1 or 2 of it's 4 cash registers at a time, simply because you are forced wait longer and thus are prone to add something.

[@SuperNovaJinckUFO]

@@josephshamon7824 If Lidl starts carrying American brands (in addition to German brands), they'll be an absolute juggernaut! The only reason I don't shop at Aldi (not even here in Germany) is because I don't like the product selection

[@29032012]

In Germany the coin in the cart appeard in the late 90ies in all super markets. Mainly because people did'nt returned the cart, took it home to carry their stuff more easily or threw it in rivers... No plastic bag is a european standard and has environmental reasons. Fun fact: In Austria, Aldi is called Hofer and has the longest opening hours of all shops. Until 20:00 😅😂

[@Finallybianca]

There was a small chain of stores in Iowa that did the coin thing, and I believe as Aldi’s first is store started in Iowa they may have taken the idea from them.

[@Jeditb]

@@Finallybianca you mean aldi took the idea from the small chain or the other way around?

[@orls9068]

Same in Ireland

[@mirzaahmed6589]

8 pm is late?

[@user-fk7wd4qt1z]

Mine in Germany frankfurt is open until 9 PM

[@thomashoskins8817]

having worked in a supermarket I can tell you that in store music is hell on earth. imagine working 8 hours in a place with the same songs on a continous loop all day. especially bad at christmas time

[@henri_the_fry_guy7196]

In Europe this is a typical grocery store

[@paltsm]

yes

[@geto6242]

Yep, pretty much the same as LIDL.

[@kieranburke7627]

You'll either find an Aldi/Lidl or a Tesco.

[@TorutheRedFox]

yup

[@adrian21mclean]

So American stores don't do these practises, strange seems normal in Ireland

[@CasGroenigen]

From a dutch person here, Every grocery store is like this, the quarter for the carts, the reusable bags (handing out plastic bags for free is illegal), smaller stores, no music, not open 24/7 etc... it's just standard, they just carried over their European ways to the US, and now the US is confused.

[@danielamishkovska2833]

👍👍👍

[@danieleveland]

Confused, yes but heavenly thankful.

[@timmteller871]

It was nevertheless conceptually developed by german "Discounter" markets and then spread to all of Europe because you can hardly compete with its efficiency.

[@cfountain72]

Hallo! When you come visit, we hope you don't get confused by the wide selections, or when your groceries get bagged for you, or when an employee offers to carry and place them in your car. :^)

[@CasGroenigen]

@@cfountain72 I don't have a car, and yes I will be confused

[@nette4307]

After 27 years in the US and multiple dents in several of my cars due to rogue shopping carts that were left in the parking lot, I just love the "ridiculous" shopping cart quarter. It never ceases to surprise me how so many people find themselves unable to walk 20 extra steps to return their shopping carts to the corral. With the ridiculous quarter, few carts are left "floating" the parking lot - or disposed of in a nearby stream. And granted, Aldi is not a cosy shopping experience, but I'm fine shopping without listening to music. That way, I don't get lulled into obliviously grabbing stuff off the shelves - the barebone shopping experience at Aldi keeps me focused, and I tend to get what I came for, rather than just filling my cart.

[@Nikioko]

The question has long been answered: because of the price. Aldi just cuts all unnecessary costs and give it back to the costumers: no shelfers, no cart pushers, no baggers, no ads and home brands. You just grab all your stuff directly from the bulk, put it in the cart, put it on the band, put it back into your cart, pay and put the stuff into your own bags at your car. That's how European supermarkets work. Fast and efficiently.

[@jeannehunter5344]

This is great, absolutely efficient. Americans are spoilt consumers and not many know real poverty - many are just too fat from eating loads of junk and not moving a single step if they don't have to.

[@magni5648]

@@jeannehunter5344 This is also a big part why Walmart failed abysmally in Germany. The german grocery retail market is absolutely brutal in terms of competition, and if you can't deliver that kind of efficiency you're just going to bleed money without end. Walmart did no real market research and basically walked into that warzone thinking they would have an easy time pushing out all these smaller retail chains.

[@icelery_]

As a broke college student, Aldi is honestly the best and I didn't even realize they didn't play music

[@Natalie-uh4rj]

Aracelis Pizarro same, I shop there every week and never realized there was no music 😂

[@miguelmejia4656]

yeah, I'm glad they don't play music. I'm so fucking tired of these other stores playing music like it's a fucking club.

[@Doug5524]

They don't play music, you should think your self lucky, stores that do play rubbish anyway :-)

[@denbou78]

Dear dark Lady, in Germany we bring our headphones to Aldi as we do wird the Shopping bags

[@Ozymandias1]

They usually play slow music. It's a psychological trick to make you wander through the store as slowly as possible. So more time for you to fill your cart. If they played marching music you would be at the register in 5 minutes flat.

[@krebsomaticfourtwenty]

No music in the store is a blessing, especially if you are employed there. Most store music is on a loop so you hear the same music over and over. It's like psychological torture.

[@irishtruther1013]

you nailed it with this comment i couldnt agree more i hate music in stores

[@KokkiePiet]

I feel the same. Also Golden Oldie stations who are just a computer with a playlist, terrible.

[@fritzkuhne2055]

@@KokkiePiet oh god no

[@toxicginger9936]

YES! I worked in a bank branch and we have Muzak... and one time our system got 'stuck' and played the same three songs looped for several days. I thought I'd lose my mind before it got fixed... or we convinced the boss to shut it off.

[@sandracartica4932]

YES!!!! I appreciate the beautiful silence!

[@roadwarrior8213]

Aldi really is a unique experience, but once you go multiple times, all the "irregularities" really don't sway you. I really enjoy the cozy atmosphere Aldi has achieved. Walmart you usually have to cross an entire store full of screaming children and chaos for a couple food items. Compare that to shopping at Aldi, much quieter and easy to navigate, and with the low prices and the excellent quality store brands really make it a no brainer, not to mention you the customer can use the emptied grocery boxes to help sequester foods and other items in your cart and your car, similar to wholesale stores like Sam's club. Aldi is Awesome

[@Bova-Fett]

To be honest, Aldi not playing music in the store is a blessing - You always hear the same pop music played in one store to the next. Probably makes working their more pleasant without having the same songs in your head all the time.

[@daniel117100]

Oh after a few months listening your mind turns to mush and there’s nothing left for an ear worm to form

[@Allvirt]

Hol up... In America there are people collecting the shopping carts? The quarter thing is universal in Germany.

[@jaynixon3129]

It's true, Aldi is the first to bring that system here on a large scale.

[@MilwaukeeWoman]

Yeah, a worker goes out to collection spots in the parking lot regularly and brings them back to the store. For once America pays more workers for something, lol.

[@minmatenx]

Yup, they out there in 100 degree weather, ice, and rain. Only called in if there is lightning. Typically they are paid the least, and worked the most.

[@nslouka90]

There are other stores in the US that do the quarter thing, not just Aldi/Trader Joes, I have been to Trader Joes that didn't have the quarter thing as well.

[@ToyInsanity]

Homeless people collect them to build shelters.

[@jessicatyus1384]

The most surprising thing I learned was the Trader Joe's is actually Aldi too

[@profkluk]

It isn't actually. It was just bought by the son of one of the Aldi brothers, it kinda belongs to the business construct but that's it. By the way Aldi sells some of their American products under the label Trader Joe's in Germany.

[@doylethelovely2555]

Remind me the time when a nearby bigger supermarket went out of business and the closest supermarket was like a very significant long driveway and the one place I was closest Trader Joe’s and it just open and not many people went there but by the time they replaced the supermarket which was like three years people just went to Trader Joe’s all the time

[@RomanTrollanski]

Nearest Trader Joe's it's 45 minutes away from where I live... And it's not even in my country!

[@s45gr32]

I did not know that. I believed that Trader Joe's was an American Company founded by an American.

[@starstrukk723]

Aldi is incredible 🙌🏻 As a latina I freaking love how the Aldi near my house (I live in Southern California) sells Mexican goods like spices, tortillas, MEXICAN CANDY, etc. Like the Walmart near me sells Mexican goods but isn't that accommodating. I also love how Aldi sells items from other countries. I had some German chocolates and they're so good.

[@skibalovesya]

Aldi is amazing when you're on a tight budget. I remember getting a week's worth of groceries for something like $11 back when I was absolutely busted broke. The only problem was getting there, but now the delivery service in my area offers delivery of Aldi goods. I don't care about brand name and I buy the same stuff just about every week, so if my items aren't on sale in the regular stores, Aldi is the best bet. Only thing is I wish that the store I work at adopted the "let the cashiers sit down" policy. I don't know why it appears unprofessional to Americans, it's the norm in Europe, and Aldi even proved based on studies that sitting cashiers are more efficient.

[@kimyona9746]

I wish it was like that in America too. But the reason why we're not allowed to sit down is because it makes it seem like we care about the customer more or whatever. It also cuts costs not providing chairs for employees.

[@niji.sateenkaari8835]

do american aldi cashiers have to stand? in Germany every supermarket cashier is sitting down.

[@skibalovesya]

@@niji.sateenkaari8835 They do sit. Sorry I was unclear, at the time I made this comment I was working at a grocery store that isn't Aldi.

[@pkdude5334]

I've seen them sit at my local Aldi pretty regularly. It's basically a bar stool.

[@MircoWilhelm]

ALDI: Why Walmart failed in Europe

[@-Anthracite]

europe is too strong and well organized wallmart stood no chance against the fierce competition they would have here

[@-Anthracite]

@Wolfgang Kleinschmit yes exaclty that is one thing europe is miles ahead from the us working conditions when i heard in america you have only 8 sick days in a year for comparision in germany you have 48 and a lot of these details who are just normality here are unheard of in america

[@Pibbolino]

@@-Anthracite *42

[@-Anthracite]

@@Pibbolino yes sorry 6 weeks a 5 working days plus 6 times the 2 off days its 42

[@sav7568]

You are right. Aldi is not the best but it sure is better than Walmart.

[@nicolasmarazuela1010]

Geologists: The meridian splits the world in two halfs. Germany: The world is split in Aldi Süd and Aldi Nord

[@hyperhummel9135]

Seid 1901 und random in den Kommentaren hier

[@SevenJetC]

Raise your hand, I am Aldi Süd!

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

Some of the world's brands are split: ALID Nord and Aldi Sud/Hofer Hardee's and Carl's Jr. Burger King and Hungry Jack's T.J. Maxx and T.K. Maxx Rally's and Checker's Kwik Trip and Kwik Star Exxon/Mobil and Esso Caltex and Chevron/Texaco Walmart and Asda Toys "R" Us and Toys "R" Us Canada BP/Amoco and BP/Aral Kmart U.S. and Kmart Australia/New Zealand Sears U.S. and Sears Mexico

[@honigmarmeladenbrot1]

Ein Kickers Fan :O Grüße aus Frankfurt ;)

[@nicolasmarazuela1010]

@@honigmarmeladenbrot1 bist der Erste, der auf diese Weise reagiert :D Grüße von der anderen Main Seite!

[@Mitch-do4pz]

I live in New York and aldi has transformed my life.I am addicted I save at least 35 percent on my food budget and the products are excellent!

[@Yoshi-nx5tw]

I remember reading an article talking about why Aldi is so great, and one of the points that was brought up was how the store is set up Everything that is important like dairy products, bread, pasta, meats, etc. are all stored on the outside of the store, so all you need to do is walk around the store once and you'll have pretty much everything you need, And the lack of music is to make the store not feel as welcoming as other stores (by that I mean other stores want you to stay for longer so you have more of a chance of buying stuff you don't need) which leads to people leaving the store sooner, it’s a great system that doesn't keep people hanging around just browsing the shelfs which can congest a small store. They also have other stuff like cleaning chemicals/powders, snacks and random stuff that usually changes around like airfriers, bedding, books, cookware and just a load of other stuff that you might need in the center of the store. So if you want a store that is set up so you can get in, get what you need, then get out as fast as you can while leaving with everything you need, Aldi is the best store for that.

[@Foatizenknechtl]

can confirm. 1 turn around the store takes around 5 minutes and you pass by nearly everything, walk down the middle way too (things there are mostly not bought very often tbh) and youve seen it all.

[@akwila_of_llyr]

Aldi also pays their employees a decent wage AND lets the cashiers sit.

[@jur4x]

I thought all stores allow their cashiers to sit?

[@TopShot501st]

But they have like 3 total people working at stores. And they do everything.

[@akwila_of_llyr]

@@jur4x its extremely uncommon to see any cashier sit while working in the US unless they have a medical need.

[@jur4x]

@@akwila_of_llyr Oh, ok. It's just that here, this side of Atlantic, I've always seen chairs at cashier's position which they usually use. Unless they want to stand up. It's not always the case at smaller convenience stores or petrol stations though. At those places there might be a chair or stool tucked away in the corner, so that they can sit down when there are no customers or there is nothing else to do in the store.

[@spooks196]

American leadership believe that the consumer needs to see an employee suffer a little, makes them think work was done for their money.

[@madelainestate110]

I love that he says aldis are small, coin in carts, short hours and no free bags etc... yea in Australia that's every grocery store. I've lived in America and Australia. Aldi has it right, we don't need 40 types of popcorn.

[@terryofford4977]

Exactly, anyone into 'Cost Analysis' will see immediately where the German Company is coming from, In Australia, for example, a Swing Dual Mixer Tap is sold by ALDI at $49.95, go visit ANY plumbing outfit in Australia and you'll find the the same or similar taps, Starting price is from $400.00 up (Yup same style,made in China too) then there's the cost of fitting by a "skilled' Plumber (Ozzie style) another several hundred dollars such a tap can cost around $1500 dollars, therefore ALDI have a better alternative.

[@oscarbogenberger-damsell4047]

I think that it's just the us who don't put a coin in the cart

[@logannoble6707]

I agree with everything except the coin in carts. Every supermarket/grocery store I've been to in QLD doesnt require coins for the trolleys.

[@jenshep1720]

@@logannoble6707 i think those coins are also there to prevent people from stealing the trolleys. at least in germany our school children regularly pull that crap for some reason.

[@katofffel4387]

its the same in germany and many other european countrys

[@shibolinemress8913]

Having lived in Germany for almost 40 years now, I'm so used to shopping at Aldi and similar stores that I sometimes get sensory overload and decision fatigue when shopping in the US. There are merits to limited hours, within reason of course. They force you to plan shopping trips ahead so that you usually don't end up desperately needing something at midnight. Also don't forget that zoning codes are very different here in Germany, so that most residential areas have shops within easy walking distance. This makes smaller shop sizes with more locations much more effecient. I LOVE shopping without music! I either have my own music on my headphones and don't need shop music conflicting with it, or I'm shopping with a friend, in which case I want to talk to them without being distracted by music or radio. My local shop also has reduced lighting, very good for reducing visual overstimulation. The only thing I don't like is that you have to be quick when bagging your own things, because the cashiers wait for no one, and the people behind you can be very impatient and pushy.

[@sleepful1917]

grocery store music is awful being able to shop in peace sounds amazing

[@Krustenkaese92]

I love how dismissively this guy talks about the 'shopping experience' at ALDI. Like, who cares if there's no music, dude? Who cares if you have to bring your own bag (which you should be doing anyways)? Maybe I'm in the minority here but I don't go to a freaking grocery store to have 'an experience', as if it's a theme park. I go there to get the stuff I need and get out as fast as possible so I can do more useful shit with my time. ALDI gives me what I want for a good price and nothing more. Serves me fine.

[@conny_the_real7293]

Are you German? Cause that's just the most stereotypical german thing I heared in a while.... Love it 😂

[@hugobromme1428]

@@conny_the_real7293 Having better things to do with your time than hanging around in shopping centers for hours is a typical German thing? That's news to me. Well, you never stop learning, I guess.

[@moelr_]

@@hugobromme1428 Hugo mein Großer leg dich wieder schlafen

[@hugobromme1428]

@@moelr_ Wah? Wer bist du denn? Hat ALDI schon zu, oder was?

[@cstgraphpads2091]

@@hugobromme1428 Nice strawman.

[@seofanforlaif2727]

"Aldi is small; propably the smallest grocery ive ever been" Small? Laughs in German*

[@illford]

There's a massive one near me in the UK

[@lxaxv-6711]

@@illford I think what he was trying to point out is that Europeans are used to relatively little grocery stores which makes us not think that they are actually small compared to US' ones

[@minecraftmauelwurf3233]

Actually, as a German, I can say that, we have large supermarkets too, like for example Kaufland (eng. buyland). It's not as big as Wal-Mart, but still quite big. Aldi is a supermarket called discounter, which is Lidle too. Greetings from Germany.

[@thetomgamerboi6817]

@@minecraftmauelwurf3233 Aldi ist gut. Lidle is nicht ganz so gut.

[@minecraftmauelwurf3233]

ich mag beide irgendwie

[@alypialpha2712]

I went on a trip to Germany recently and realized how Aldi does their business is normal there. For one, you better have all your stuff ready to scan and your wallet out, cause the cashier is LIGHTNING fast! All stores there close pretty early too, which I was less prepared for. They really haven’t changed much between the American and German Aldi stores.

[@christianbuchs8029]

Basically everything he said is done by all german grocery stores (even the premium ones like Edeka or Rewe). Except that the premium ones doesn't leave the supplier packaging in the isle and funnily the discounter (Aldi and Lidl) have the good backeries in their stores, which are way superior to the premium supermarkets (if they even have one) and thats a big thing for germans because we love backeries.

[@peterbrazeal7171]

Honestly you got me with the the low square footage, I hate slowly walking around huge stores full of people traffic wasting time for the same 5-10 items I need. It’s the streamline experience I need in my life.

[@siimsimsiim]

In the EU it's normal for a cart to have that coin mechanism, and your ALDI opening hours are even longer then ours, stores that are open 24 hours are rare.

[@bassa8333]

The lack of bags is also normal here in the Netherlands, stores cannot give out free plastic bags anymore, they have to charge for them. Paper bags can be given out, but they are way more expensive and break more easily, so most stores don't have them.

[@ZLT_90]

I have heard the same about the EU. Customer service is just not as valued in European companies as it is in the US. Here in the US, there are so many choices of stores and restaurants that if one doesn't treat you well (except walmart for some reason) people will go somewhere else. So the stores have to do anything and everything to "suck up" to the potential customer. It's not uncommon for one small town to have anywhere from two-five large grocery stores.

[@ReeN1995]

I was about to comment the same thing, why would you need a 24-hour shop for anyway? For people incapable of planning out when to buy their shit? Only good reason i could think of is for those people who still need something to get drunk or simply because they are drunk :D

[@dalalala21]

@@ReeN1995 I agree, Probably only petrol stations and maybe fast food chains or something should be open for 24 hours

[@ReeN1995]

@@dalalala21 I completely agree, it's mostly like that in my city except for fast food chains we only got a Mc Donalds on the edge of town(the reasoning was that it could harm local businesses) and they used to have 24h opening times some years ago but not anymore. Maybe it's not worth it having 24h in a small town. But that pissed me off in my teenage years haha

[@davids5a2]

"This is extreme, but Aldi doesn't play music." How is being able to shop without getting bombarded with loud and obnoxious music EXTREME? You don't need coins. A plastic token in a keyring holder, often provided by stores for free, has the proper shape and size. I've never seen a store without this shopping cart system.

[@kuni2330]

Well it's supposedly for the workers along with the customers too. But I also find it obnoxious.

[@broman260]

The music they play in a typical grocery store is not loud. Obnoxious, sometimes. It depends on what it is. But it's never loud.

[@Kielomo]

On the coin carts, they hand out those plastic chips like free candy

[@oxybrightdark8765]

Are you in the US?

[@emjenkins464]

Everyone I know in the UK over the age of 18 has at least 1 trolley token

[@franzliebkin]

Cannot say enough good things about ALDI. A few years ago, my family was really struggling financially. I don't want to think about how we would have been able to afford groceries without them.

[@artemisia0553]

My family is huge on Aldi and Trader Joe especially. It’s a quick in and out because of the small building and few options. You don’t have to run all the way to the back just to get the milk or pick from many brands of the same item. Saves a lot of time and the eco-friendly tote bag thing is very nice too. Also a lot of their food is healthy.

[@saeeddali3145]

What do you mean by "shopping experience" ? For me I just want to be in and out as fast as possible and to have a good deal on my products .

[@alisher1984]

Yeah, I don't get this whole "shopping experience" either. I go to a store to buy shit, I don't expect to be entertained like I am at Disney World or something, lol.

[@mattm1686]

Shopping experience yeah I never understood that one either worked at Apple for many years and Yep experience Was overwhelming

[@timgeurts]

Albert Heijn, that's shopping experience

[@Thatslifebro_]

I work in a higher end Supermarket in Germany and while i agree on the "fast in and fast out" method and prefer it myself there is an audience for that. Senior Citizens at least in germany like the more expensive Stores because they can take their time in them, pretty much everything under the sun is on offer, there is always an employee nearby to give advice on recipes or give general information and because employees are actively expected to know everything in their departments and take the time to elaborate on things. So they have a nice conversation, all the information they could want and get out as relaxed as possible. People with special diatery needs. Gluten intolerant customers, vegetarians, vegans etc. I swear we have pretty much everything in vegetarian or vegan form and expansive Gluten-Free and ecological product lineups. Instead of 2 slots in a shelf there is an entire shelf dedicated to each of these groups. Middle class and above. With some people ive noticed it seems to be just because they want to cement their social status, others are coming because they wont need to go to a second shop afterwards to get something specific since its all under one rood, then the expansive fresh fruit and vegetable offerings that draw many. Of course the fact that we have hundreds of varieties of wine and hard alcohol is also helpful, if you want to plan a party there is just no getting around the more expensive shops. So its a luxury that if you can afford it can make sense and does to many.

[@OggerFN]

@@alisher1984 I'm from germany. Good shopping experience = leaving the store as fast as possible with as many of the wanted products as possible. Everything else doesn't matter (unless it's really filthy).

[@andershaukoos]

A nice secondary benefit about the "quarter for a cart" system, is that if somebody does choose to leave their cart out in the parking lot, another customer will quickly grab it just to avoid the quarter hassle. Again, leading to no need for employees to collect them

[@veryexciteddog963]

I bet at least one person has made it a hobby to go out to the ALDI parking lot every few hours and collect the quarters that people were too lazy to return. It's almost like they become the staff at that point, and ALDI doesn't even have to pay them!

[@JrShadowAssasin]

@@veryexciteddog963 that's happened quite a lot lol the security guard always greets them and tells them to go away.

[@RugieSK]

@@JrShadowAssasin Its crazy how these things are common for Europe people and you guys are shocked about it :D as long as I can remember (at least 20years ) it worked like that in shops in Central Europe

[@frederickarndt91]

VERY Excited Doggo in Germany they sometimes even put a 1 euro coin or a two euro coin in the carts so as a kid i always searched for money in carts standing around and sometimes i found more money in shopping carts then my parents gave me as pocket money therefor i always wanted to go with my parents when they went to buy groceries

[@harry68784]

@@veryexciteddog963 As a Kid i often went to the nearest grocery store and asked the shoppers if i can return their cart (in exchange for the coin obviously). The money earned usually went into buying some sweets, or a something to drink. The business broke down, after those keychains with plastik coins in them became more common. Of course, this was 20 years ago, so you could actually buy something for your coinage.

[@georgebardsley7129]

7:14 This is actually very common in Europe with a lot of supermarket chains. It does vary from location to location depending on how likely it trollies are gonna be stolen

[@yajiezhang7657]

I am a loyal ALDI customer and love ALDI so much. Can't wait to have the interview with them next week and contribute to this great company! Good luck to myself!

[@profix25lo]

The shopping cart system is literally in every kind of store in austria and i guess the rest of central europe

[@ericofantastico]

South-, Western-, North-, and Southeurope. K.A. von Osteuropa.

[@jacobobrien4267]

Not just Central Europe everywhere in the UK and the rest of Europe

[@Isa-cr7fd]

profix25lo and Australia

[@oaka5639]

ericofantastico: In the East only in german grocery stores, suddenly no one leaves carts behind

[@mariakiwi1428]

profix25lo pretty much all of Europe

[@rickrollmaster9000]

"They don't even play music!" You're not there to feel at home. You go there to buy groceries. Just bring headphones if you need music that badly. And american stores hire people to bring back shopping carts???? That's insane! Where do people leave them? Just in a random aisle? In the parking lot? I'm so confused

[@fuckinantipope5511]

Yes in the parking lot. They are to lazy to walk that tiny bit to bring them back. Stupid, inefficient and money and time wasting. Agree with the music. Why do you need music to shop groceries?

[@oliviabrownvlogs204]

At the stores I know they have a cart thing in the parking lot where you put all the carts and then the cart guys bring it back to the store area where they hold the carts

[@ElvishShellfish]

@@fuckinantipope5511 hey man, it's all about incentives. If Europeans weren't incentivized to return carts, or cultural norms didn't mandate it, you wouldn't do it either.

[@blueqiqi]

Andrew Dussault Yes I would. I don’t like making other people work because I couldn’t be bothered to walk 10 meters

[@LittleMissSmallPaw]

when I was in New York I was shocked to see dozens of carts on the side of the road! Hier wäre das eine Ordnungswidrigkeit !

[@bradberkely7448]

I've had a leg in both continents and some time like 8 years ago an Aldi opened up about a 10 minute walk from my house and I have gone there for 80% of my shopping ever since. I knew how amazing they were from Lidl and how similar they are. It was weird seeing it go from somewhere for proles to somewhere even snooty people shop at. It's now always packed honestly.

[@shanekeenaNYC]

I like the idea of opening smaller stores, too. It's shocking to me how in America we have all these huge stores sitting in acres upon acres of parking, half of which goes unused. I would much rather have a bare essentials store with amazing quality at low prices that doesn't take up a bunch of room.

[@HercadosP]

"In the US they go by another name... TRADER JOE'S" holy shit, this company is like 20,000x times bigger than I thought

[@MatthewTheWanderer]

The truth is, Trader Joe's was originally a separate company and was bought by ALDI later, and is still mostly run separately.

[@ckgSk8er]

@@MatthewTheWanderer it's 100% run separately it's owned by the same owner but just two different companies. But a lot of the business practices and cost cutting is the same as aldi that's why both are very successful.

[@FakeAssHandsomeMcGee_]

I know. The transition was very nice.

[@conor1821]

I can guarantee aldi would be bigger than trader Joe's regardless... Trader joes is in America and aldi is a massive international supermarket chain...

[@danielhorton9674]

Hercados P. Trader Joe’s and aldis are different

[@CHIMPOaGOGO]

Wait. People actually enjoy generic retail music? Not having music playing in a store is a huge plus, I think.

[@MilwaukeeWoman]

I like music. None uses Muzak anymore.

[@SableDrakon]

Fuck the groccery store music. I'd rather listen to my own selection.

[@AFrogInTheStars]

Sable Drakon well said

[@pinkpink-kb6dl]

I shop at aldi a lot and tbh when he said they dont play music I was surprised. Never noticed it lol

[@alidaweber1023]

You got that right. I hate piped in music. The worst is Christmas music.

[@matthewwest6920]

As a truck driver when you deliver to an Aldi distribution centre you unload it all yourself, saving on staff costs. Even more efficiencies compared to other supermarkets.

[@speedy6323]

You basically just described every European supermarket. Like the coin slot you have to use to release the interlocked shopping cards (and which springs back out when you reconnect your cart with other cards, btw) You also pay for plastic bags these days in basically every European supermarket and yes, we usually don't have 4000 different brands from a single product. And that Supermarkets have their own product lines is also very common

[@pitaya4151]

As an European, I had my face dropped 70% of the video, I didn't know that NA didn't implement stuff like the manual carts and bags and everything, really

[@Reluxthelegend]

@Enclave Officer 117 Yes, you're too busy being overworked

[@couch9416]

Well who needs things like enviornment friendliness anyways. Just give plastic bags to everyone and hire someone to putaway carts

[@idklike3210]

@@couch9416 yeah but the stuff becomes more expensive

[@jamesguitar7384]

@Enclave Officer 117 Always with the self perceived exceptionalism . Do you really think people in other countries don't get busy too ?

[@jamesguitar7384]

@Enclave Officer 117 I didn't know that . I feel stupid now and humbled.

[@Shadorin2]

This video triggered every european watching it. Me included. Paying a guy to put back shopping carts. The pointlessness, the decadence. I'm slowly turning Soviet just thinking about it. It's beautiful

[@tiffanym4202]

Years ago, the grocery stores would have someone bag the groceries for you and take them to your car. I suppose that was expensive, so they provided cart corrals in the parking lot and the customer would just leave the cart. Once the corral was full, an employee would bring them all back inside the store. Most grocery stores still use this system today.

[@Robidu1973]

@@tiffanym4202 *headdesk* In DE oftentimes you find cart stations scattered across a parking lot of a grocery store (and frequently also inside the store proper) so you have short ways for both fetching and returning the carts. You only see someone coming out and juggling the carts around if one of the station really fills up. If the lines are getting too long, some of the carts are shifted to a station with only few carts in it. However, that's not happening all the time...

[@illford]

You know you can buy one of those coin keychains right?

[@illford]

Nvm read your comment wrong lmao

[@imvine]

They are also paying guys that fill your bag at the counter.

[@Indyday]

Well, first of all if you want to hear music while shopping... take some in-ear headphones - connect them with your smartphone and play the music you want to hear. Also in europe it's standard to put money into the cart and get it back when you are done with shopping. For me it seems like a stupid idea to hire a person who is looking for the carts if the customer passes the parking section outside. Same goes for the staff that puts your bought items into the bags. American grocerie stores think their customers are too stupid to wipe their asses, put their groceries into bags or put back the shopping carts. And what sane person needs to get to a grocerie store at 3 a.m. to buy a glass of pickled tomatoes? And another point to mention are the "home brands" of Aldi. They will be manufactured in the same factories where the traditional brands are made. No matter if you want cornflaes from Kellogs or the Aldi brand or some wine. They are made in the same factory/location on the same machines with the same raw material. Also Cola, Toast/Bread and almost all other Aldi brands are made in factories of other brands. Aldi doesn't own any factories or wine yards where they produce any stuff... So the quality is 100% the same of established / known brands because inside it's the same product with other labels.

[@user-uj8gd3sz7g]

My husband and I have shopped at only Aldi's for 30 years and followed them in our town for three their location changes here.! We are in our late 70's and continue to be amazed at how efficient and money saving our experience is. We know where everything is and can get in and our within 30 to 45 minutes. Can't say enough good about them and their wonderful staff!

[@johan_r59]

This is the first time I learned that giving quarter to the shopping cart is abnormal

[@MrsTenshi95]

I don't know a single grocery store in germany without the 'shopping cart quarter' system. IF there are shopping carts then you have to use a coin to use the carts... I think only IKEA and very few gardencenters do offer 'free to use' shopping carts.

[@johan_r59]

@@MrsTenshi95 yes, and we all have a coin on our key chain to use when shopping

[@MetalRocksMe.]

- johymaster - yes we do! 😁

[@helloweener2007]

@@MrsTenshi95 We have a NP here in the city. It has carts without the Euro-Slot. But based on the experience that all other shops in my town has, I would say that 90% of the shops has a deposit system for the carts.

[@mathildewesendonck7225]

s fischer in my village there is a Rewe where you don‘t need coins for the carts 🛒. But it’s funny, that’s the only grocery store I know that does it in Germany, and it’s in my hometown. Fun fact: I‘ve never ever seen a cart 🛒 outside the parking lot in my town, like in other places where people walk home with the cart. Everyone returns them

[@CoinAtlasi]

This is what you should expect from a German Company %100 Efficency %0 Waste

[@fr89k]

Well... Germany is one of the biggest waste producers in Europe. We wrap all products in non-reusable plastics...

[@CoinAtlasi]

@@fr89kWell i was talking about profits.

[@CoinAtlasi]

@@stevenhossack83 Oh i did not know that. Well there is always exceptions. One particular company can not define whole nations culture of management.

[@heliosthor]

Volkswagen is also a german company.

[@LuisMan123]

@@heliosthor no shit

[@tomasmalchus8689]

It would also be worth mentioning the ways the employees operate there: 1. Since they're paying the employees quite above the minimum wage and they are treated fairly, you get a low turnover and thus saving money on training new staff every month. The employees stay there and already know what to do. 2. It's a small store, noone to collect carts, to bag your things and the employees do cash register as well as restocking the shelves (since you just put the boxes there, it's quite fast). Overall, for one store, you might get by with 5 - 6 people there. Imagine a Walmart with only 6 employees at a time...

[@dschonsie]

walmart would have to change their name in "get it and run"

[@fridadanke9076]

I know many aldi stores that size in Germany taht only have 2 - 3 employers in a shift

[@abby8437]

on the afternoon/evening shifts at mine we only have 3 people working, mornings is 4-5, sometimes 6

[@shorelinemafiaiglives9750]

@@abby8437 the one I used to work at, 3-4 people during the day. And 2-3 people at night. The one my mom works at, 4-5 during the day and 3-4 at night. But my store only made like 500-600k a month, while my moms makes 1-1.2 million a month.

[@punkisdead2662]

aldi is AMAZING for my sensory issues!! the lack of music, the size of the shops, the lack of overwhelming choice. it's so peaceful

[@danielamishkovska2833]

Who goes to grocery store here and have an "experience" ??? Get your things, pay, bag them and go. So simple and efficient. I love it.

[@tongpoo8985]

Ikr as long as its air conditioned and efficient, I couldn't care less

[@kevinkarhan7237]

That's a very german menthality, and that's why it's so successful - espechally in Germany. Heck, their only serious competitiors in the same segment, LIDL and NETTO, follow that formula to the letter.

[@jasperclydeinsd592]

Why would you compare the size of an Aldi to a Walmart instead of a Safeway or Ralph’s?

[@jasperclydeinsd592]

I hear you but when I had my newborn I relished my alone time at the grocery store that had a Starbucks inside and perused all the aisles and nice bakery section......it was my 1-hour vacation 😂

[@danielamishkovska2833]

@@jasperclydeinsd592 About that, no worries ♡♡♡ I did that too with my hour vacation ( in nicer places here) whille my newborn was taken care of :) Nice to know I wasn't alone in this :)

[@allisonasaro3815]

I love how Aldi doesn’t make their cashiers stand up, they look a lot happier and seem to work faster!

[@jensuwe22]

In Germany the ALDI cashier were famous for their speed. For several decades ALDI never had more then 999 different products, so each product ID had only 3 digits. This allowed their cashier to type in the numbers faster then those of other shops using barcodes. ALDI were the last shop chain here in Germany to introduce barcodes because of that

[@alfredkugler3043]

@@jensuwe22 And they only did that because they could no longer get the manual tills anymore.

[@ayoodreamz5574]

As a current employee, it is far more efficient. I’ve worked at other stores for a decade and had a decent 32 items per minute. At Aldi, I’ve far surpassed that and usually average about 39 items per minute.

[@trevorhatcher1255]

I make 20/hr working at a Aldi distribution center and I'm very happy

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

@@jensuwe22 Interesting fact. Perhaps if Americans were that effecient, barcodes would've taken longer to come into use here too!

[@darciek7175]

I love Aldi. They're cheaper and are really quick. You can be in and out in five min. or less if you want to. That is also bc it's a small store, so easy to get around, and you know where everything is if you've been more than once or twice!

[@Metal_Hed]

Because of this video, I'll give Aldi's a try. I live in a small city of around 15,000. We have a Walmart Super Center, which everyone seems to go to, A Price Cutter's, which is over-priced, and an Aldi's. Company Man, you make some very informative videos. Thank you.

[@TheWolfXCIX]

Were you converted? 🤔

[@jamesr1703]

When I lived and worked in Germany, there was an Aldi and Lidl across the street from my apartment. When I moved back to the States to Milwaukee, there was an Aldi in my neighborhood. Now another one is opening in one month to make a total of 6. The prices are great and I personally don't like the "experience" provided by American supermarkets. I want quality at a cheap price, not a 'greeter' at the entrance, for example.

[@Vicos]

The greeter is to reduce shoplifting, believe or not. Studies show making eye contact with a potential thief on the way in reduces the chance they will steal.

[@e.458]

You know what also reduces shoplifting? Paying livable wages.

[@Anson_AKB]

@@Vicos reducing the number of customers by having creepy greeters (what is considered to be creepy may be a matter of culture and habits, smalltalk in the usa vs effectivity and personal space while shopping in germany) also reduces the number of 'potential' shoplifters (no customers = no shoplifters). and in an almost empty store you can have better surveillance on each of the few remaining customers, creeping them out even more when employees follow each of them around (to be there to 'help' at any time :-)

[@illford]

@@Anson_AKB same in the UK, you don't want someone looking at you, especially if your with kids. It's just a bit creepy

[@Anson_AKB]

@@lxaxv-6711 but YOU seem to understand no english. where did he say that he worked "in Aldi"? and even if he did, what do you want to achieve with all the crap your are telling?

[@noobster4779]

Fun fact: When Aldi (North) has its "America week" every now and then with "typical american products" they are always sold under the trader joes brand here in germany :D

[@jasperpluk]

same here in The Netherlands, now i know what the Trader Joe brand is from xD

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

@@jasperpluk Yeah, at least they found some use for the name outside the US. Thank us for giving the world something back!

[@1908augusto]

Is Aldi Nord in Germany?

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

@@1908augusto Yes, it serves the northern portion of Germany. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldi

[@Antwannnn]

isnt that when they just stereotype America and have hotdogs, hostess products, etc.? lol I've heard that some places that have "America week" just use that as a marketing tool. Such as, Japan or China I forgot, sell chicken and claim it's what Americans eat for Thanksgiving (but we eat turkey).

[@allgoodmusic86]

Why I love Aldi - it's not a "hem and haw" kind of grocery store. You get what you need,, pay at the cashier who tosses all the groceries back in the cart, bag up your groceries, and get out. You're not disco dancing to the music, just getting your eggs and bread and moving on. I'm in and out at Aldi, frequently, in under 20 minutes. A "big shop" may take 30 minutes. When I was growing up and going to Safeway with my mom, I seem to remember being in the grocery store for at least an hour! That was her figuring out which brand green beans to buy, and then stopping to talk to ....well, it seemed like everybody she saw, and then more of figuring out which cereals to get, all while going up all 16 aisles! Not me. Get in. Get out. Get my quarter back. 🤣

[@teresauntalan6828]

Aldi normally has everything I need. I don't need music to do my shopping, i'm not in there long enough for that. I like the idea of their small stores, no extra temptation to purchase items I don't need.

[@luclarbi4739]

bags always costs something in the EU its a EU law the quarter thing is also standard in the EU but it’s a € 0,50 €1,- or €2,- coin since they are all the same size

[@Sarcastix7]

Except it's a 2 euro coin

[@AndrewPlattMusic]

Same with canada

[@falk2009]

@@Sarcastix7 Thankfully its not as specific, in my local one you can put 50c, 1€ and 2€

[@janweber2889]

@@Sarcastix7 In Spain & Portugal it's €0.10 per bag, with a discount for biodegradable bags.

[@fatscooterlady2263]

@@janweber2889 Both are shit options tbh, better bring a real bag

[@MegaCookieCrafter]

Walmart: "Let's conquer the German market" Germany: "I dont think so" Aldi: "Hold my beer..."

[@lexobischof7069]

Snogers Yes that’s how the Germans defeated the Americans not in WW2 but with a Supermarket Brand hahah

[@pouncepounce7417]

@@lexobischof7069 My stance was always that Hitler was an idiot, (luck for us though). If he had bought his way around the world we all would speak german today and eat cabbage soup morning miday and evening

[@pami333]

@@pouncepounce7417 cabbage soup? :D Well, good luck in finding it in Germany.. xD

[@frankfahrenheit9537]

@@pami333 Pichelsteiner Eintopf

[@SM-qo9gr]

Snogers hold my Weizenbier *

[@FirstNameLastName-js2ul]

I love aldi sooooo much . Their pretzels are unmatched

[@cropstar]

I'd love it they played some German Thrash Metal as I shopped to psych me up for Aldi packing challenge!

[@fuwad84]

Aldi is what you get when you ask an engineer to design a grocery store.

[@kevinkarhan7237]

Exactly! It's typical German [engineering]: Not the best spec-wise on paper, but the best performing with the highest efficiency. ALDI is the StG-44 or FP-45 of grocery stores: They can open new ones faster than they can staff them.

[@titojesusmane9540]

@@kevinkarhan7237 I like how the best example you could give were guns, not something like cars or airplanes LMFAO. ( Not knocking Aldi's, hands down my favorite store )

[@umangjain7345]

@@kevinkarhan7237 bro nailed ir with the comparison lol

[@SaltyBanjos]

I thinking of engie from tf2 lmao

[@jamesslick4790]

@Mcillsonn Nope, he's probably from Germany.

[@jonsikrilz5633]

Almost every Aldi that I have been to lets customers re-use the empty product display boxes to hold groceries.

[@sebastiankonigsperger8237]

Isnt that normal in the US? Every supermarket allows that here in Germany

[@cpMetis]

@@sebastiankonigsperger8237 Nowhere but Aldi will have the empty display boxes even visible to the public. At least, not big stores.

[@charleyl.3681]

Bro are you blind aldi is the worst

[@sweetpeabee4983]

@@charleyl.3681 Lmao I love how you've made it your life's mission to let *everyone* on every comment thread to this video know that, in fact, "Aldi is the worst." How did they hurt you, Flat Earther? Did one of their carts steal your quarter one time?

[@mucsalto8377]

@@charleyl.3681 your Nick disqualifies you for any critics

[@sezwo5774]

ALDI w i l l become Nr1 store in the USA, ...just a matter of time. I love the impersonality aspect of shopping at ALDI. I am European and I like to go to a store buy my stuff, pack it and leave... not to be greeted, chit-chatted, fake smiled, asked how was my day etc. by people whom I don't know i.e. store employees. I like that ALDI cashiers are allowed to be seated! This should have been mentioned in this video as it is the only grocery chain in the USA that allows its cashiers to sit while working.

[@rogerzalos2851]

Aussie here, Aldi saved my ass because of everything going up whilst my families pay gone down, interestingly our ALDI requires you to have a $1 or $2 to use an trolley, plus the car park is tiny so you HAVE to put it back, cheers to Aldi and their delicious yet cheap alcohol

[@pijacka5949]

I live in Slovenia and most of these "cost saving methods" is the way almost all stores here function.

[@sif_2799]

Literally everywhere in Europe. But guess what, by American standards we're all communists xD

[@graup1309]

Yup, same in Germany, honestly. The biggest thing in Europe I think is that they don't carry a lot of variety. Which is why I don't shop there. I can't get all the food I need on a daily basis there and I prefer to just go to one store. I also don't think the difference in price is that big. Also the wine is cheap but still good, so that's a plus.

[@aristotel2094]

pijacka Yo zakaj se Aldi v Sloveniji imenuje Hofer tho 😳

[@Katharina-rp7iq]

Closest thing to american supermarkets I personally know is, ironically enough, a very quality oriented italian specialty store. The difference is the italian specialty store sells excellent quality spices and unusual types of cheese you wouldn't get in a regular store for example, while the american one sells lots of crap in all the colors of a rainbow and anything else you might see on tv.

[@arandomhungarian1659]

lol ikr

[@thewave1983]

Aldi is basically the Marines of grocery stores for its employees. Everyone does everything at the store, and the second there's downtime, cashiers are stocking, mopping, and other things. This means they can hire fewer people, but those fewer people do get paid better than most grocery stores.

[@acegarr9610]

Can confirm currently work at aldis. Anytime we dont have someone in our lines we get up and stock shelves, pulls boxes, clean registers, or any other busy work we can find. Great job and company to work for.

[@Ma5jay5dontxdoxthat]

Which I actually like that people know that. There have been so many jobs that I've work that tell me that this is my job description then ask me to work outside that or (usually)above my pay grade

[@gabejordan]

I work at a skechers shoe store and that’s what we do too. It’s a huge store, but there are usually only 2-4 employees working at a time. No one stands around. You’re either helping customers, stocking shelves, cleaning, cashiering, fixing displays, or putting shoes away. I hate standing around and I appreciate that pace. I always feel useful and productive. It can be pretty exhausting though.

[@mercurialmagictrees]

Ace Garr I wish they would have hired me for their manager trainee position, I have bachelors degree in communications and I have retail experience. oh well I work at home depot in flooring and it's hard work but it's fun.

[@Ma5jay5dontxdoxthat]

@@mercurialmagictrees I mean it could be that they found someone with more experience on top if having the same skills set as you. Places will usually always hire the person with previous management skills over anyone else for the position.

[@xHiNoTorix]

Fun fact: Aldi Süd is called "Hofer" in Austria. Same logo, same store, just a different name. The biggest warehouse in western Austria is located in the small village I live in.

[@TheGong00zler]

Other money saving things Aldi does: •Boxes- Instead of placing individual jars of jam on a shelf, we put out the cardboard boxes that the jars come in. It saves time & labor. •Limited staff- like it said if you paused & read the bit about an unlisted phone number, there are only 3-5 staff running the store at any given time. •Scanning faster at checkout- scanning faster means less cashiers are needed. We are timed & your individual score is released district wide so there’s definitely pressure/friendly competition to be the fastest!

[@maximilianseeger6713]

As an European, Aldi just sounds like any other discount store I’ve seen here (Aldi, Penny,Lidl, Netto), and the thing with the reusable bags or the shopping carts requiring some coin is the way it has always been here.

[@schoenwettersl]

Wieso redest du von »Europäer«, zählst dann aber nur deutsche Lebensmittelläden auf?

[@maximilianseeger6713]

Lucas Mueller Na ja, ich hab ne Weile in Polen und Ungarn gelebt, und diese Discounter-Ketten waren auch dort ziemlich stark vertreten (in Polen gibts Biedronka, aber da ist das Angebot nicht so vielfältig). Klar gibts auch andere Geschäfte (Auchan oder Carrefour aus FR, Tesco aus UK), aber das sind keine auf maximale Ersparnis ausgerichteten Discounter. Ich finde es halt spannend, das die Alleinstellungsmerkmale von Aldi auf dem US-Markt bei europäischen oder von mir aus deutschen Discountern völlig normal sind.

[@schoenwettersl]

​@@maximilianseeger6713 , ah ja. Die Läden in Irland, die ich gesehen haben, waren auch sehr ähnlich, das stimmt. Mit Discountern aus anderen Ländern, wäre das »Europäische« bestimmt noch deutlicher gewesen. Aber um ehrlich zu sein, finde ich persönlich die große Auswahl in den USA teilweise schöner als bei uns (man kann es auch übertreiben). Etwa Kaufland geht in diese Richtung, wie ich finde. Dass sich dann aber das europäische Konzept in den Staaten durchschlägt, ist echt interessant.

[@ReeN1995]

@@schoenwettersl Man muss aber auch bedenken das manche shops in der USA anderen regulierungen folgen müssen. Als arbeiter bist du bestimmt in deutschland oder europa besser aufgehoben.

[@jantschierschky3461]

That's been case for 40 years. Before got bags etc free. Law got changed.

[@nomad_geek]

1) I for one appreciate the lack of music. I want to listen to my podcast while I shop anyway. 2) The quarter thing is easy. I keep a quarter in the dash of my truck for this purpose. I call it my Aldi Quarter. (It's never the same quarter because they give you the cart from the person in front of you in line at checkout.) 3) You should have mentioned that they don't bag your groceries. They just put them into the cart again and you have to go to a long bench-like table at the front of the store and bag them yourself. I give Aldi 4.5 out of 5 stars.

[@thespazkidful]

Rookie mistake. Keep your bags in the car and just take your trolley to the car and bag them straight into the trunk.

[@hammer_ttk]

Over here in Germany the whole packing-your-groceries stuff is taken a whole step further. Cashiers just scan all the goods and push them on a little of area from where u have to take everything and put it back in your cart as fast as you can because you don't want to make everyone in line wait. Then u just pay and move your cart to an off area (mostly located at a window front) with a shelf running along the wall. U can use that area to relocate everything from your cart into your bags or backpack.

[@BeautifulAngelBlossom]

I like bagging my own stuff. You do that at any other store when you to the UScan .but I go to alid amlost every week

[@DSPZulu]

@@hammer_ttk Thats basically what it is in the US, except the counter literally ends at the scanner and the cashier just drops the stuff into a cart. Then you pull that cart away to a counter provided for bagging, and they take your cart for the next customer.

[@spyrojyro7202]

Just take the cardboard box that the product comes in. The employees don’t stop you.

[@littledancingfawn]

I’m getting an Aldi in my area!! They’re building it now. After writing emails to corporate (I’m sure others wrote too) for them to consider my area when expanding locations. I currently have to drive an hour and 40 min to the closest Aldi. Yeah! They should be open before Christmas 😁❤️ Aldi has me hooked on the 3cheese salad dressing.

[@GuNdEiGuRkE]

Where I live in Germany some friends of me told me that when they applied to ALDI, they were speed tested as cashier's so they would have as few lanes open at the same time as possible. It's so stressful to keep up with packing

[@magni5648]

At the same time it keeps the line moving, and nobody likes standing in line.

[@corey13]

Aldi owning both Aldi and Trader Joe's blew my mind.

[@Rick2010100]

There are two separate Aldi companies with the same name, but a different logo, only in the US one company has the exclusive rigtht to name them Aldi, so the other company used Trader Joe. The two Aldi companies are owned by different family branches, but as they are still member of larger family, they also met und talk about common strategies.

[@Wim2600]

Corey Condardo Over here in Belgium, Trader Joe's isn't known as a store, but it is the name of "our" Aldi's home brand of peanuts, nuts and dried fruits.

[@Rick2010100]

@@Wim2600 So your local Aldi is part of the Aldi North branch, they use the brand as they still have the rights on it - no extra cost for license fee or rights.

[@user-bl4oq7fd8d]

@@Wim2600 Fucking hell, I just realized that :P I wondered why trader joes was so familiar...

[@alice73333]

I Coming from Germany Trader Joes ice tea and nuts/raisins from Aldi Nord is the best. I always thought those products were from america because of the name. Such a fool 😂

[@DSPZulu]

You know, i shop at Aldi every week, sometimes twice a week... And ive never noticed a lack of music.

[@ReeN1995]

I honestly prefer it. Going there is not enjoyment, it's practical and that's probably a big reason for their success.

[@gareth-stuartogg7887]

They will sometimes play music at busier stores/times to increase productivity of staff and flow of customers, it's just not as effective to play it all the time as a lot of store music is on a loop, people who've worked in retail will happily agreed that hearing the same songs every day is torture

[@pelosuelto70]

Yeah my Aldi is pretty quiet now that you think of it... Then again I live in a town with old people lol

[@JakeSnake07]

It's like Dollar Tree's music: once you notice that it doesn't exist, you can't un-notice it.

[@coope5076]

Agreed

[@emilchristensen6056]

This very much puts into perspective the differences between Europe and the U.S. In Denmark and most other countries in Europe, all of the things mentioned in this video are something that goes for most if not all conventional supermarkets. Oh yeah, and don't forget your euro for the shopping cart.

[@bluecoat76]

As a American shopper I love the quarter deposit for the grocery carts because every Walmart or supermarket I go to all the carts are terrible. With Aldis' carts customers are likely to take care of them more for they are "invested" in them because of the quarter deposit, I know what your thinking that is silly but think about it you are most likely going to take care of something you invested in especially with money and Aldi knows your going to return the carts in a nice place near the store compare other stores which end up in the middle of the parking lot. I wish all stores in America would do so.

[@dsolis7532]

Welcome to another episode of “This is different to everything “ when is only different in the US

[@rspen2142]

I think these videos are mainly geared to Americans...

[@giancarlofeliciano2974]

@@rspen2142 they are you fucking idiot.

[@mohit_panjwani]

@@giancarlofeliciano2974 sfyicihch

[@RodolphosTechchannel]

Not just the us, I’m from Brazil and most people would find aldi weird, if not undesirable

[@jamesslick4790]

@@giancarlofeliciano2974 Why is he an idiot?🤔 He was explaining the possibility that any "American" slant is due to having a mostly American audience.