Aldi Vs Lidl: What You Need To Know Before Checking Out

Aldi is a worldwide grocery store phenomenon that many have touted as the cheapest in America. As of this writing, Aldi has opened over 2,400 U.S. stores (Florida is currently the state with the most Aldis), with many more on the way. But hold your horses: a fellow German grocery export, Lidl, may be coming for Aldi's crown. Right now, Lidl has fewer than 200 American locations with a slower pace of expansion. But Aldi aficionados will find a lot to love about Lidl, thanks to some familiar factors: a reliance on private labels, plenty of great deals, and a similar "satisfaction or your money back" guarantee. But there are some major differences between the two chains as well, most of which have to do with the shopping experience. Lidl offers a bit more in the way of selection than Aldi's notoriously frills-free aisles, despite a similar utilitarian aesthetic with shipping boxes stacked in the aisles for displaying merchandise.

Lidl, namely, has an expansive bakery selection, while very few Aldi stores have an in-store bakery. You can also find a garden section at many Lidl locations. While Aldi may occasionally carry some garden implements in its infamous Aisle of Shame (caw caw, anyone?), it isn't known for selling live plants. Meanwhile, you know how you have to insert a quarter to take an Aldi shopping cart? Not a thing at Lidl. Also, Lidl cashiers won't bag your groceries for you, just as Aldi cashiers won't. The difference here is that, at Lidl, there's a dedicated bagging area at the end of the register stand.

On Reddit, when discussing the two small-footprint grocers, a commenter got philosophical about the differences between Aldi and Lidl. "If you're all about rock-bottom prices and a super focused shopping trip, Aldi is a great bet," they wrote. "If you like a little more variety (and maybe the chance to snag a fresh pastry), Lidl might be your favorite." Elsewhere on the site, other discussions seemed to agree that Aldi was the better discounter, while Lidl won in terms of selection and quality. While some shoppers love Aldi's constantly rotating selection of "special buys," others prefer Lidl's larger and more consistent stock of staples. And that bakery section at Lidl really gets raves from customers!

If you are lucky enough to live in an area where you have access to both Aldi and Lidl, you might find that, just as is the case with other grocery stores, you could prefer certain products at one store over the other. Comparisons between Aldi and Lidl are inevitable, but they both have their own fans for various reasons. Lidl hasn't been in the United States that long (only since 2017), so it may take the perspective of some extra years to see how its success fares against Aldi, which has had an American presence going all the way back to 1976.