There are queues forming outside newly opened Aldi stores across the United States – not for the latest gadget, nor for a celebrity appearance, but for grocery shopping. Not since the golden age of retail in the 1990s have our analysts at International Supermarket News seen such fervour surrounding a supermarket brand.
Aldi USA, the American arm of the German-born discount grocer, is rewriting the rules of modern retail. Quietly and methodically, it has become the silent mover of the U.S. grocery sector – now on track to open 200 stores this year alone, with ambitions to surpass 3,200 locations by 2028.
How are they doing it?
The answer is as simple as Aldi’s famously minimalist store layouts: Good quality products. Low prices. That’s it. No loyalty schemes, no AI-powered apps, no talk of “customer journeys” or inflated marketing jargon. Aldi has built a retail empire by ignoring the noise and sticking to two time-tested principles: keep it simple, and respect the shopper’s wallet.
A Cult Following Born From Common Sense
While other grocers fall over themselves to add digital bells and whistles, Aldi USA is winning hearts with its no-frills, back-to-basics approach. It feels almost subversive in an industry obsessed with tech.
From organic produce and grass-fed beef to dye-free cereals and high-protein snack bars, Aldi’s private-label brands are ticking every box that matters to today’s health-conscious yet budget-strained American families. With nearly 90% of its stock made up of own-brand products, the chain maintains tight control over quality and costs.
And it works. According to Placer.ai, overall grocery visits rose by 1.8% in the first half of this year – Aldi, however, saw an increase of over 7%. That’s not just growth; that’s domination.
The Anti-Experience Experience
In an era where supermarkets are obsessed with crafting “experiences”, Aldi is the ultimate anti-experience. No music. No ambient lighting. No soul-crushing upsells at self-checkout. Just what people came for: affordable, high-quality food.
One could argue Aldi has cultivated a kind of cult. But unlike the brand cults of Silicon Valley, Aldi’s following is based on pragmatism, not hype. Aldi stores aren’t destinations. They’re solutions. People come because they trust Aldi not to waste their time or money.
No app needed. No membership. No nonsense.
Private, Profitable, Powerful
As a privately held company, Aldi doesn’t answer to Wall Street. It answers to its customers – and it listens well. When inflation began hitting hard, Aldi cut prices on 400 items. Where others passed costs on, Aldi absorbed them.
This isn’t generosity. It’s strategy. Aldi understands that trust is a currency, and in today’s market, it may be the most valuable one.
Reinventing the Supermarket, Quietly
For 30 years, ISN has followed retail progression across continents. Rarely has a supermarket model been this consistent and this successful without falling into the trap of overcomplication.
No loyalty points. No data capture. No AI. Just food. Good food, priced right.
That’s the Aldi model. And the industry would do well to pay attention