ALDI has a set of rules that might intimidate newbies.
Well, not exactly.
It turns out that I wasnt fully prepared for my first ALDI shopping experience after all.
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Here are six things I wish I knew aboutshopping at ALDIahead of time.
In retrospect, its painfully obvious that there would be something keeping the carts in place.
But for some reason, I was stumped.
I inserted my quarter in the slot on the handle of the first cart, but nothing happened.
I pushed harder on my quarter and tugged on my cart.
Still, nothing happened.
I pushed again and again as a small line formed behind me.
Taking a moment to breathe, I stared at the chain tethering the shopping cars together.
So, I did what any frustrated person would do: I tugged on the tether.
My cart was finally free.
There is nothing automated about this seemingly fancy process.
The Stores Are Small
I was immediately struck by how small the operation was.
But with ALDIs small footprint I could see nearly everything there was to see from the entrance.
It made it feel a lot less intimidating and made for a quicker shopping trip.
At first, because Im not used to it, shopping in relative silence felt eerie.
But I acclimated quickly and I actually think it helped me focus on the task at hand.
While there are popular name brands available, most of the products were unfamiliar to me.
Like all things ALDI, it comes down to efficiency.
Your cart will subsequently go to the next person in line, and the process repeats.
It feels odd at first, but this prevents bottlenecks and keeps the line moving quickly.
After you pay, push your cart immediately to the large counter opposite the registers.
Here it’s possible for you to leisurely bag groceries yourself before leaving the store.
