ALDI has recently expanded into Southern California and I could not be more excited! ALDI is a US grocery chain originally from Germany that is known for competitive prices—supplying everyday grocery items for up to 50%* less than its competitors. I partnered with ALDI to give you a preview of what they have to offer.
I first became familiar with ALDI during my trip to France a few years ago. I always love trying out fruits, and snacks and buying food souvenirs in various countries I visit. A lot of the local grocery stores I went to in France were more expensive than I was used to paying, but then I discovered ALDI and their large selection and much better prices. After that, I always looked for the nearest ALDI store for each of the other European countries we visited.
So you can imagine my excitement when I learned that ALDI would be opening several locations in California. A few weeks ago, my husband and I visited the location in Vista which just opened. You can check their store locator to find out the location nearest you. Everything looked so sparkly and new!
After depositing a quarter, we secured a shopping cart to begin our shopping trip. When you give the cart back, they return your quarter. This helps keep grocery carts from being carelessly left behind in the parking lot.
Once inside, I couldn’t help but admire at how wide the space between the aisles were. Even with two carts side by side, there is plenty of room for people to walk through. 
I spent a lot of time perusing the snack aisles because of my penchant for snacking. There are a lot of items sold under private labels, which is one of the ways they are able to keep prices so low. Some of the exclusive brands at ALDI include SimplyNature® organic products and liveGfree® gluten free products.
They have a huge selection of wines and many of them have won awards. We didn’t purchase any on this trip, but I plan on doing some research and trying a few next time.
I was eager to check out the fresh produce section. Here, I found quite a few bargains, including:
• Giant cauliflower for $1.19 each
• One pound broccoli bundles for $.89
• Large avocados for $.45 each
• Celery bunches for $.69 each
Not only were the prices reasonable, but the quality of the produce was good too. Everything looked vibrant and fresh.
They have a pretty large baking aisle, which is important for me since I do so much baking.
I was really impressed with the milk prices and was kicking myself for having just purchased milk before this shopping trip. These are some of the cheapest prices for milk I’ve seen. 
The store also has shelf featuring “ALDI Finds” which are limited time deals.
Look at how clear the glass doors were for the frozen treats!
Here are a few items we picked up on this trip:
As part of my partnership, I also recently received a package from ALDI filled with various products along with some recipes to try. I’ll be making the recipes soon and sharing them, so stay tuned!
You can learn more about ALDI here. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
This post is written in partnership with ALDI. All text and opinions are my own.
*Based upon a price comparison of comparable products sold at leading national retail grocery stores.
I love my Aldi! I wish they had the 1/2 gallon milk here. But your Aldi looks larger then the one here.
the 1/2 gallon is the perfect size for my family so I’m really glad they offer that size. I didn’t know some of the other locations don’t! that’s too bad
It’s funny to see excitement about Aldi. Aldi stores are really everywhere back here in the East – (at least 5 within just 15-20 miles of me). I’m super cost-conscious and love a bargain – I’ve found that I like *almost* everything there. Can’t beat the dairy and produce prices. I get most of my gluten free food staples there. Almond milk and protein bars for my athlete. Organic apple juice. Nuts. Very inexpensive spices. So far, the only huge disappointments were the ketchup, the generic sweetened condensed milk, and some of the salad dressings. My boss was making fun of me for bringing Aldi tortilla chips and salsa to a work potluck – I call them “Poor-ritos” and “Faux-stitos” – but the prices are phenomenal. My kids say that they can tell the difference in the flavored chips (vs. Doritos) but the plain tortilla chips, not so much.
Have fun exploring Aldi – you HAVE to try the chocolate bars with hazelnut crunch in them – like Nutella candy bars (Choceur – yellow label)!!! And in your partnership with them, see if you can get them to bring back the gluten free french fried onions!! I miss making green bean casserole!!!! All the best from Ohio.
lucky you! I believe this is the first time they are expanding to California. I wasn’t even aware they were in the US market as I only shopped at them in Europe. Also, I actually did just try the chocolate bars! love them!! I didn’t get them my first trip, but on my second one, I bought several and I really like the hazelnut wafer and hazelnut crisp. I was pretty impressed with how inexpensive the organic and gluten free products were. Heehee, I’ll have to try the tortilla chips next time. Hopefully they’ll bring back the french fried onions!
Hope they will open more stores in San Diego! Thanks for the review; I’ll be sure to check the store out if I’m in North County. I”d better wait until I have pantry/frig/freezer space, though, based on your finds!
I really hope they open up more locations in San Diego too! The prices are really great and after my initial visit, I’ve already been back twice more. Since it’s a little far, each time I’ve stocked up and filled my fridge and pantry! So hopefully if they open a few closer I don’t have to buy so much at once.