10 things to know about Aldi in Florida, but it'll cost you a quarter
Discount grocery chain has passionate following, with good reason
C. A. Bridges- Aldi is a no-frills discount grocery chain known for its low prices and rapid expansion in Florida and across the U.S.
- The store keeps costs down by primarily selling private-label products and minimizing services like delis, bakeries, or baggers.
- Shoppers rent carts for a quarter and can find unique, limited-quantity items in a section nicknamed the "Aisle of Shame."
More and more these days, if you're heading to the grocery store in Florida, you'll need to bring a quarter for the shopping cart.
The discount grocery chain Aldi has greatly expanded its footprint in Florida and across the country in the last few years, bringing its no-frills stores everywhere and opening dozens of sites in the Sunshine State. There were 17 million new customers visiting stores in 2025, Aldi said in a January release.
“One in three U.S. households shopped at ALDI this past year,* and in 2026 we’re focused on making it even easier for customers to shop our aisles first,” Atty McGrath, CEO of ALDI U.S. said in the release. “That means bringing ALDI to even more neighborhoods, upgrading our website and planning additional distribution centers to keep our shelves stocked with the products our shoppers love.”
Here's what to know.
1. Aldi has been in the US for 50 years
The Aldi chain was founded in Germany by Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946 (Aldi is an abbreviated form of "Albrecht Diskont"). After the brothers got into an argument over whether the stores should sell cigarettes, in 1960 they split the company into Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd, which both operate stores internationally in different regions.
U.S. stores are operated by Aldi Süd. The first American store was in Iowa in 1976, but the company has stores now across 39 states. The company plans to open 180 new stores this year, bringing its total to nearly 2,800.
2. Aldi stores are no-frills, like, really no-frills
For shoppers used to brightly lit, supersized Publix stores, Aldi stores look more like small warehouses. The decor features bare fluorescent lighting, no fancy signage and merchandise displayed in the same cardboard boxes they came in. Stores are laid out very simply and don't try to subtly guide you to pricier wares.
Aldi stores are designed for shoppers to get in, grab what they need, and get out. They also do not have:
- A meat counter
- A deli
- A bakery
- A pharmacy
- Liquor stores
- Few, if any big-name brand products
- Overhead music
- Baggers (or bags, for that matter, although they have some reusable ones you can buy or empty boxes you can grab)
- Free shopping carts
You don't actually pay for carts, but you do have to rent them by putting in a quarter, which you get back when you return the cart. That cuts down on the manpower needed to bring carts in from the parking lot.
3. Aldi's prices are cheaper than other stores
What Aldi does have is lower prices. According to the company's 2025 Price Leadership Report, Aldi claims that prices overall run up to 35% cheaper compared to other grocery stores. The report listed an average of more than 25% savings on fresh fruit, 20% on dairy products and nearly 15% on eggs.
Last June, the company dropped prices even more on nearly a quarter of its stock, according to a release.
A Florida Times-Union reporter compared prices in 2024 for common products at Publix, Winn-Dixie and Aldi and found that all the common staples she checked like milk, ground beef, chicken, and snacks cost less at Aldi, sometimes up to 30% cheaper (see her shopping choices here).
4. Most of Aldi's merchandise is private label
How do they keep prices down? More than 90% of Aldi's stock is private label, with names fans have come to look for such as Clancy’s, Simply Nature and Specially Selected.
Americans have been increasingly turning to private label foods in recent years to save money as grocery bills keep rising. Private label sales outperformed national brands in 2025 with $282.8 billion in sales, according to the Private Label Manufacturers Association. And Aldi's products dominated the fastest-growing brands list from consumer data site Numerator, as reported by Supermarket News.
Last September, Aldi announced it would be branding all its products with its own name, either with a new namesake brand or with “an ALDI Original” on the label. The most well-known brands kept their names with the Aldi endorsement added, the company said, and some items like "Red Bag Chicken" were renamed after fans' nicknames for them.
5. Aldi shoppers love the 'Aisle of Shame'
Aldi prices are already low, and regular sales like Aldi Finds, Aldi Savers and Red Hot Deals can really chop the prices down.
Aldi FINDS: These are specialty items that pop up in limited quantities on fans have nicknamed the "Aisle of Shame." Practically anything can end up here at different times from furniture to bed linens, cleaning supplies, appliances, household supplies, clothing, garden decorations, toys, foods and drinks and more. You can see upcoming FINDS here but hurry, fans spread the news and good ones sell out quickly.
Aldi Savers: These are weekly or seasonal deals.
Red Hot Deals: These are the FINDS that haven't sold yet, marked down even more.
6. No checks, coupons or membership program, but Aldi has a strong return policy
Aldi accepts cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, most debit cards, Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), SNAP, Link cards and contactless pay such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
They do not accept checks or WIC benefits, and they do not accept manufacturer coupons.
Aldi does occasionally offer its own coupons, and you can buy Aldi gift cards.
Aldi also does not have a membership program, although for April Fool's Day in 2024 they announced a new, free, no-subscription, cardless program with 331.9 million pre-existing members (i.e. the population of the United States at the time) that offered the same low prices they offer anyway.
But if you're unhappy with any of the Aldi-branded products, you can bring them back and Adi will refund your money and give you a replacement product.
Aldi does not accept returns for non-food items, Aldi FINDS, or alcohol.
7. Aldi has its own cult
What Aldi does have that other grocery stores don't, at least not to the same degree, is a passionate fan club.
People line up for hours for Aldi grand openings. They gather online to share shopping tips and great finds, brag about Aisle of Shame finds, swap recipes and product reviews, and show off their Aldi gear and branded pouches for quarters.
One ALDI Aisle of Shame Community on Facebook has nearly 4 million followers, and another has 2 million. An unofficial Aldi subreddit on Reddit boasts 272,000 members, compared to 189,000 for the unofficial Publix one.
8. Aldi and Trader Joe's are step-siblings
The no-frills grocery and the upscale store with the hipster feel are related.
Aldi Nord (not the branch that runs the U.S. Aldi chain) under Theo Albrecht bought Trader Joe's in 1979, although these days Aldi Nord and Trader Joe's operate as sister companies under other groups. The two chains operate independently, according to Trader Joe's website.
But while outwardly they seem like a buddy movie waiting to happen, the two chains have a lot in common. Trader Joe's stores also tend to be smaller with fewer items than most chains, and about 80% of their items are also private label. (Both companies also have been criticized for packaging that looked a lot like brand name items).
9. Want to stay home? Aldi has a website and delivery
The aldi.us website and mobile app list products, weekly specials, FINDs and price drops, and recipes. You can order online for curbside pickup or use their delivery service through InstaCart at more than 98% of their stores.
The company is planning an overhaul of their site in early 2026 with tailored product recommendations for easy re-ordering, expanded nutritional information, shoppable recipes, and built-in tools to support shoppers in meal planning for their weekly shop, according to the release.
Aldi also plans to further streamline the curbside ordering process and expand delivery options with Instacart, DoorDash, and Uber Eats.
10. Aldi is growing fast in Florida
Aldi was already expanding its footprint in the Sunshine State when in 2024 it bought Southeastern Grocers Inc., the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harvey's Supermarket, with plans to convert them all to Aldi stores.
Within a year, the former SGI CEO led a consortium to buy back the stores that hadn't already been converted or were in progress, but not before Aldi opened 60 more locations in Florida in 2025 with plans for more this year. There are also plans to open a new distribution center in Baldwin in 2027.
By the end of 2026, Aldi hopes to operate nearly 2,800 stores on its five-year, $9 billion goal of reaching 3,200 by the end of 2028.
Where can I find an Aldi near me in Florida?
As of Jan. 23, there are 290 Aldi locations in 168 cities in Florida, so that may not be a problem. You can find the list at aldi.us/stores/l/fl.
C.A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.