The Reason Your Local ALDI Grocery Store Doesn’t Have a Phone Number

ALDI’s streamlined layout, reliably low prices, and lack of name-brand products all make grocery shopping feel much less overwhelming and more personal than it often does at other stores. Having said that, you can’t exactly ring up your friendly neighborhood ALDI the way you would with many local grocery stores.

Search online for a nearby ALDI and you’ll notice that the same phone number is listed next to every location: (855) 955-2534. If you call that number, an automated voice says this:

“Thank you for contacting ALDI U.S. Due to our limited store staffing, the phone numbers for our stores are unlisted. This is part of our savings model that allows us to pass on significant savings to our customers.”

As Reader’s Digest explains, there are only three to five employees working in any given store at a time, and they’re focused on serving customers in person. With fewer workers on the payroll, ALDI can keep its prices as low as possible, directly benefiting customers.

In other words, the company doesn’t want to pay people to answer questions that customers could often answer themselves, since so much information is available on the internet these days. To make sure the answers really are easy to find, ALDI’s website boasts a robust FAQ section, featuring questions like “Why do I need a quarter to use a shopping cart at ALDI?” and “If you don’t have the brands I know, how can I be sure of the quality?” Other tabs include a list of product recalls, a section on Instacart delivery, and a store locator with each location's hours.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for on the website, there is an option to contact ALDI via email, or call their corporate customer service line during regular business hours at (800) 325-7894.

[h/t Reader’s Digest]