So, I’ve been wanting to write about my newest favorite brand for some time now, but my grocery shopping trip today helped seal the deal for this month’s Brands We Love post.
ALDI is actually new in my life, and if you know me, you’ve undoubtedly heard about my love for their amazing deals. However, I’ll stick to why I love their brand here. Really, though, you should read about the store too (even Iowa State Extension thinks so). Just sayin’.
ALDI is known for their low grocery prices, but their brand doesn’t say “sale.” The ALDI brand voice tells you the truth about why they can offer lower prices, and their current marketing campaign, launched back in July, has “hundreds” of ALDI truths.
ALDI truth #14 Loyalty shouldn’t require a card.
ALDI truth #25: The same is always better when it costs less.
ALDI truth #48: You can’t eat frills, so why pay for them.
Not only is ALDI promoting the truth in their circulars, it’s on their checkers’ t-shirts and broadcast throughout their social media platforms as well. Check out their truth videos on their Facebook page!
ALDI never lets their customers forget that they are giving a little but getting a lot. They speak to their target market mom reminding her that she is, “Simply Smarter Shopping” throughout her entire shopping experience. Posters at checkout tell her that they are lowering their overhead by having customers sack their own groceries in bags brought from home. A sign outside tells her that they are keeping costs low by corralling carts close to the door through a “refundable quarter to use a cart” program. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention their DOUBLE guarantee.
Speaking of paying a quarter for a cart – that’s a brand experience if I’ve ever seen one! Now ALDI probably didn’t plan for this to happen, but it does almost every time I go shopping. Here’s how it’ works:
1. Walk up to the cart corral which is next to the building
2. Put a quarter into the device that chains all of the carts together
3. Take your cart into the store
4. Finish shopping and take your cart full of groceries to the car
5. Take your cart back to the corral when you are done
6. Get your quarter back
Now here’s what’s cool. On Step #1 most people have a quarter in their hand as they walk through the parking lot (I keep my ALDI quarter in the cup holder in my car.) But if they see someone else unloading groceries, they just walk up to them, ask if they can have their cart, and then give them their quarter! It’s awesome – where else do you see people exchanging quarters for a smile in a grocery store parking lot?
That’s the ALDI culture, and the quarter cart exchange is just one of the reasons it’s a brand we love.
