10 Ways Shopping At Aldi Can Annoy People

Shopping at Aldi can feel polarizing. For some, it's a one-stop shop destination for affordable produce, snacks, and staples. For others, it's a unique grocery experience that comes with a learning curve and several small frustrations along the way. Unlike larger traditional grocery stores that prioritize abundance and convenience, Aldi's business model is more stripped-down to stress pricing. This efficiency-forward model keeps prices down, but shoppers have to adapt to some of the noticeable differences between Aldi and their other favorite grocery chains.

From asking you to bring a quarter to grab a grocery cart to navigating a high-intensity checkout situation, Aldi can feel less flexible and more high-pressure than other stores. The store's limited staff and self-bagging counter can make customers feel like the chain is asking too much of them, and they're unsure whether these changes are worth Aldi's low prices. However, Aldi stores have a consistent and loyal customer base despite some common complaints about Aldi's systems. While there may be some annoyances, its business model is clearly working, as Aldi continues to change and expand, both nationally and abroad.

One idiosyncrasy that first time shoppers may encounter at Aldi is that its shopping carts require a quarter that it gives back upon return as a cost-saving measure. If shoppers are incentivized to put their carts back where they belong to get their quarter back, Aldi doesn't need to hire employees whose main job it is to herd carts back to the front of the store. This measure is one way Aldi can cut costs and save its customers a bit of extra money.

It's true that people don't always carry cash anymore. And, if they're not carrying cash, they certainly don't have any loose change jangling around in their wallets. The fact that you need to insert a quarter in order to retrieve a shopping cart from the front of Aldi does tend to annoy some shoppers. What are you supposed to do if you don't have change? You could wrangle a cart from another shopper on their way out, or beg the cashier for a quarter. But the Aldi employees are always willing to help in case you're in this sticky situation. Aldi even began manufacturing a small quarter pouch that you can hook to your purse or bag so that you always have a quarter for this specific situation.

Bagging your own groceries at checkout is a standard practice at Aldi, but this may catch new shoppers off guard. Instead of cashiers bagging your items, you are expected to move them to a different counter and bag them yourself using bags or boxes that you have either brought from home or purchased from the retailer. This part of the Aldi experience can prove divisive, with some shoppers claiming it feels efficient, while others say it is inconvenient and adds unnecessary time to the shopping trip.

If you're used to the normal checkout scenario of the cashier ringing you up and then bagging your items, this may feel awkward at first. Especially if the store is busy, you may feel rushed or like you aren't equipped to properly bag your items. Aldi frames this as a way to save money by not hiring extra cashiers, but many customers don't appreciate the trade-off, citing that they'd rather pay higher prices for groceries and have them bagged versus having to do it themselves.

Many people strategically engineer their shopping trips to try to be in and out of the store during the quietest times of the day. However, that might be more challenging at Aldi, where the store generally doesn't even open until 8:30 or 9 a.m. and typically closes around 8 p.m. (though hours vary by location). This means that stores are not even open for twelve hours, making shopping windows small. You're out of luck if you like to get your shopping done early in the morning before work or are craving a late-night snack.

Aldi keeps its hours limited to keep shifts shorter, needing fewer employees to cover all hours of operation. Additionally, Aldi employees on Reddit mention that they do their stocking early in the morning, so it cannot open any earlier otherwise there would be nothing for sale. Store hours fluctuate depending on the day of the week, on holidays, and by location, but in general, the shorter hours are something that customers claim takes some getting used to.

One of the more obvious cost-cutting measures Aldi takes is keeping staffing to a minimum. Having fewer employees to pay means that items can be priced lower, so there will usually only ever be a small number of people manning any given store. While this is a positive for your wallet, it may be a negative in terms of your shopping experience. Shoppers have complained that there may only be one or two cashiers working the checkout counter at any given time, so lines at the register can stretch on forever. You may find yourself waiting in line longer than you were shopping.

This is also an inconvenience if you're looking for someone to help you out. Since there are so few employees around, there's rarely someone who is able to help you out with a question or concern. With fewer employees, they are often extremely busy, so if you're looking for someone standing idly by ready to answer your question, you may be out of luck.

Aldi relies heavily on private-label products, with Aldi-exclusive brands taking up about 90% of its inventory. By sticking to these brands, Aldi can keep its grocery prices cheap. It allows the retailer to forego many of the costs associated with larger name brands, such as packaging and marketing costs. So, many customers cannot find the name brands they're familiar with and would buy at other grocery stores. While the private-label Aldi products generally get positive reviews, some customers still remain skeptical.

For customers with strong brand loyalty, this can be a total dealbreaker for future Aldi patronage. While it is a common shopping myth that you cannot find any name-brand items on the shelves at Aldi, you are not guaranteed to find everything you're looking for. Reddit threads are populated with people who have tried Aldi-exclusive brands and find that they just do not compare or that they do not want to experiment with its food in the first place. These Aldi-exclusive products are generally well-received, but in a culture where brand marketing encroaches into every corner of our lives, it may be tough to try products that you are unfamiliar with.

Aldi stores are traditionally pretty small, a fraction of the size of many larger supermarket chains. The smaller size does result in saving on overhead costs and speedier stocking times, but there are also a few disadvantages. This along with limited aisles and shorter hours of operation than traditional grocery chains can make for a congested and overstimulating shopping experience. Shoppers have reported crowded aisles with many popular stops getting bottlenecked by other consumers.

The crowds, even when not especially large, can make the store feel chaotic and disorganized. It can be overwhelming if you're new to Aldi as well, as it's difficult to shop without having to interact with several people during your experience. A good way to combat this is to try shopping at a few different times of day, and see when your local store is the least busy. This can make the trip less stressful and guarantee you some more personal space, especially if you enjoy exploring new items, reading labels, or otherwise taking your time while shopping.

One of the defining features of Aldi stores is its rotating and seasonal inventory. This constant stream of appearing and disappearing products keeps shopping trips interesting, but can also be frustrating to shoppers who like to keep their grocery lists consistent and re-purchase things once they know what they like. Because Aldi is small with limited shelf space, they stock fewer items and keep these items in rotation to save room for the stock they keep year-round. This means that many favorites, even non-season-specific items, are often lost to the Aldi graveyard.

There are even complete subreddits and forums dedicated to items that have been lost to the Aldi archives. These threads show how often Aldi shoppers mourn items they were able to get for one season and then never again. This instability bothers some shoppers more than it is viewed as an added variety to spice up their weekly shopping. One hack for taking the sting out of this aspect of shopping at Aldi is to hit the Aldi Finds aisle, where you can discover what items are in stock for any given week. 

On top of having to bag your own groceries, Aldi's speedy checkout process can be stressful in its own right. Aldi employees are measured on their ability to be quick and efficient, but speed isn't always the most comfortable way to do things. Shoppers often describe feeling rushed or flustered while their cashier frantically scans and puts their groceries to the side. This can be especially stressful if you have children with you on your shopping trip.

Speed counts at Aldi. Employees are timed on everything they do within the store, from stocking to cashing customers out. This efficiency keeps costs lower in the store, but can also result in a stressful shopping experience that leaves the customer feeling winded. Also, many Aldi stores have eliminated self-checkout or never had self-checkout lanes, so there is no alternative to the fast-paced process. For shoppers who want convenience and calm in their weekly shopping, this checkout process definitely throws a wrench in their plans.

Even though Aldi's decision not to offer free plastic or paper bags at checkout is rooted in sustainability and working toward a cleaner planet, it is still a point of frustration for some customers. People have enough to think about, so remembering to bring reusable grocery bags on their shopping trip is not always at the forefront of their mind. If you forget your reusable bags, you can either purchase Aldi reusable bags or purchase paper bags from the counter.

While this is a noble effort in working to reduce waste, customers find that they are constantly forgetting their bags and often end up having to purchase new ones. Reddit threads show this as one of the most common Aldi annoyances among both frequent customers and first-time shoppers. Some shoppers feel as though they're being nickel-and-dimed, especially when compared with other stores that offer free bags.

While customers rave about Aldi's low prices, the limited stock and smaller array of items is among the most complained-about features of Aldi stores. Unlike larger grocery chains that carry several types and variations of the same product, Aldi usually only carries one or two, if that. What Aldi products are available can depend on the size of the store, the location, and how much traffic it gets. It's also difficult to figure out if your store does carry a certain item, as Aldi stores famously do not have individual store phone numbers.

Commenters on Reddit threads and Aldi boards claim that they sometimes need to start their shopping at Aldi, and then go somewhere else to finish getting every item on their list. Shoppers will do this because of Aldi's competitive prices, but it is still frustrating to not purchase everything you need in one trip. The simplicity of Aldi offerings can be appealing to some, but others feel constrained by lack of choices, especially if they have certain allergies or dietary restrictions.