The new and improved ALDI Food Market is invading Northern Kentucky and that is a fabulous thing for shoppers! For many years, ALDI’s only NKY location was on Dixie Highway in Erlanger and had a reputation as a no-frills, inexpensive place to grocery shop.
In January and February, ALDI closed its old Erlanger store and opened two bigger, brighter stores in Florence and Newport. With a third location opening in early April in Independence, I wanted to shed some light on why ADLI is taking the grocery world by storm.
ALDI is owned by the same parent company as Trader Joe’s, which is known for its high quality private label brands. ALDI has a wide selection of organic, gluten-free and gourmet items at excellent prices. Most of the items are ALDI’s private label brands; however I did see some deals on national brands in their Florence store a few weeks ago, including Coca Cola products. The store has a great selection of fresh produce, dairy products, and frozen foods. So far, everything that I’ve tried has been delicious! There’s also a section of household items at close-out prices. I scored a deluxe king-sized mattress pad, which I sorely needed, for only $29!
Here are some other products that I scored at excellent prices:
Huge 4 oz. containers of various spices for $0.99 (Paprika, onion powder, steak seasoning, parsley, and chili powder to name a few.)
Canned beans (garbanzo, kidney, cannellini, etc.) for $0.65 each
Organic Honey 12 oz. for $3.49
Organic pasta sauce at $1.79 per jar
Natural creamy peanut butter for $1.49
Organic Salsa $1.69 for 16 oz.
Gluten free multi-grain tortilla chips – $1.69 per bag.
How does ALDI keep prices so competitive on their groceries?
Yes, part of it is their private labeling, which means you’re not paying for advertising. There are several other things ALDI does differently from other major grocery chains:
You will need a quarter for your grocery cart. This releases the cart from the corral and then you get it back when you return the cart. This saves money because their staff is not required to round up carts and get them back into the store. (It also reduces the likelihood of your vehicle being dinged by a runaway grocery cart!)
You need to bring your own reusable bags and you’ll be doing the bagging yourself after paying for your groceries.
Aldi does not accept manufacturer’s coupons. This makes sense as most of their products are the ALDI house brands.
Yes, it may take a little more effort to return your cart to the corral at the front of the building and bag your own groceries. But if you are looking to score some killer deals on organic and gluten free groceries, ALDI is going to be your new favorite store!
Christine Luken is the Financial Lifeguard and a veteran Meal Planner. She helps individuals, families, and entrepreneurs design a financial road map to help them arrive at their Preferred Financial Destination. You can find Christine’s blogs, podcasts, and videos on her Financial Lifeguard website and her Meal Planning Monday blog.