The Brand That Might Be Behind Aldi's Fan Favorite Sundae Shoppe Ice Cream
While other grocery chains stock their store shelves with name-brand products, Aldi is known for taking a different approach. Most of the goods found in the German supermarket are from private labels, which are products created by a third-party and sold under another brand name. When it comes to Aldi's beloved Sundae Shoppe line of ice cream, shoppers naturally want to know the manufacturer responsible for the sweet treats. And while most stores never reveal the businesses behind their private labels, a Michigan-based company called House of Flavors may be responsible for creating Aldi's delicious ice cream products.
Just consider the similarities between Aldi's Sundae Shoppe Moose Tracks ice cream and the House of Flavors' version. Both contain the same ingredients, namely vanilla ice cream, chocolate peanut butter cups, and fudge (also known as "moose tracks" in ice cream parlance). While lots of brands feature similar ingredients, House of Flavors has a reputation that makes the association with Aldi even more compelling.
A family business with big aspirations
House of Flavors first began manufacturing ice cream in 1962, but really took off a few years later thanks to the purchase of new equipment. Because this new equipment allowed House of Flavors to manufacture three distinct flavors at the same time, the business was able to take on more customers and fulfill more orders. House of Flavors products can now be found in stores all over the nation, albeit under the banner of many different private-label brands.
On its website, House of Flavors states that the business is "a premier supplier of contract and private label ice cream products." While many private label suppliers are not able to reveal the companies they work with due to legal restrictions, the odds seem good that House of Flavors and Aldi would collaborate on products — especially since the companies have a history of working together (in 2014, Aldi and House of Flavors recalled a line of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream). Along with House of Flavors' position in the industry, Aldi has exhibited a preference for its private brand. In fact, reliance on private brands is an important part of the store's philosophy.
Why does Aldi sell so many private label goods?
There's a very thrifty reason why the majority of products in Aldi come from the store's private label. The chain is dedicated to providing affordable goods to shoppers, and private labels are much less expensive than their name brand counterparts. That's because name brand products must account for additional costs, such as advertising expenses and the research needed to create new items. These expenses aren't a factor with generic products, so they naturally cost less.
Aldi is famous for its other cost-saving measures, such as quarter deposits for carts and the lack of bags (the chain asks customers to use reusable bags when shopping at the store). While these factors make the shopping experience a little different than other grocery stores, Aldi shoppers love being able to save money on their grocery bills while also having access to quality goods. In fact, many of Aldi's private-label copycat goods come pretty close to the real thing, which means shoppers can enjoy treats like quality ice cream without breaking the bank.