Why Your Aldi Store Might Not Carry The Same Products Your Friends Are Raving About

While it's predictable that international Aldi stores differ from those in the U.S., you wouldn't expect to see as much variety in stateside stores — except there is. Frequent Aldi shoppers should know products vary between stores located just miles apart. Beyond product selection, prices can also fluctuate, and not everyone is thrilled about it. Some shoppers have voiced frustrations when they can't find certain items, particularly when it comes to items stocked in the Aldi "Aisle of Shame." Contents vary due to things like store traffic and demographics. Some stores may sell inventory faster, while locations in other neighborhoods tailor to local preferences. "We don't need ice scrapers in Arizona," pointed out one Facebook user.

However, one Aldi customer found that, while their neighborhood Aldi didn't carry alcohol, the location in the next town not only carried a wide selection of beer, but it had an actual brewery inside of it. "It's a bigger and brighter store with a larger selection of products. Sort of ruined the other Aldi for me," admitted the shopper on Reddit. Shoppers have also noticed that produce and other food items are priced differently between Aldi locations, even those that are not far from each other. "Even stores in my area that are 20 minutes apart in similar neighborhoods there's a difference!" wrote an Aldi customer on Facebook. 

One Redditor noticed a pattern while comparing different Aldi stores, "The stores in more expensive areas stock ... [a] Larger selection of those fancy meats and cheese, and more name brand items." In a post on Linkedin, former district manager intern for Aldi, Tiler Lively, explained that Aldi functions on a "limited assortment strategy" — meaning stores contain a limited number of private-label products to simplify the stocking process. Daily deliveries also operate under a "just-in-time" system, with shelf-ready products going straight to the shelf, without having to be unboxed or arranged. 

While quick and efficient, Aldi's approach to stocking means that one store may run out of an item while another still has it. "Aldi's stores are always an adventure. My closest store is out of something, and the clerk says it is a warehouse issue. Store 2 miles away has a million of the item," wrote a customer on Reddit. While there are locations where hidden gems are hiding in plain sight, and that's part of what keeps some Aldi shoppers coming back, it's burned others. Just moved 30 min away. I miss my old aldi. This one sucks and has none of my favorite items," wrote another Reddit user.