Aldi and Lidl are probably among the first brands that come to mind when considering America's best discount grocery chains. And in some ways, it can be hard to distinguish between the two.
Both were founded in Germany and later expanded to the United States. Both specialize in discount groceries, many of which are sold under private-label or store brands. Both have generous satisfaction guarantee policies. Their logos even feature some of the same colors: yellow, blue, and red.
But if you dig a little deeper into these affordable grocers, you'll find that Aldi and Lidl aren't quite as similar as they might seem. In fact, both bring something unique to the table in terms of the shopping experience. That's not to say one is better than the other, per se, but since every grocery shopper has different wants and needs, knowing the differences between the chains can help consumers determine which one would serve them better.
Read on for the seven major differences between Aldi and Lidl right now!
Footprint
While Aldi and Lidl do have similar business models, the two vary drastically when it comes to their respective footprints within the United States. Aldi opened its first American store back in 1976 and has since expanded to 2,381 locations throughout the country. It's keeping up the growth momentum with 800 additional stores expected to open over the next five years.
Meanwhile, Lidl opened its first U.S. store in 2017 and currently boasts more than 170 locations in the country, a small fraction of Aldi's U.S. store count. It's also expanding right now, though not quite as rapidly as Aldi.
Aldi's American footprint also spans much wider than Lidl's. Aldi has stores in 39 states, making it accessible to customers throughout the country, while Lidl only operates in the East and Southeast.
Overall, Lidl boasts more than 12,000 stores across 32 countries.The number of Aldi locations worldwide was not immediately available.
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The Baked Goods
Lidl touts its bakery department as "one of the most beloved sections of the store"—and for good reason. The grocer bakes a plethora of European-inspired breads and pastries fresh inside its stores on a daily basis, including croissants, sourdough loaves, doughnuts, baguettes, and buns.
Aldi also sells a range of breads and baked goods, but they're not quite as fresh as what you'll find in Lidl's bakery cases. Though Aldi reportedly began testing in-store bakeries in select U.S. stores in 2018, these aren't a ubiquitous feature at the chain nationwide. Rather, the baked goods you'll find at Aldi are pre-packaged and delivered to stores.
The Shopping Carts
One of the most iconic aspects of Aldi's business model revolves around its shopping carts. The retailer chains its carts together and requires customers to insert quarters into slots on the carts to unlock them for use. Customers can get their quarters back at the end of the shopping trip by returning their carts to the corral.
According to the Aldi website, this helps keep parking lots clean and helps the company keep prices low since it doesn't have to hire staff to collect shopping carts.
In contrast, Lidl doesn't require customers to insert quarters in order to use its shopping carts. They're already unlocked and free for the taking.
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Affordability
How much shoppers will pay for their groceries at Aldi and Lidl can vary widely depending on what they purchase and how many people they're buying for. But generally speaking, Aldi seems to have a slight edge over Lidl in terms of value.
The discount site BravoDeal released a new study in March that identified the cheapest grocery stores in America. BravoDeal used the data science platform Kaggle to pinpoint the 12 most frequently purchased items from 11 of America's major grocery chains, such as eggs, bread, milk, chicken breast, and frozen pizza. Finding the cheapest version of each product for corresponding weights, the site then calculated the average weekly cost that a household with three members would pay for those items at each chain.
Aldi took the crown as America's cheapest grocery chain with an average weekly cost of $43.48. Lidl, meanwhile, took second place with an average weekly cost of $54.24.While $10.76 isn't a massive difference between Aldi's and Lidl's average prices, it is significant enough to note for any shoppers with tight budgets.
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The Checkout Process
The checkout experience is yet another way that Lidl and Aldi differ. When shopping at Aldi, the cashier scans items and then places them directly into a shopping cart waiting next to the register. Shoppers are meant to pay for their groceries first and then take them over to counters mounted on walls to bag them.
At Lidl, making your purchase is a little more similar to what happens at a traditional grocery store. The cashier scans items and deposits them onto a conveyor belt, which then transports them to a small bagging area. Shoppers are expected to bag their own groceries there while they're being checked out. At Lidl locations I've visited, the conveyor belt and bagging area are divided into two sections so the cashier can start checking out another customer while you finish your transaction.
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The Types of Products
As previously noted, Aldi and Lidl both sell a wide range of store-brand and private-label products. However, store-brand items are a little more plentiful at Aldi compared to Lidl.
Aldi CEO Jason Hart has told the Wall Street Journal that about 90% of its products are private label. On the other hand, about 80% of the products you'll find at Lidl are private label, according to its website. It's not that huge of a gap, but still good for consumers with specific shopping preferences to keep in mind.
The Gardening Supplies
Lidl and Aldi both sell a pretty standard selection of grocery items, including meat, fresh produce, dairy, pantry staples, and household items. But there's one major Lidl feature that you won't find at Aldi: a gardening department.
After testing a new Garden Center concept at a Long Island store in 2022, Lidl expanded the centers to 76 of its locations earlier this year. Interested consumers can view the full list of Garden Center locations here.
The new outdoor sections offer a variety of flowers, plants, soil, hanging baskets, and other gardening accessories. Lidl is sourcing the flowers and plants from three local, family-owned grocers: Gabrielsen Farms, American Color Inc., and van Hoekelen Greenhouses.
While Aldi does sell gardening supplies and accessories at certain times of year, the grocer doesn't have a dedicated outdoor gardening section like you'll find at certain Lidl locations.
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