10 Reasons Customers Can't Stand Shopping At Aldi

When grocery prices rise, most people incorporate changes in order to spend less. Shopping at discount chains like Aldi can save you money, but banking that savings comes with a set of unique tradeoffs many customers find annoying, frustrating, or even view as deal-breakers.

Aldi has a lot of odd or what some shoppers might deem as unpleasant aspects. The German discount giant embraces its own quirkiness, encouraging shoppers to view it all as part of being an insider in Aldi's culture of thriftiness. The chain says it can save customers 36% off their grocery bill ($4,000/year on average), so most of the funky little details are rooted in money-saving choices. But there's also a sense that the Aldi sub-par shopping experience means you belong to something different and vaguely European that helps save some bucks on food. 

No doubt, many shoppers are obsessed with Aldi — but it's not for everyone. Here's 10 crucial aspects of shopping at Aldi that lots of customers can't stand.

Aldi may be a great place to save on seasonal holiday treats, but if you're looking for a smooth, easy checkout experience, prepare for line shock. There's usually only one register open and many Aldi locations don't have self-checkout terminals. 

After resisting installing self-checkout for years, the chain does appear to be making some changes to streamline the process in certain regions. Aldi's social media addressed the issue in 2025 responding to a customer who nearly lost it in a rant on X. Shoppers on Reddit claim, however, that Aldi's cashiers are more efficient than self-checkout. One remarked that, "The employees there are way faster than anyone I've ever seen use a self checkout ... And they're wiping everything down between customers, so I'd actually argue that self-checkout would be much slower and less safe."

The line to pay usually snakes down an aisle forcing customers to graciously (or not), jostle for position. Well-initiated Aldi shoppers insist that the lines move quickly so long as everyone follows the multi-faceted Aldi checkout etiquette –but when you just want to grab that frozen Mama Cozzi pizza and get home after a long day, the whole experience can be overwhelming.

One of the major complaints about Aldi is they don't sell many brand names. Even the small selection of name brand products they do offer, like Coke products, is usually limited to only a couple options. So if you need your caffeine-free Cherry Coke Zero mini cans, you'll be inconvenienced by having to stop at another store.

What Aldi does offer are "dupes." Shoppers speculate online that Aldi dupes are the real brand's overruns or seconds in different packaging. Some, like Baker's Treat Peanut Butter Wafers, taste the same as the name brand, according to Facebook reviewers, but other items are noted for being lower in quality. Happy Farms brand shredded cheese, for instance, is dusted with cellulose to keep it fresh and prevent clumping — but this gives the shreds a dusty quality and makes the cheese harder to melt. 

You might not mind the slight difference in some cases. But if your kid needs a Dulce De Leche flavor Cinnamon Toast Crunch, the whole store-brand vibe probably won't work for you. Dupes are only offered in the most basic flavor variations and package sizes. When you do manage to find a hidden gem Aldi snack you love, that's great, enjoy it. But plenty of customers think Aldi's knock-off brands don't taste very good. 

Aldi produce sections are tiny so the selection is pretty minimal.  Many of the fresh fruits and vegetables come in pre-wrapped packs which can hasten spoilage due to moisture trapped inside the plastic. There are a lot of comments online about how Aldi produce goes bad faster than produce from other stores. It's also one of the few retailers that displays items like cabbage, celery, and iceberg lettuce in areas that don't mist with cool water on occasion, so reduced shelf life is somewhat predictable.

This is something of a major pain point for a lot of Aldi shoppers. If you're working hard to save money, it may be worthwhile to adjust your approach to meal planning and purchase fresh produce elsewhere. Or maybe plan on shopping more often and buying the fresh items you know you'll use within a few days. 

In fact, Reddit commenters have ranked Aldi as being the worst place to shop for produce. If you need specific veggies or herbs for a recipe, you're likely to end up frustrated by having to double back to another store to get everything you need. At that point, you might wonder if you saved money.

Aldi anxiety is a real thing among customers — there's so much to know, and this guide might help you if you're a first timer at the store. First, there's the issue of bags. They aren't free at Aldi, so you must bring your own or buy bags. Assessing how many of the store's brown paper bags you'll need while putting everything onto the conveyor belt can be challenging. And as soon as your cart is empty, it should be wheeled around the corner so the cashier can toss in your items. These are some of the details that make Aldi unique, but they can be jarring for newcomers. Tall bottles like wine or olive oil, for example, should be laid flat on the conveyor or they could tumble over, adding to your potential anxiety.  

Once scanned out, you've also got to think about bagging your purchases. Before you know it, all your stuff is back in the cart and now there's pressure to pay quickly and move out of the way. Experienced Aldi shoppers know to go to the long counter at the front to pack up; it's definitely a different process from most stores.

Aldi's center aisle features seasonal and limited time offerings (aka Aldi Finds). It's also sometimes referred to as the "aisle of shame." Not because you're ashamed of the deals you got, but because you leave the store with random items you didn't intend on buying. You just came in to grab something for dinner or a few highly-ranked cheeses. What happened? Aldi Finds happened. 

The prospect of hunting for great limited-availability deals has its appeal so this is where Aldi really pulls people in. A Facebook group called the ALDI Aisle of Shame Community boasts 2.5 million members. But this kind of bargain hunting while grocery shopping isn't for everybody — many shoppers report being turned off by the swap meet vibes.

Wheeling your cart around the corner into the Aldi Finds aisle feels like entering a different store. After picking out mixed baby greens and brioche hot dog buns, you might suddenly feel like you're in a dollar store flea market. There's camping gear next to exercise bands underneath scented candles — and items are often jumbled and half hanging out of their displays. One commenter on Reddit remarked, "It wouldn't be such a mess if customers didn't destroy it." The bottom line is it can get chaotic. Aldi emphasizes and cultivates the fleeting availability of these items with its, "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" slogan, but for many shoppers, this cheapens the overall experience.

Aldi's approach to logistics and supply chain management is one of the keys to their discount pricing, so expecting to find all flavors of every item you're looking for is a fool's errand. The goal of good logistics is to nearly run out of everything shortly before stock is replenished. Scarcity, especially at end of day, is one of the ways the chain generates its cost savings.

You can ask your local Aldi's store associates what day they get deliveries to help ensure they're stocked up when you shop, but who wants to go to such lengths just to choose between two basic options? The whole situation requires shoppers to abandon expectations of getting exactly what they want every time. That's annoying for a lot of folks and can even be problematic for those with food allergies or specific diet needs.

Being out of stock is one thing, but Aldi is also constantly discontinuing items — so don't get attached to anything in particular. Sometimes you'll discover and love amazing little fancy foods you find for great prices. Stock up if you can, because longtime Aldi shoppers can recall the painfully short relationships they enjoyed with their favorite ghost items ... like the Wonton Crispy Stuffed Shrimp. 

While Aldi has been shown to be cheaper than other grocery stores for staple foods, a downside of their pricing strategy is that if you're a big coupon clipper, you're out of luck. The store simply won't take them — manufacturer coupons aren't honored by the discount retail grocer.

Aldi doesn't have club cards or membership discounts, and using the Aldi app doesn't offer additional savings benefits. This straightforward pricing policy is geared toward keeping checkout lines moving quickly and streamlining things for the global giant. 

The store's website explains that prices are already discounted and doing it this way allows for more efficient operation. This approach appeals to a certain mindset of customer that just wants to get the best price without all the hassle — and it's all part of that core ideology of carving out little nuggets of savings anywhere possible. But habitual coupon clippers and grocery store app savers report feeling dissatisfied.

While there are usually store staff in the aisles stocking shelves in the mornings, it's hard to find an Aldi employee on the floor later in the day. Customers have expressed frustration when searching for something and not finding anyone to ask for assistance. So it can feel like you're on the Aldi floor by your lonesome.

In fact, Aldi stores don't even have individual phone numbers. According to their website, it's all part of their model that minimizes store amenities and expenses in order to pass along savings. The chain explains, "Everything we do is to save our shoppers money on the food and products they want most. Rather than hire extra staff to answer phones and retrieve carts, our employees stay focused on serving our shoppers in stores. This saves us money, but more importantly we pass those savings on to our customers."

That makes sense. But for customers who feel they need a live person in the store to answer calls or help find items, this type of "barely-there" customer service model may feel inadequate.

Aldi's website explains the policy requiring shoppers to insert a quarter to access the cart helps save money and keep parking lots clean. Critics respond with stories of people searching pockets and cupholders looking for change. It can be frustrating if you don't have a quarter.

It can feel adversarial even though the quarter is given back once the cart has been returned. American shoppers expect to walk into a grocery store and use a cart without having to think about it or plan ahead. There are usually a couple stray carts to be found in the lot for those who can't find a quarter, but having to deal with this process at all can be a turn-off for newcomers.

Some Aldi devotees hang around the parking lot or shopping cart area, eager to bond with fellow shoppers over a cart exchange. This can be off-putting. Some shoppers have complained that, "Even with change on hand, those who experience social anxiety find it difficult to interact at the cart return ..."

Aldi stores are small by design. They're roughly a quarter of the size of normal grocery stores. Smaller means lower overhead expense, so this is a choice made purposely to drive the retailer's corporate mission of cutting costs and passing on those savings.  

As a result, however, store aisles can feel cramped (if not messy) when there are just a few other people shopping. Even when shelves are stocked, things can feel cluttered and haphazard. Some items are displayed in shipping boxes or stacked on pallets set on the floor. Additionally, no music is played in Aldi stores. In fact, commenters have remarked that shopping at Aldi can feel dreary. 

Store hours are also less convenient for shoppers. Aldi stores close an hour or two earlier than many grocery stores, and they're closed for more time over holidays, ensuring it'll be more crowded when they're open.