Aldi customer exploits hack after noticing loaf of bread expires in five days

06 November 2023 , 10:36

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The video has sparked discussion online (Image: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A little-known hack at the tills at Aldi in the US has been detailed in a TikTok video seen by millions.

The clip depicts a recent conversation said to have taken place between a shopper and a supermarket employee in the US, during which the latter explains Aldi's five-day expiration date policy. The customer had picked up a loaf of bread at the supermarket but noticed its short expiry date when they got to the checkout.

Instead of swapping it with bread with a longer expiry date, the shopper asked the employee to have a 50 per cent discount. It was granted, much to the surprise and intrigue of TikTok users, including some people who say they work at or used to work at Aldi.

In the TikTok user Faares' reconstruction, the employee says: "If something expires within five days, you get the item for a discount." It is unclear if the policy concerns other items at the supermarkets.

Nearly two million people have watched the insightful clip since it was posted online on Friday. An Aldi employee said: "I worked at Aldi and sometimes they would have things that were going to expire in the front 50% off so we could tell the customers."

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But a Reddit user said: "I used to work at an Aldi, our rule was to only mark down stuff that expired the next day, or a day after if it was near closing or a ton of excess product. There wasn’t a specific formula for how much to mark it down. (If there was a company policy on any of this, I never heard of it, so I’m sure it varies from store to store.) Sometimes it was 50% off, but often not. It was really up to [manager’s] best [judgment].

"If you find something that goes off the next day without a sticker, just ask nicely and you’ll probably get a discount. But some of the stuff could only sit on the shelf for five days, meaning certain items within 5 days of expiration had just been put out that morning. So no, the five-day rule is not a thing."

Aldi does not appear to mention the policy on its website. Regarding pricing, the company notes: "Aldi considers many factors when setting product prices, including production and operating costs, market conditions, local regulations, consumer demand and the competitive landscape. This may cause our prices to fluctuate from city to city, but rest assured we strive to offer the lowest prices in town."

An Aldi spokesperson said the policy in the UK policy sees supermarkets mark down perishable products, like bread, meat, fruit and vegetables by either 30% or 75% on their last day of shelf life before stores close, and give a 30% discount on ambient groceries such as cereal, pasta and tinned food if it deems the packaging imperfect.

Bradley Jolly