Did you know Aldi has certain ‘’unwritten rules’’ in the store that help everything run smoothly and quickly? These rules are not always posted, but employees know them very well and they want customers to follow them too to make the shopping experience more efficient. So, let’s explain which are these rules, and how they affect employees’ job. Let’s get started.
Shopping cart
You may have seen an empty shopping cart next to the checkout at Aldi stores, and many people think that cart is available to use while shopping but that’s not true. This cart has a very important role in Aldi’s checkout system:
- When you reach the checkout, the cart used by the person in front of you becomes the cart where the cashier places your groceries after scanning them.
- Once you finish paying, the cart you used becomes the cart for the cashier to place the items of the next customer.
This keeps the lines moving quickly and prevents customers from blocking the checkout area.
The thing is that when someone takes the empty cart next to the cashier to use for their own shopping, employees have to find another empty cart to keep the system running, which slows everything down. That’s why, if you know you’ll need a cart, you should take a quarter to unlock one at the entrance. That is the correct way to use carts at Aldi.
More rules
Apart from the shopping cart rule, there are other behaviors that bother Aldi employees because they delay the work flow. So, let’s have a look at some more rules:
- Don’t leave your kids’ mess behind: a former employee explained that one of the most annoying things is when parents don’t clean up after their children. Whether it’s a spill or crushed food, leaving a mess makes the staff’s job much harder. The employee said Aldi is a supermarket for all ages, but problems arise when kids make a mess and adults don’t take a moment to clean it up. This adds extra work for staff and causes frustration.
- Bagging your items while they are being scanned: Aldi employees are known for scanning items very quickly. Some customers try to pack their groceries at the same speed to keep up, but this frustrates employees. One worker said they always politely ask customers not to pack at the checkout, because it slows down the process. Aldi has a special bagging area behind the registers for this exact reason — so lines don’t get stuck while employees are serving other customers.
Aldi stores in the U.S.
We should mention important data about Aldi so that you can have a clear picture of how important this supermarket is. As of May 2025, there are 2,510 Aldi stores in 41 states and territories. The states with the most stores are:
- Florida: 244
- Illinois: 215
- Ohio: 170
Additionally, the company plans to open 225 new stores in 2025.
So…
Understanding these rules helps customers know how Aldi works and why employees ask certain things. So, if you want to have a faster and more comfortable shopping experience, you should definitely follow these rules.
We should all be thoughtful with other people and try to make their job as simple as possible. In the end, they are there to help us too.