Discover how Aldi supermarkets help mums save thousands annually. Uncover the truth about prices, quality and even the shopping experience.
Aldi supermarkets have become popular places for shoppers looking to cut costs on everyday items and buy good quality promotional products since Aldi first came to Australia in 2001.
Aldi takes pride in positioning itself as a supermarket chain that keeps prices at an all-time low. More than this, each week, Aldi shoppers are promised the best deals on everyday items, seasonal and promotional products through special sales that can’t be found anywhere else.
So, how does Aldi compare to other supermarket brands like Coles and Woolworths? Is it really worth shopping there?
We did some undercover investigation at an Aldi supermarket to present to you everything you need to know about shopping at Aldi—and if you will really save money.
Everyday low prices . . . are they really?
When you’re thinking about your shopping list, there are always going to be the regular items you need to buy. You’re always going to need toilet paper, oil, detergent, washing powder, fresh fruit and vegetables, and a few other things like eggs, bread and milk. How do Aldi’s prices stack up against giant supermarket chains like Coles and Woolies? And will it decrease your grocery bill enough to warrant you shopping at two different supermarkets?
Before we look at the price comparisons, you will need to have an Aldi near enough to determine if the cost of driving to one is going to outweigh any savings. Another factor to think about is the cost of parking. (The good news is that almost all Aldi stores have free parking, making it a considerable money saver before you even get inside.)
Aldi supermarket versus Coles
When making our comparisons, we started with the premise that the competing supermarkets are in close proximity to one another, and the items are as similar as possible in quality and quantity. Also, as an important disclaimer, we were not sponsored or endorsed in any way by Aldi or Coles. We are also not promoting any of the products listed below.
So, without further ado, let’s uncover the truth about prices of everyday essentials, from fruit and vegetables to Aldi nappies. Here’s a trolley-to-trolley comparison of everyday items from Aldi, and our overall conclusions. (Prices are correct as of May 2023; cheaper prices are in bold.)
Breakfast items
| Products | Aldi | Coles |
|---|---|---|
| Free-range eggs (organic; half a dozen) | $4.49 | $6.50 |
| Free-range eggs (one dozen) | $4.79 | $5.00 |
| Rolled oats 750g | $1.29 | $1.37 |
| Weet-Bix 375g | $3.49 | $3.50 |
| Cornflakes 700g | $2.79 | $5.79 |
| Organic soy milk 1L | $1.49 | $1.60 |
| Unsweetened almond milk 1L | $1.89 | $2.10 |
| Organic full cream milk 1L | $2.39 | $2.30 |
| Frozen blueberries 500g | $5.69 | $6.20 |
Lunchbox products
| Products | Aldi | Coles |
|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes, cherry 250g | $2.69 | $3.50 |
| Cucumber, continental | $1.69 | $2.50 |
| Tasty cheese slices 250g | $4.49 | $8.00 |
| Bananas (per kg) | $3.49 | $3.50 |
| Apples, Pink Lady (per kg) | $5.49 | $5.50 |
| Mandarins, Imperial (per kg) | $3.59 | $2.50 |
| Grapes, red seedless (per kg) | $3.49 | $4.50 |
| Pears 1kg | $2.99 | $3.90 |
| Macadamias 1kg | $34.98 | $45.00 |
| Pecans 1kg | $27.48 | $45.00 |
| Almonds 1kg | $11.99 | $17.50 |
| Avocado, Hass | $1.29 | $1.50 |
| Bread, soft white sandwich 700g | $2.29 | $2.90 |
| Bread, wholemeal 750g | $3.39 | $3.12 |
| Bread, dark rye 700g | $3.59 | $4.90 |
| Bread, gluten free (white or multigrain) 500g | $4.99 | $5.70 |
| Spreadable cream cheese 250g | $2.89 | $3.10 |
| Western Star soft butter 500g | $6.49 | $6.50 |
| Unsalted butter 250g | $3.69 | $4.30 |
Time for dinner
| Products | Aldi | Coles |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh stir fry 1kg | $6.64 | $8.75 |
| Potted herbs (basil, parsley) | $2.99 | $3.20 |
| Baby spinach 280g | $3.99 | $5.00 |
| Rocket 120g | $1.99 | $3.00 |
| Wellness salad kit 350g | $4.99 | $5.50 |
| Mushrooms (sliced or whole) 500g | $6.49 | $6.00 |
| Leek | $2.49 | $2.90 |
| Onions, brown (per kg) | $2.99 | $2.00 |
| Potatoes, red (per kg) | $3.49 | $3.75 |
| Tofu, firm 450g | $2.99 | $5.53 |
| Australian extra virgin olive oil 1L | $10.99 | $12.00 |
| Rice (all grain types), microwavable, 250g | $1.69 | $2.80 |
| Rice, basmati 1kg | $3.99 | $4.00 |
| Pasta, gluten free 500g | $2.49 | $2.50 |
| Pasta, spaghetti 500g | $0.89 | $1.85 |
| Coconut cream 400ml | $0.99 | $1.00 |
| Tinned beans 400g | $0.95 | $1.00 |
| Sea salt grinder 110g | $3.29 | $3.85 |
| Pouch soup 400g | $3.99 | $3.00 |
| Frozen mixed vegetables 1kg | $2.79 | $3.00 |
| Organic 70% dark chocolate 100g | $2.99 | $4.50 |
Everyday kitchen essentials
| Products | Aldi | Coles |
|---|---|---|
| Flour, self-raising 1kg | $1.09 | $1.25 |
| Flour, plain 1kg | $1.09 | $1.25 |
| Paper towel, 3ply double strength, 3 pack | $5.29 | $5.00 |
| Kitchen tidy bags 30 pack | $2.29 | $2.50 |
| Green dishwashing liquid 500ml | $2.79 | $2.35 |
| Dishwasher powder 1kg | $3.69 | $3.90 |
| Laundry powder 1kg | $3.69 | $3.50 |
Baby products
| Products | Aldi | Coles |
|---|---|---|
| Nappies | $11.49 | $23.00 |
| Premium baby wipes 80 pack | $2.69 | $2.40 |
| Apple, banana and peach baby food pouch 120g | $0.95 | $1.80 |
| Organic fruit baby food pouch 120g | $1.49 | $2.15 |
For the bathroom
| Products | Aldi | Coles |
|---|---|---|
| Premium toothbrush 2 pack | $3.99 | $4.50 |
| Advanced whitening toothpaste 140g | $2.29 | $2.50 |
| Nature’s Essence shampoo 500ml | $1.99 | $2.00 |
| Nature’s Essence conditioner 500ml | $1.99 | $2.00 |
| Toilet paper, 3ply, 24 pack | $10.59 | $15.50 |
The verdict: Aldi supermarket or Coles?
Food is by far one of the biggest weekly expenses for most families. Financial experts often recommend cutting costs on your grocery shopping bill if you want to save money. Our research proves that Aldi can help you do just that, with many of their products selling at a much lower cost than Coles, all year round.
These amazingly low prices mean Aussie families can save thousands of dollars each year to use for other expenses, or better yet, a family holiday. With Aldi providing the best prices on most everyday items, it could be the best place for your family to save money.
If you choose to shop fortnightly at Aldi, you can expect to save at least $3000 each year, based on the shop above. If you shop weekly, then the savings are even better, coming in at $6000. At this point, you would need some pretty big reasons why not to shop at Aldi.
It’s your turn to decide
As with all things, there are pros and cons, and Aldi does not come without a complaint. As we have already seen, there are many reasons why people choose to shop at Aldi, but there are also strong arguments against it. We’ll leave it up to you to decide if the positives for shopping at Aldi outweigh the downsides.
Pros of shopping at Aldi supermarket
- Money saving. Great deals that can save you thousands of dollars every year.
- Clean stores. Aldi stores have a reputation for being clean and tidy, which is a big drawcard.
- Consistent layouts. The floor plan and stock layout of Aldi stores are uniform nationwide, which helps lessen shopper confusion, speed up shopping time and also helps with a general sense of familiarity, especially for older shoppers.
- Quality. Aldi pride themselves on delivering top-quality products. Their products are often at the same level or better than other supermarkets, making them a tough competitor.
- Special buys. Not only does Aldi have the cheaper products, but every week, Aldi brings out a catalogue with special deals on their everyday items and a large section of limited-time-only promotional products. These promotional items are so popular that lines can be seen outside Aldi stores, full of shoppers just waiting to get their hands on them once the doors open. Aldi products are specially planned for special annual events and yearly seasonal changes such as winter and spring.
- Small stores. Aldi have smaller stores, all being around the same size, usually only having four long double-sided aisles, which is substantially smaller when compared to Coles or Woolworths.
- Parking lot. The parking at Aldi is generally terrific, with ample space, free parking and disabled and mother-and-baby parking. The standalone Aldi store car parks are usually always above ground, making them accessible for people in vans or needing high clearance.
- Good trolleys. Everyone hates that moment when they realise they’ve picked a wobbly trolley or shopping cart, but the beauty about shopping at Aldi is that you’re not likely to get a dud. Every trolley at Aldi has a coin lock, which means you won’t be able to use a trolley unless you have a coin or token, which helps ensure the trolleys don’t get stolen and damaged. As a result, the trolleys are usually in great condition, don’t have wobbly clacking wheels and you don’t have to try your best not to run into a fellow shopper.
- Reusable bags. Aldi, like many other grocery stores, have reusable bags for shoppers to buy, helping encourage sustainable practices.
Cons of shopping at Aldi
- Stress at the counter. Everyone knows that the Aldi checkout is the most stressful part of the shopping experience. At the checkout, you have to pack your items into your bags or trolley, and the checkout operator is not going to slow down for you. You often see people rushing, looking panicky and anxiety-ridden, trying to go as fast as they can, in order not to hold others up in the line behind them. Mums with young kids and the elderly usually report this as the worst part of Aldi. The best time to shop at Aldi is to skip peak shopping times (usually a few hours after opening time) and avoid Wednesdays and Saturdays, their promotional item sale start days.
- Out-of-stock items. With Aldi’s promotional products often in hot demand, it can be difficult to find items you’ve seen in their special buys. This can increase resistance to shopping at Aldi, as some stock items are not guaranteed.
- Health quality. At Coles and Woolworths, shoppers can get vegan products such as yoghurt, cheese and ice-cream with no refined or added sugars or highly processed oil such as canola or sunflower oil. Aldi have a very limited range of “health” food products and their vegan yoghurt and ice-cream have very high added sugar content.
- Aldi brands. People looking for their favourite brands which are available at Coles or Woolworths may not be able to find them in Aldi, as most of the stock is Aldi’s own branded products. Huge national brands with a large assortment of products may only have a limited range or none at all at Aldi.
- Minimal staff. With the Aldi stores being small, there is often limited staff on the floor to serve shoppers who may need help to locate an item. Shoppers who want a friendly chat and store tour won’t receive such service at Aldi and therefore may want to shop elsewhere.
- Trolleys. The downside with Aldi trolleys is that there is a very limited number of trolleys that have baby carriers and absolutely no double baby carrier trolleys. Aldi also doesn’t have any disability-friendly trolleys.
The shopping experience at an Aldi supermarket
I have been shopping at Aldi for over 10 years, and my overall shopping experience has been immensely positive. With the great prices, latest deals and money-saving opportunities that it affords me, I believe I’m getting the best value and have no plans to stop shopping there.
The two main improvements I would like to see at Aldi would be to reduce the stress problem at the checkout and add more healthy food products. I understand that Aldi will probably never have all the products I want and need, and that I will still need to go to Coles or Woolworths for the things I can’t get, but for me, the pros still far outweigh the cons.
How about you? We’d love to hear your thoughts about Aldi, and what is your favourite supermarket and why.
