Watch out Wal-Mart, Aldi is ready to storm the US
Filed under: Shopping
10 Top Store Brands
The German-based Aldi is making a new push into the U.S. market. The store is almost exclusively filled with its own brands, and has prices that are lower than Wal-Mart's.
Martin Ruetschi, Keystone / AP
Trader Joe's, which is owned by Aldo, has house brand items that regularly win awards and notice, from its Two-Buck Chuck wine, to items like chicken noodle soup low fat canned or refrigerated. Consumer Reports picked its granola as one of the top supermarket products last year, along with its canned peaches.
Cassandra Shie, AOL
Wal-Mart's profits had been going up and up during this economic crisis until recently, and one key ingredient to that success has been relying on house brands like this glass cleaner, but also for organic foods, paper goods, toiletries and household staples.
Cassandra Shie, AOL
7-Eleven's new private-label snacks include items like beef jerky, trail mix and gummi worms that will be available for hungry snackers who want a treat for their wallets as well as their stomachs.
7-Eleven, Inc. / AP
The new 7-Eleven line joins a host of upscale private label store brands that are giving a new life to generics, which used to signal "low quality" to consumers. Shoppers at stores like Whole Foods regularly choose the store's house brands, especially its 365 Organic line, over name-brand products.
Jeff Haynes, AFP / Getty Images
Supermarkets have long been the haven of private label brands, but rather than just sticking to things like paper towels and rice, markets like Publix are offering upscale items as well.
Luis M. Alvarez, AP
But supermarkets also still stick to the basics, like paper towels. Here, a shopper passes by Kroger brand paper towels inside the a Kroger Food & Drug store.
David Kohl, AP
Wegman's and many other supermarkets and drug stores rely on generics for over-the-counter drug sales. There's also a price war going on for generic prescriptions, with Wal-Mart, Target and CVS -- to name just three outlets -- offering 90-day supplies for $10 or under.
Cassandra Shie, AOL
Target also relies heavily on its house brands to appeal to cost-conscious consumers. Here, Target's house brand cereal shares shelf space with countless other cereals in the Super Target store in the east Denver suburb of Glendale, Colo.
David Zalubowski, AP
Costco has long had success with its Kirkland Signature brand, which offers everything from paper goods to meat at a much lower price than brand names.
Tim Boyle, Getty Images
What could possibly make a store less expensive than Wal-Mart?
The Aldi formula is to sell store brands almost exclusively. Shoppers in Europe have flocked to these markets -- In Germany, 90% of shoppers make their way to Aldi -- which have been traditionally low on frills. In the U.S., the Journal says, "prices are between 15% and 20% less than Wal-Mart and 30% to 40% cheaper than regional chains."
American shoppers are getting used to the idea that store brands can be good stuff and are flocking to even the most basic private labels because of price differences. Aldi is the master of store brands. The Journal buries this detail near the bottom, but Aldi owns Trader Joe's, and those store brands regularly win awards.
The German chain has about 1,000 outlets in the U.S., but plans to expand fast. Trader Joe's is already taking over the New York area. The Journal says that Dallas-Fort Worth is the first target area of expansion, with 25 new stores set to open. But you may be able to find an Aldi near you, even if you haven't heard much about it before.
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Are Generics Worth It? We've taste-tested top products and their generic equivalents to tell you which ones are worth trying and which ones you should skip. |
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 20)
1-13-2009 @ 2:27PM
Jeffrey Lanham said...
You have got to be kidding....Walmart watch out for Aldi?
Well we have both and Aldi and Walmart, at least the Aldi near Charleston, WV is a really poor excuse for a store with a limited selection of brands of crap nobody has ever heard of before.
We went and tried a few items but were not pleased with any.
Between the two, Walmart will get my dollars anytime over ALDI !!
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1-13-2009 @ 4:16PM
Ed said...
After shoppimg Aldi in three stores in statesI have to agree with Jeffrey, "You have got to be kidding....Walmart watch out for Aldi?..a really poor excuse for a store with a limited selection of brands of crap nobody has ever heard of before.
We went and tried a few items but were not pleased with any.
Between the two, Walmart will get my dollars anytime over ALDI !!"
Bring cash, have limited selection and pay for a cart to use.
1-13-2009 @ 10:31PM
Stacia Davis said...
Here in Morgantown, WV we have two Super Walmarts and an Aldi's within minutes of one another. I proudly shop at both.
Personally Walmart has ticked me off so many times with carts all over the parking lot that I will gladly insert a quarter in a cart to keep my car from being destroyed.
As for the no bags at check out. How many of you same people complaining about that shop at Sam's Club? At least at Aldi's you can pack a bunch of stuff inside the boxes they offer for free.
One big difference between Walmart and Aldi's is Walmart's hours are a lot better for the average family. Aldi's closes early, but ours is at least open from 12-5 on Sunday.
Alot of things are cheaper and just as good at Aldi's. I hate looking at the price of granola bars, cereal, milk ($2.69 at Aldi), bread including whole wheat (for less than $2), juice boxes, peanut butter, yogurt, chips, crackers, cheese products, cookies, and pizza in Walmart as well as other stores.
Heck our Walmart doesn't even offer gas incentives like some do, and I still prefer Aldi's for the bulk of my shopping. Yeah sure you have to be willing to try off brand stuff, but you'll soon have your fav. Also stay on top of the specials and there are bargains on name brand goods too as well as other household items. Good luck
1-14-2009 @ 6:03AM
Julie Patter said...
I agree with the fact that ALDI is nothing to WAL-MARTS. I had to go to a neighboring town last week and stopped at the Aldi store. Which I was told I would have to pay (just change) to use the shopping cart. I and the person with me then just walked through the store and compared it to other stores and WAL-MARTS pricing here in Bradenton, Florida is cheaper on every item we looked at except MILK. Milk was a dollar cheaper per gallon.
I found the store to be like SAVE A LOT,bring your own bags, and look way over the stacked bins the food was in for prices.
I and the people with me were not impressed with anything in the store. I go back to this town often for Dr's visits and would not spend the time to stop at an ALDI store.
1-14-2009 @ 6:55AM
ed forth said...
JEFFREY
I HAVE A VERY STRONG FEELING,OLD BUDDY THAT PERHAPS YOU ARE EMPLOYED BY WAL-MART/
EASYED
1-14-2009 @ 8:42AM
tom sheridan said...
You have got to be kidding....Walmart watch out for Aldi?
Well we have both and Aldi and Walmart, at least the Walmart near Charleston, WV is a really poor excuse for a store with a limited selection of brands of crap nobody has ever heard of before.
We went and tried a few items but were not pleased with any.
Between the two, Aldi will get my dollars anytime over Walmart!!
E-mail me at tomp1253@msn.com
1-14-2009 @ 2:03PM
matt gromaski said...
Is price the only motivator in choosing where to shop? I understand that saving money is important, but what about how companies treat their employees and how they effect the environment. By supporting national chains with bad practices, essentially your creating problems for yourself, your community and your children's future. One dollar = one vote.
1-14-2009 @ 4:23PM
Tim Cyrus said...
I agree and I am from Huntington and the same there I live in Florida now and they are coiming to there and they can't touch brands at Walmart
1-22-2009 @ 1:49PM
mgr5598 said...
I guess I have not heard of ALDI, but there again, my area is not on the cutting edge of new stores.
http://1energydrinks.com
1-13-2009 @ 2:35PM
Pat said...
Before switching to diet drinks my family liked Aldi soda. They had good prices on a case of cat food, and the chips were good and a resonable price. Their whole chickens were good, and the bread worked for us. We found the canned goods and soups were much cheaper and every bit as good as name brands. Since we switched to more frozen and fresh foods, and our family is smaller we shop less at aldi. Still for those who are looking for a bargain Aldi food was alright. My husband really liked their frozen chicken wings.
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1-13-2009 @ 8:05PM
jw said...
The reason the store brands are cheaper is because name brands factor in 30-40% for advertising I enjoy most of the items at Aldi and will continue to go there. As for paying for a cart, ypu get your quarter back when you return the cart :)
1-14-2009 @ 8:43PM
Kathy said...
As a military family we could not have survived without Aldi's. While I've always found their products to be comparable to name brand, their selection was severely limited. That has changed in recent years to the point that I believe that I could shop exclusively at Aldi's except for some non-food items (I think they have a little way to go in that area). My husband is now retired and we make about 4 times what he did in the military, but I will ALWAYS shop at Aldi's.
1-13-2009 @ 2:37PM
Mikey said...
Actually, Wal-Mart does need to watch out. I am a Wal-Mart stockholder and try to support them any way I can, but I always shop at Aldi first for groceries, then go to Wal-Mart to get what I can't get at Aldi. While some of the Aldi brand items are not the same quality as name brands, many of them are every bit as good, and the prices are much, much better.
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1-13-2009 @ 11:39PM
Ella said...
I am on a very strict budget and I have food to last the month at Aldi's. The children loves the dry cereal. Aldi's milk and eggs are little too much for my budget. I get those items at Kroger. I used to buy everything from WalMart, but it was way over my budget.
You said you are a stockholder, Hey, I am so tired of being POOR.
Will you share the wealth with me? please e-mail me and teach me how to buy stock in WalMart? Seriouisly! I know nothing about stock.
1-13-2009 @ 2:36PM
a said...
The Aldi near us had maggots in the sweet potatoes and you had to pay a quarter to get a basket. Also, there were no bags, or you had to pay for them when you check out (if you're green, you can bring your reuseable ones...). Quality far inferior to other grocers.
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1-13-2009 @ 7:45PM
Deb said...
Any store can have inferior produce at any known time. I can understand the maggots being nasty though-I would leave that store! Our Aldi's in the Tulsa area are really very nice and clean. Produce is usually pretty good. I have been shopping there for 3 years now and have only had two bad products and one of those was not even made by Aldi. They do sometimes have name brand foods, cute little clothes or shoes, and often carry wonderful chocolates from Germany or Belgium-yum! As for the quarter for the basket-you get that back when you are done shopping and return your cart to the basket area. They explain with a big sign why they do this. Also, the bags you can buy last a nice long time (the plastic ones). I hopefully remember to bring my bags with me, if I forget, there are always empty boxes enough at the store for me to use-we do about 3/4 of our shopping at Aldi.
1-13-2009 @ 4:21PM
jimmy said...
First, in regards to the quarter that you have to use to get a cart you idiot that will keep cost down because people will take the cart back and it will keep costs down since there really is not a need of paying someone to round up cart. Now, some things about aldi have changed with each new store opening and having more and better quality. It is much cheaper than supermakets in my area and includes Walmart. I think they will surpass Walmart. I have notice that Walmart has raised there prices several times. I will continue to go to several places to get my food and supplies and Aldi will be one of those places I will visit.
1-13-2009 @ 4:45PM
Pat said...
Actually unless your Aldi is different, you get the quarter back when you take the buggy back to the buggy corral. Never saw maggots at our Aldi and the store was always clean. The people were pretty nice too
1-14-2009 @ 6:55AM
susan said...
Maggots I can do without!! But any store can have bad produce. I refuse to buy my produce or meat at Walmart. Once got a cabbage from Walmart and I steamed it over an hour and it just wouldn't soften. Their produce looks like it will go bad within 24 of hours of not using it..Their meat, especially the ground beef, looks like it went through grinder one time only and at a large size..Yuck!! I guess you get what you pay for.. I personally shop Price Chopper in Upstate NY...Can keep both Aldi's and Walmart for certain items but nothing beats a local supermarket for the best items...
1-13-2009 @ 2:43PM
Sandra said...
Aldi's is a good place to shop for groceries.
I live in Augusta, GA, which does not have an Aldi's but was introduced to the grocery chain on a trip trip to Columbia, SC by a relative who lives there.
Their prices are wonderful! But If you are a brand name shopper, this is not the place for you. They do sell a few name brands, but most are store brands which I have found are really good. The day after Christmas my husband and I stopped by on our way back home, and purchased 25 dollars worth of stuff, that would have been at least 40 in any other store. For example, a pack of hot dogs for 65 cents, and a 2 pack onion soup mix that taste just like it's more expensive name brand for .49 cents.
Take my word for it, their prices can not be beat.
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