What is Aldi? Everything a newcomer needs to know about the new Foley grocery store

By Melanie LeCroy
Lifestyle Editor
melanie@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 4/22/22

Last week the ribbon was cut on the Aldi grocery store in Foley and the parking lot has been packed ever since. Have you wondered what an Aldi is and what all the excitement is about?If you are an …

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What is Aldi? Everything a newcomer needs to know about the new Foley grocery store

Posted

Last week the ribbon was cut on the Aldi grocery store in Foley and the parking lot has been packed ever since. Have you wondered what an Aldi is and what all the excitement is about?

If you are an Aldi newbie there are a few things you need to know before leaving home. While Aldi is a grocery store, it has its own unique way of serving customers. If you would like to avoid looking confused we have you covered.

Bring a quarter

Dig through your change dish and stash at least one quarter in your pocket. The quarter is needed to release the shopping cart from a chain but don’t worry, you will get it back when you return the grocery cart to the corral. While this seems strange in America, the land of the free cart, it encourages shoppers to return the cart instead of requiring the store to employ cart collectors and take up valuable parking spaces with cart returns most people don’t use anyway. The coin cart release is also very European.

Grab those reusable bags

Another item you should not leave home without is your reusable shopping bags. If you forget your bags or do not have any, you can purchase paper bags for 12 cents each when you go through the checkout line but make sure you grab enough. You do not want to have to get back into line to purchase more. Why you ask, because you will be your own bagger.

Bagging groceries

Once you finish shopping and load all your finds onto the cash register’s conveyer belt, be ready to bag like your life depends on it. As the clerk scans the groceries they are placed directly into the cart. There is not a bagging area like most grocery store checkout lanes. You have two options: let the clerk scan and place everything into the cart, pay and go over to the bagging area to sort and bag your groceries or get your bags into the cart quick and see if you can keep up.

Brand snobs beware

Aldi prides itself on providing access to affordable high-quality groceries. According to their website they have been number one for price according to the Dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index Report for five years running. They can do this by keeping their stores and staff small and stocking mostly Aldi-brand products. If you are a brand snob, you will find some of what you are looking for, but the real deals are in the store brands. If you prefer organic products, they have those in store brand as well.

Here are a few examples of prices from April 15:
1 pounds of premium hardwood smoked bacon $4.29
1 gallon of 2% milk $3.69
1 dozen large eggs $2.49
12 pack Pure Aqua Belle Vie brand lemon sparkling water $2.95

5 pounds all-purpose flour $1.55
4 pound bag of sugar $1.99

Selection

If you read the weekly ad, you might notice small text under meat prices that reads: “price valid thru 4/16,” or “Available Wednesday, April 13 while quantities last.” Aldi’s meat department is not as large as some grocery stores and they do not have an in-house butcher. If you see a deal you should go ahead and grab it because it might not be available the next day.

Aldi Finds

Each week you will see "Aldi Finds" listed in the weekly ad and they are worth a look. The items range from furniture and plants to cat toys and children’s scooters. There are TikTok channels and Facebook groups dedicated to the seasonal and every changing aisles so take a stroll past before you head to the checkout line.

Aldi has plans to open 20 new stores on the Gulf Coast spanning from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. Stores are scheduled to open soon in both Daphne and Fairhope. For more information visit Aldi.us.