Aldi vs Lidl

Aldi opened its first store in the United States back in 1976, and has not stopped expanding to today. The German supermarket chain now has more than 2,000 stores within the country, located throughout 39 different states.

Lidl, however, only made its appearance in the United States recently, back in June of 2017. The company set up its headquarters in Virginia, and currently only has 168 stores throughout the country. With that being said, Lidl is not shying away from its statewide expansion.

Both of these supermarket chains offer low prices and amazing discounts for customers to take advantage of and reel in the savings. They are also both German companies that are owned by notably private people.

While Aldi and Lidl share some similarities, they are vastly different chains that have many things they do not share in common. So, in this article, we will be comparing Aldi and Lidl so you can get a better idea of their prices, products sold, quality, and more.

Difference Between Aldi And Lidl

It is true that both German supermarket chains, Aldi and Lidl, share a lot of similarities when it comes to their business structure. Both companies sell their own private labels, which make up a majority of the stock they sell in their stores.

Both Aldi and Lidl form their business model around providing customers with the best savings possible. Besides – they have a similar amount of stores across the globe, with Aldi having 10,000 stores internationally and Lidl having 11,200.

With that being said, there are also differences between the two companies that set them apart from each other. One of the main differences is their owners. While both companies’ owners are known for staying out of the spotlight, Aldi is owned by the Albrecht brothers, Theo and Karl, and Lidl was run by Dieter Schwarz.

There are so many things to consider when making comparisons between Aldi and Lidl, such as their prices, the products they sell, the quality of their items, their store locations, and much more. Continue reading to find out more.

Aldi Vs Lidl Prices

For the most part, Aldi and Lidl have very competitive prices, but there is a small price gap between the two stores. Over in the United Kingdom, Lidl was said to be the cheapest supermarket, back in 2020. However, as of 2023, Aldi has now taken over that title.

Other sources also note that Aldi seems to have the lower prices when comparing the two German supermarket chains. If you compare the products sold by each company, this is not always the case.

If you are looking to buy some produce, like a 3 pack of multicolored peppers, you can get them from Aldi for $3.55. Lidl sells a similar pack for a few cents cheaper, at $3.52. Both of these items can be found on sale, with the sales changing the price drastically.

When it comes to baking, if you needed to purchase some brown sugar – you could find it at Lidl for $1.62. However, it is over $0.10 more expensive at Aldi, priced at around $1.79. Aldi’s brown sugar is noted as being Kosher, though.

Another common kitchen staple is extra virgin olive oil, which shows a different trend than the other products we have looked at. At Aldi, you can find this cooking oil for $4.29 for a 16.9 fluid ounce bottle. A bottle of extra virgin olive oil that is the same size sells for $7.99 at Lidl, which is quite a lot more expensive.

A well known baking ingredient that can get rather pricey is vanilla extract. The same large price gap exists for this item too, with Lidl charging $3.59 for 2 fluid ounces of the extract. At Aldi, vanilla extract costs $6.25 for the same 2 fluid ounces.

Both companies fluctuate when it comes to who has the lower prices. The price difference is definitely there, but for many products it is quite negligible, like when comparing the peppers. While Lidl may beat Aldi in a few places, Aldi fights back with just as competitive low prices.

Products

When it comes to the products that are sold in-store, Lidl sells many items that Aldi does not. Here are some product differences between the two German supermarket chains. 

Aldi Finds

Aldi Finds are special products that Aldi gets in-store for a short amount of time and sells for a very low price.

Besides Aldi’s ethics of running their business – Aldi FInds is another of the main things that makes Aldi’s customer base so loyal and keeps them returning for more. Lidl does not have any similar concepts to Aldi Finds, although you can find similar products at its stores.

Freshly Baked Bread

Unlike Aldi, Lidl has its own bakery at its stores. This means that you can buy fresh pastry, bread, and other such goods. It also means you can purchase loaves of bread that have not been sliced, which is hard to come by at Aldi.

Bulk Nuts

Another section Lidl has that Aldi does not is a bulk nuts section. This is great for bakers and snackers alike. You are able to buy the amount of nuts you need, without the hassle of trying to find a package that comes in a size suitable for you.

International Food

You can discover many interesting products during the Aldi Finds season, but those products are not there all the time, frequently coming and going. Lidl is known for selling Middle Eastern and Mediterranean foods all year round. You can find things like falafel patties, tahini, and couscous in-store, at Lidl.

Sushi

As mentioned before about Aldi Finds, you can get many different products in this part of the store. One of those products is sushi. Lidl also regularly stocks sushi in its refrigerated section, although this is not true for its stores in the United States. Internationally, Lidl offers a variety of sushi under names like “Osaka” and “Sapporo”.

Frozen Meals

While Aldi is great for budgeting families, it is not as great for busy families, with no frozen dinner options being offered in its stores. Lidl does have these options, which is great if you are a family that is constantly on the go.

Produce

When it comes to the produce section, Lidl’s is bigger than Aldi’s. They both seem to use about the same amount of plastic packaging, with Lidl using a bit less than Aldi. While Aldi has a great produce selection, it can be hit or miss, and Lidl’s is known for being fresher.

Brand Names

Both supermarket chains sell their own private labels, which make up a majority of their stock. Aldi boasts that 90% of its products are from its own private label, making name brands pretty scarce in its stores. Lidl’s private labels make up around 80% of their stock, meaning there is more room for name brands, like Daisy Sour Cream and Green Giant frozen veggies.

Gift Cards

While Aldi does sell gift cards to third-party retailers, it is only done seasonally, normally around the holiday seasons. Lidl sells these types of gift cards all year long, with choices like GAP, Home Depot, and Amazon.

Quality

Both stores offer products of amazing quality for prices that are competitive and affordable. The products that are best known for their high quality and low prices are Aldi and Lidl’s private labels.

You will have customers that prefer Lidl to Aldi or Aldi to Lidl, but both are great stores to shop for groceries at. As mentioned above, Lidl is sometimes noted as having fresher produce, while Aldi can be a hit or miss when it comes to quality of produce.

Location

The location of their stores is one of the biggest differences between Aldi and Lidl. Aldi has taken over the United States, with over 2,000 stores spread throughout 39 states and a headquarters set up in Batavia, Illinois. It has developed a presence at every coastline, including the east coast, west coast, and even the gulf coast.

Despite that, there are still many Aldi fans who wonder when Aldi is coming to Colorado and other states across the U.S.

Lidl currently only has 168 stores in the United States, spread throughout 9 states on the east coast. Their headquarters is set up in Arlington, Virginia.

If you look at worldwide locations, though, there is a different story. Aldi has more than 10,000 stores globally. The stores are spread out among 20 different countries in Europe, South America, Australia, and Asia.

Lidl, however, has around 11,200 stores throughout the world. Its stores are located in 32 different countries, focused largely in Europe.

Aldi definitely has the upper hand when it comes to store presence in the United States, but that changes when considering global presence, with Lidl taking the lead. Both are continually expanding and plan to keep growing in the years to come.

Shopping Experience

While both stores offer low prices, great discounts, and savings to their customers, the shopping experience can vary quite a bit between Aldi and Lidl.

The Quarter

If you are a frequent shopper at Aldi, you know exactly why bringing a quarter is important. Without one, you cannot rent a cart and are left to carry whatever items you can in your arms. Lidl does not have a cart rental system at their stores, so no quarter is needed when shopping there.

Store Size

Lidl’s stores are much larger than Aldi’s, with the latter company being known for keeping store sizes small to cut costs and pass the savings to their customers. Aldi stores are typically 12,000 square feet. Lidl stores are much larger, at 20,000 square feet, which is almost double an Aldi store.

In-Store Music

If you have shopped at Aldi more than once, you might have noticed something missing during your shopping trip, but not quite been able to put your finger on it. Aldi does not play music in its stores, to save money and pass those savings on to their customers. Lidl does, in fact, play music, so you can jam out while getting your groceries.

Checking Out

When you check out at Aldi, you will notice their cashiers are allowed to sit, which is done because it is believed they can scan faster this way. This is done for better efficiency and lower costs, which again, promotes savings in stores. Lidl cashiers on the other hand are standing.

Rewards Program

Lidl has a rewards program called “myLidl”, which also has its own app. Customers can play games, which are won by buying groceries at Lidl, which helps them to receive rewards like coupons. Aldi is known for rarely ever releasing coupons and does not have its own rewards program.

Store App

As mentioned above, Lidl has its own store app, through which you can not only get rewards but also buy your groceries. While Aldi does not have an app for its store, it has partnered up with Instacart. This partnership enables you to buy your groceries from Aldi online for delivery or pick-up.

Conclusion – Which Is Better Aldi Or Lidl?

With as many similarities between the two companies as there are differences, these supermarket chains are more like German cousins than they are German siblings. Both companies share a similar objective, which is to provide groceries that are budget-friendly to everyone in the U.S.

The real question is if Lidl will end up overtaking Aldi in the United States. On the other hand, maybe Aldi will overtake Lidl globally. Either way, their customers can only benefit from the companies’ increasing expansions.