Some Aldi Stores Do This. We Wish They Wouldn’t.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Like all posts on Aldi Reviewer, this piece is the opinion of its respective authors. Also like all posts, comments are welcome, although we ask readers to be mindful of our Community Guidelines.

I like shopping at Aldi. That doesn’t mean, however, that I like everything about the way the store operates.

Today, I want to talk about one particular pet peeve: individual Aldi stores that set out limited-edition Aldi Finds before their advertised date of availability. This sometimes leads to advertised products selling out before the ad technically goes into effect.

But first, here’s a bit of background.

What are Aldi Finds and When Can You Buy Them?

Let’s start with a bit of background information. If you’re familiar with shopping at Aldi, you know that the grocer sells a lot of staple items such as milk, canned goods, produce, fresh meat, and more year round. These are called Regular Buys.

In addition, every week, Aldi rotates different products into stores for a limited time. These products include both food and nonfood items such as garden supplies, seasonal decor, and home goods. These are called Aldi Finds. Stores get one single shipment, and after that sells out, they’re gone unless Aldi decides to bring them back next year. Once these products are sold out at your local store, you can’t order them online from Aldi.

Each week, the new batch of Aldi Finds is supposed to be available starting first thing on Wednesday. You might see some things put on the shelves late in the day on Tuesday, but generally, most Aldi Finds won’t be for sale until Wednesday when the ad officially goes into effect.

Can Aldi Finds Already be Sold Out on Wednesday Morning?

You technically should not be able to buy newly advertised Aldi Finds until Wednesday each week.

However, some stores occasionally — or routinely — set some Aldi Finds out earlier. They might put them on the shelves early in the day on Tuesday, or sometimes I’ve even seen some stores put certain Aldi Finds on the shelves as early as Sunday or Monday. I’m not sure why stores do this. It could be that they’re short-staffed and are putting things out when they can, or it could be some other reason.

Most of the time, it’s not a big deal if some products get put out a little early. There’s usually enough stock that there is still plenty when Wednesday comes around.

It’s a different story if it’s a popular product, though.

Here’s a recent example …

This past winter, Aldi advertised some basic tumbling and gymnastics equipment for young children. The grocer was selling a folding balance beam and a mat.

I saw a lot of excitement and discussion about these products on various Aldi social media sites. I knew these products would be popular and wouldn’t last long in stores.

For that reason, I arrived outside my local Aldi several minutes before the store opened that Wednesday. When the store opened and I walked immediately into the middle aisle where the gymnastics products were supposed to be, I found that the mats had already sold out completely. There were just two balance beams left in the box.

I bought one of the two balance beams. When I mentioned to the cashier that I had wanted a mat as well but that they were sold out, she mentioned that store employees had set the gymnastics items out the day before, on Tuesday.

How to Make Sure You Don’t Miss a Popular Aldi Find:

There is a way to increase your chances of getting your hands on popular Aldi Finds. It involves some effort, though.

A few months after Aldi sold the gymnastics gear, Aldi advertised a wide selection of Disney fan gear, including backpacks, water bottles, clothing, shoes, and home decor. Disney items have been hot sellers in the past at Aldi, and I had my eye on several things and didn’t want to miss out. So, I paid a visit to my local Aldi on Tuesday evening, the day before the ad was scheduled to go into effect.

Lo and behold, about 90% of the advertised Disney products were already on the shelves. A group of customers was already sifting through everything when I arrived in the store. Fortunately, I found everything I wanted in the styles and sizes I wanted.

Out of curiosity, I dropped into the same store first thing the next morning, on Wednesday. Nothing was completely sold out, but availability was limited if you wanted Minnie ear headbands or Disney backpacks in certain styles. I was glad I shopped on Tuesday to get the designs I preferred.

Does it feel unfair when you can’t count on advertised dates?

Yes.

Is it annoying to feel like you have to visit a store early or multiple times to score advertised Aldi Finds?

Definitely.

It’s also worth noting how unpredictable this can all be. Disney gear aside, I feel like most of the time when I check my local store early, they haven’t set any Aldi Finds out ahead of time. Then, during a week when I don’t check the store early, that’s usually when things get put on the selling floor early.

C’est la vie.

Closing Thoughts:

New Aldi Finds are supposed to be available on Wednesday each week, and not before that. Some Aldi stores, though, will put some products on the shelves on Tuesday, or even Monday or Sunday.

It’s not usually a problem unless a really popular item is in the weekly ad. If something in high demand gets put on the selling shelves a day early, it might sell out before the ad technically officially goes into effect.

I wish Aldi stores wouldn’t do that. It can be frustrating for shoppers who do their weekly Aldi shopping trips on Wednesdays specifically for the new Aldi Finds.

In the meantime, if there is a popular item in the ad that you really want, I recommend that you check your local Aldi on Tuesday, and possibly earlier.