There’s no denying it: modern consumers spend a large chunk of their time and cash at the grocery store. And if you must spend both dollars and hours of your life perusing aisles of canned goods, sliced meats, and juicy produce, you may as well find a store you like in which to do so. For many, this beloved grocer of choice is Aldi, the German-owned discount grocer known for its self-bagging business model and large selection of private labels. With nearly 2,500 stores to its name in the U.S. alone, the buzz surrounding this successful worldwide bargain chain is, for the most part, positive.
But even industry giants aren’t safe from the looming cloud of consumer complaint, and there are certain conditions surrounding Aldi’s business model, products, crowds, and accoutrements that have left some with a bone to pick — and we’re not just talking about bones from a container of fan-favorite Aldi canned fish. From deals snatched in the blink of an eye, rude shoppers, and bags that rip, here are 11 things Aldi customers can’t stand.
Read more: Aldi Items That Are Completely Overpriced
Sold-Out Deals
Aldi advertisement – Hadrian/Shutterstock
Every couponer knows there’s money to be saved at the grocery store if you pay attention to the advertised specials. And Aldi, a discount grocer offering savings from the get-go, provides shoppers the opportunity to save even more by taking advantage of its “weekend deals” — specialty short-term sale prices on select items that are often advertised in mail ads, or on the company’s website.
Sounds perfect, right? Well, yes … assuming the advertised products are still waiting on store shelves when you get there. Unfortunately, some shoppers report that their local Aldis are often cleared out of deal items by the time they head in — and the result, as you might expect, is some major frustration. “The Aldi supermarket near me will routinely put out flyers with a really good deal on front page that says ‘weekend only deal,'” said a perturbed Redditor. “The deal will be something incredible like baby back ribs for 1.59 a pound or sirloin steak for half the price you would normally see. For the past year […] these deals are sold out 100% of the time I get to Aldi no matter what.” Self-professed Aldi workers on the thread recommended that, despite the flyer’s emphasis on weekend deals, buyers should shoot to go in on Wednesdays — the actual day that deal items are allegedly stocked. This, they insist, might be your only shot at snagging high-priority items, so keep this in mind when scanning your next flyer.
Close-To-Call Expiration Dates
Reduced food labels – Peter Dazeley/Getty Images
It’s a bit of a double-edged sword in the grocery universe: close-to-expired foods. Generally, a salad kit or a tub of yogurt slapped with a soon-to-be-expired sticker equates to extra savings, and consumers often jump on these ambiguous deals requiring a quick store-to-table turnaround. However, too much of a good thing can begin to feel frustrating. When it comes to Aldi, close-to-call expiration dates appear to be a bit of a disappointing norm for shoppers who’d rather have an extended time frame to consume their goods.
Multiple threads on online discussion platforms suggest that short expiration dates on Aldi’s foods are an expected, albeit lesser-liked, repercussion in regard to its reduced-price products. Some consumers surmise that supplying knick-of-time goods is part of the company’s overarching business model, allowing the grocer to offer them at the superior discounted price points for which it is known. Whether or not this is true, the fact of the matter is that some annoyed customers choose to stave off buying certain foods — namely meats, fish, or other perishables — due to the reality of these shorter-lived stickers. It is what it is.
Inconsistencies In Quality Between Locations
Aldi corner store location – jennywonderland/Shutterstock
Many people attribute the success of dominating fast food companies, such as most-valuable chains Starbucks and McDonald’s, to their location-wide consistencies in menu, taste, decor, and ambiance. Likewise, popular grocery chains strive for much of the same, with similarities between location decor, organization, signage, departments, and products providing a comforting sense of familiarity for consumers all over the United States and the world. Unfortunately for Aldi, however, customers often report inconsistencies in multiple vital areas — and some of these have even had shoppers questioning their loyalty to the discount chain in the first place.
Consumers online often engage in discussions centered around the well-established “hit or miss” feel regarding Aldi’s U.S. locations. Disappointing or superior produce, unkempt aisles versus spotless floors, and poorly-stocked goods against bursting shelves in one Aldi store versus another are all frequently brought to light by shoppers — leading us to conclude that there must be something to this stigma of store inconsistency. Still, the good news is that with so many stateside Aldi locations, you should theoretically be able to find a “good” one near you … fingers crossed, anyway.
The Chain’s Quarter-For-A-Cart Policy
Locked Aldi carts lined up – Marco Rosario Venturini Autieri/Getty Images
Aldi’s discounted prices are driven by a number of deliberate decisions that eliminate costs. One of these is minimal staffing and, subsequently, fewer paychecks — and one of the positions Aldi intentionally leaves off its roster is a cart runner. This is because the company’s carts remain locked outside of the store until a shopper inserts a quarter to release one. Then, in order to remove the quarter afterward, said shopper must return the cart themselves to the lineup and release the coin. On Aldi’s official online FAQ page, the company insists that this unique cart method assists in keeping price points low, since a cart runner need not be hired to collect carts left by customers in the parking lot.
But while shoppers may be able to see the logic here, it hasn’t stopped some from becoming annoyed with the policy. “Aldi needs to understand that most of us are cashless,” raged a user on Reddit under a thread discussing the controversial cart situation. “They need to put a machine in the store where we can get change for a dollar […] Got lucky a customer had a spare quarter. Going to keep this quarter with me just for aldi’s for now on.” Many self-professed Aldi frequenters have, in fact, admitted to designating a single quarter to fulfill the often-disputed Aldi shopping cart requirement, and that the coin lives in their vehicle at all times. Not a bad idea, if you ask us. You can also buy reusable fake quarter keychains that you could attach to your car keys so you’d never find yourself without that crucial cart token.
Lack Of Cart Etiquette Among Shoppers
Shopping cart in aisle – Isabel Pavia/Getty Images
You’re likely familiar with the slightly awkward feeling of trying to navigate a crowded grocery store aisle, bulky cart in hand. But while most of us would probably profess that we try our best to accommodate others as we meander about, the same allegedly cannot be said for a select number of Aldi shoppers, according to online reports. Irritated users on discussion platforms often share that cart etiquette seems to be severely lacking among a percentage of customers to the grocery chain — and that it often creates maddening aisle jams.
Complaints about shoppers moving in groups and blocking aisles, carts parked in a perpendicular fashion and cutting off lanes, and customers taking a purportedly obnoxious amount of time deciding on items while a line remains trapped behind them abound in regard to the celebrated grocer. The problem appears to have been amplified by Aldi’s alleged recent shift to carts large enough to accommodate two children, all while keeping aisles the same width; thus, contributing to the clogging problem. Still, the calamity could be curtailed if everyone works simultaneously to consider fellow shoppers around them — so keep this in the back of your mind the next time you’re standing in an Aldi, trying to decide whether or not to purchase its long-lasting English muffins.
The Company’s Paper Bags
Placing bananas in paper bag – Dani Ferrasanjose/Getty Images
With the phasing out of traditional plastic bags from many grocery stores, reusable fabric bags or recyclable paper options have become the new norm for many chains. This includes Aldi, which encourages guests to bring their own reusables from home, or otherwise purchase its branded brown paper bags during checkout. But according to the admissions of shoppers and Instacart employees alike, on your next grocery run, you should endeavor to bring a sturdy canvas bag rather than relying on the company’s paper creations.
As evidenced by numerous discussions and rants online, Aldi’s paper bags are severely lacking in quality. From handles ripping off, to weak material and double bagging, to tangling and difficulties opening, these available-for-purchase vessels just simply aren’t worth the investment, say the irritated shopper masses. To save your carton of milk or bushel of bananas from the unfortunate fate of falling out of the bottom of a torn paper Aldi bag, we’d recommend keeping a folded-up reusable in the back of your car at all times.
Self-Checkout Stations That Are Too Small
Self-checkout station in grocery store – Grace Cary/Getty Images
As long as you have an acceptable number of items, the self-checkout station can be a great way to save time — especially if there’s a long line in the traditional employee-manned lanes. There was rejoicing among self-scan-preferring consumers when Aldi first introduced self-checkout to select stores in 2021, and after a successful test run, the new technology spread to the company’s other locations like wildfire. Though it sounds like grocery heaven, trouble in paradise regarding these checkout additions is brewing among disappointed shoppers — and the dismay, interestingly enough, has to do with size.
According to a discussion on Reddit under r/Aldi, many of the company’s self-checkout lanes are too small for comfort. “I don’t know why they made self checkout so small. That’s the primary flaw,” said one perturbed user. “At my nearest Aldi the self checkouts running parallel to the front window have very small counters on both sides. I can’t fit my box on either side. […] I’ve looked at the layout closely. There’s no reason all the self checkout can’t have the wider shelves.” This same user outlined that a handful of self-checkout lanes are, in fact, larger, but that these limited stations are generally clogged by a line. If you need a roomier checkout space, we recommend being prepared to wait at either one of these bigger self-checks, or the standard employee-run checkout lane. Best of luck.
Cashiers Scanning Too Quickly
Checkout area at Aldi – columbo.photog/Shutterstock
It was 2021 when an article in The Mirror brought light to an incident that left an Aldi shopper in the U.K. severely shaken. A particularly aggressive employee working the checkout had reportedly scanned the customer’s items so quickly, she was reduced to tears by the end of the interaction. Food rolled to the floor, items toppled, and the woman said it felt as though products were being thrown at her — even as she requested that the checker slow down. Though it may sound unbelievable, it appears that questionable rapid-fire Aldi checkout has not been reserved for this single unfortunate customer.
Online, consumers and alleged employees admit that quick scanning is par for the course come checkout time at the discount grocer … and thus, it’s highly unlikely that any semblance of organized bagging will be able to take place at the register itself. This, Redditors outline, is why a bagging area exists at virtually every Aldi location — so that shoppers may haphazardly throw their scanned items into the cart, pay, and move to the designated counter for packaging. Still, regarding the incident in 2021, workers generally conclude that, fast checkout system or not, this particular Aldi employee was in the wrong. “As a former cashier I was proud of my speed,” said one user, “but I certainly wouldn’t give customers the impression I was throwing items at them, or let so many items pile up that they were falling on the floor.”
Leaky Aldi-Brand Food Containers
Aldi containers broken – ALDI Aise of Shame Community / Facebook
When it comes to leftovers, meal-prepping, and lunch-making, food containers have a starring role in modern kitchens. And Aldi, of course, produces its very own line of meal prepping containers, allowing shoppers a safe haven from the more expensive name brand options — such as the currently-bankrupt Tupperware. However, before you drop some bills on a sparkling set of food vessels from the popular grocer, you may want to consider whether or not those more costly brands are actually worth the investment, in this case.
Sadly, online reports point to some serious grievances among those who’ve given Aldi’s brand of glass meal prepping containers a chance. Issues with leaking, warping, and ripping lids abound in regard to the product, with some shoppers going so far as to allege they only had around two to three successful uses from the item before it went defunct. Ouch. While no food prepping containers remain perfect forever, shoppers should certainly expect more than a day’s worth of use before having to retire them. Sorry Aldi, but this is definitely a scenario falling under the “can’t stand” category for buyers hoping for a quality product.
Woody Chicken Breasts From The Meat Department
Raw chicken breasts on cutting board – Kinga Krzeminska/Getty Images
If you’ve ever bitten down into a woody chicken breast, you’re unlikely to ever forget it. With a slight crunch and a sickly, rubbery texture from muscles grown too fast, your appetite was probably lost in an unappetizing second. Woody breast is a relatively new phenomenon in the poultry industry, and is thought to have its roots in the rapid growth rates of chickens raised for slaughter. Affected poultry is coming out of a number of popular grocers’ meat departments, according to reports … and Aldi, consumers say, is sadly one of them.
On a post in the ALDI Aisle of Shame Community Facebook group, one grossed-out member posted a picture of their chicken from Aldi simmering on a grill, with a description that read: “Has anyone felt like the chicken breast have had a weird texture? It seems every time lately I’ve cooked it, it is up to temp but tastes like “rubbery” I guess? Kinda like still raw … but it’s not …”
The answer to the shopper’s texture woes, of course, is woody breast, and responding users were quick to point out that it feels like a consistent issue in the meat department of their favorite grocer. This suggests, of course, that Aldi may be sourcing its chickens from a supplier mass-producing the birds on an expeditious timeline — and many customers have ceased purchasing poultry from the grocer as a result. It’s a bummer all around.
Cashback Complications
Aldi receipt being held – Haelen Haagen/Shutterstock
It’s commonplace to receive a prompt for cashback from the majority of grocery store registers, and Aldi is no exception. However, some strange occurrences surrounding this feature at the discount grocer have some consumers raising their eyebrows — and even distrusting the checkout process from the otherwise-trustworthy chain in the first place.
Strange reports from shoppers on social media outlets regarding charges for cash they didn’t approve showing up on receipts has led to a sinister suspicion: that Aldi cashiers may be subtly approving cashback prompts behind shopper’s backs in order to pocket change themselves. While we can’t say whether or not these occurrences are truly shady in nature or simple technological errors, they are still worth being aware of as you proceed with upcoming shopping plans. Double-check those receipts — and then, go about your day happily with a car full of delicious Aldi groceries. After all, despite shopper grievances, this bargain chain sits pretty high up in the oracle of public opinion. We wish you happy shopping.
Read the original article on Mashed.
