Why Doesn't Aldi Play Music in Its Stores?

Any Aldi shopper knows that the shopping experience at the German chain is different than most national grocery stores. That's because with Aldi, it's all about keeping prices affordable for its customers.

From the mainly private label products down to the 25-cent cart rental, Aldi is constantly cutting costs to ensure its prices stay low. You've probably noticed some of the main things that make Aldi different from other grocery chains—like how the shelves are lined with boxes of products and you have to bag your own groceries—but there are other, more subtle, things that make Aldi just a little bit different.

For instance, have you ever noticed that Aldi doesn't play music at its stores? That's right, while other grocery stores play pop, rock, or other classic music genres through their speakers, you're shopping in silence at Aldi. And there are two reasons for that.

Why Aldi Doesn't Play Music

The main reason is that Aldi doesn't want to pay to play music all day long. If the company had to shell out money to have music playing throughout the store, then that would mean they'd have to raise their prices to offset the cost.

One of Aldi's main priorities is helping shoppers save time and money, so they take a no-frills approach to grocery shopping. It's why the stores are smaller and the shelves aren't packed with dozens of brands and options—Aldi isn't trying to trick its customers into spending more money.

The fact that Aldi respects its customers so much leads to reason number two. When shopping at Aldi, they want you to get in, grab what you need, maybe impulse buy a few Aldi Finds, and get out the door. You don't have time to listen to your favorite song come on the radio as you're bopping through the aisles.

Which is exactly what other grocery stores want you to do. Most grocery stores play music with a slower tempo because it's scientifically proven to slow customers down—and, in turn, make them spend more money. The longer these grocery stores can keep you inside, the more items you're likely to find and buy.

So thank you Aldi for helping us save money. If there's anything else you want to do to keep prices low, we're on board!