A Complete Guide To All The Different Price Tags You'll See When Shopping At Aldi

Aldi is fairly unique as far as grocery stores go. There's a lot to know before your first trip to Aldi, like that you'll need a quarter for your cart, nearly everything is store-brand, and cashiers are allowed to sit down. One of the most important things to understand, though, is that nearly every quirk Aldi has is meant to help keep costs down for consumers. However, there are ways you can save even more, like knowing how to read the tags.

The Germany-based brand thrives by offering a simple, no-frills shopping experience. This allows them to offer high-quality products at affordable prices. But even with the affordability of Aldi goods, many shoppers are feeling the pinch of a worsening economy. Knowing how to read the different tags at Aldi can help you nab the best deals.

Within the last few years, Aldi has been transitioning from standard paper tags to electronic shelf labels. These aren't as wide or as colorful as the originals, and the text sometimes appears a bit pixelated. While many stores have upgraded to the new digital tags, there are many still using paper options. We've done a dive to bring you the secrets of both types of price tags so you can save money no matter what location you're at.

Aldi's standard price tags are for the store's regular, everyday items. These are items that Aldi pretty much always carries that are at its usual price. That means that these products aren't seasonal, and they also aren't on any kind of special sale. This is the type of price tag you'll see most often as you're browsing the store.

If your store still uses the paper price tags, you'll notice that the standard tags are typically yellow with black text. They'll list the product name on the left side and the price on the right. Underneath, in smaller black text, you'll find the weight of the product, the cost per unit of measurement (usually per ounce), and the item number.

The new digital tags look pretty different. These are white with black text, providing a look that's sleeker but perhaps loses a bit of charm. In the U.S., these tags have the price in a large font at the top. Under that, it will say the product name. The items in small text along the bottom are the same as they were for the yellow tags: weight, cost per unit, and item number. In other countries, the placement of text may vary slightly.

One important thing to note is that on these tags, the upper right corner will be blank. That's because Aldi uses this corner to denote special items, as we'll explain below.

There are three primary types of products at Aldi when it comes to how long they stick around. The first are the standard items, which we just covered. Then there are seasonal items, which stick around for a few months, and Aldi Finds, which change weekly and are there as long as supplies last. When you see a "new" tag on a product, it's not referring to Aldi Finds. It's referring to new items being added to Aldi's standard selection or seasonal items.

The paper tags for new items are a light blue with navy text. They still have all the product information like the standard tags, but they'll also feature a circle in the center that says "New at Aldi." The digital tags are very different. They're black with all the information in white text.

Remember when we mentioned above that the standard digital tags keep the upper right corner blank? On tags for new items, the right corner will have a white circle. Inside will be the word "new" in black text with capital letters and an exclamation point, helping draw your eye despite the more simplified color scheme. Keep in mind that there's really no telling how long new items will stick around. They may end up integrated into the company's standard product line or may go away after a few months.

With dupes that taste just like the real thing, Aldi has a bit of a cult following. You can find dozens of Facebook pages dedicated to the chain and even specific products. For example, people love Aldi's red bag chicken, that is, the frozen breaded chicken breast fillets made by Aldi's in-house brand, Kirkwood.

To help customers find these fan-favorite items, the company started adding a heart to the upper right-hand corner with the words "Fan Favorite" inside. The color of these tags will depend on the type of product it is, since some fan favorites are standard items, while others are seasonal or may be on sale.

But how does Aldi determine which items get marked as fan favorites? In addition to monitoring buying trends and social media, Aldi will poll its customers on their favorite items. Some of the favorites from 2024 include Specially Selected Aged Cheese, Mama Cozzi's Deli Pizza, and Barissimo Barista Cold Foam.

Price drop tags are for items that have recently gone down in cost. These tags are typically used on standard store items, and the price drops could be short-term or long-term. Price drop tags do not list an end date for the lower price. They're different from clearance tags, as these are not usually items that the store is trying to get rid of.

For both paper and digital tags, deals and discounts are signified in red. Price drop tags aren't particularly common with the paper tags, but they are very common with the more modernized stores. As we mentioned, the tags are red, and they have white text. Like a typical tag, you'll see the price in a large font in the left corner. Nestled underneath, you'll see the old price, so you can compare the two. You'll also find the other standard product information, like the name, weight, and product number. In the upper right-hand corner is a white box with the words "Price Drops" in red font.

Aldi Savers are items that have been temporarily reduced, often just for two weeks. You can usually find which items are Aldi Savers by looking at the weekly ad. The paper Aldi Savers tags are white with red text. On the left side, you'll see a red arrow pointing down, with the words "Aldi Savers" in a white font. Sometimes, instead of creating a whole new paper tag for the week, the store will make a stick-on tag. These tags go over the price on the original yellow tag. You'll see what the price was, but it will be covered with an X. Underneath, there's a yellow tag with the sale price in a large black font. Below that, you'll have a black bar with the amount you save in white font. At the bottom of this tag is the Aldi Savers logo.

Digital Aldi Savers tags are red and white, usually with a banner or circle at the top reading "Aldi Savers." However, you might be hard-pressed to find Aldi Savers in stores these days. The company is phasing out Aldi Savers, replacing them with Price Drops. However, depending on your store, you may still see lingering Aldi Savers tags.

Clearance tags are not super common at Aldi, but you will see them on occasion. They're used to indicate items that are going away and are on a price reduction to make room for new stock. You'll most commonly see them on Aldi Finds or on seasonal items.

Paper clearance tags are yellow, like the standard price tags, but have red ink. They'll also have a red banner at the top with the word "clearance" in white. The digital version, meanwhile, looks very different. It's red with white text, with the clearance price in large print in the upper left corner. Under that, in a smaller font, is the original price. You'll also see the usual information like the product name and number. In the upper right corner is a white circle with "Clearance!" in red.

Another type of clearance tag to watch out for is the round red tags. These are placed directly on products, usually items that are set to expire soon. You'll most frequently see them on meat, and they're a great way to score even cheaper groceries at Aldi.

Aldi is primarily known for two things: low prices and the Aisle of Dreams (or Aisle of Shame, depending on how you look at it). This is where the Aldi Finds are located. Aldi Finds are an assortment of items that rotate out each week. They can be almost anything: some of the best kitchen products, clothes, home decor, toys, tools, gardening supplies, holiday items — you name it.

To help shoppers find these items, in addition to being in their own aisle, they have specific tags. The paper tags are white with red print and have a banner at the top reading "Aldi Finds" in white text. The new digital tags are a little simpler. They're white with black text, and in the top corner, you'll find a black box with "Aldi Finds" in white. They'll list typical product information, like the price and item name, but will also have a date at the bottom. This date tells you what day this item went out, allowing you to track whether it's part of this week's Aldi Finds or a leftover from a previous week.

Seasonal tags indicate items that Aldi stores stock seasonally, like lemonade in the summer or slow cooker liners in the fall and winter. These items usually stick around for one to two seasons (i.e., you're typically not going to find Aldi's spring items in the winter). Some of these products may come back around the following year, while others are limited-time only.

Note that they aren't the same as Aldi Finds. Aldi Finds are also limited, only sticking around for a week or so, whereas seasonal items usually last three to four months. Seasonal items are also restocked during the season, while Aldi Finds do not get restocked.

On paper tags, seasonal items are often light blue. They may also be yellow, like the standard paper Aldi tags, but have a banner reading "Seasonal Item" across the top. And digital tags? Well, it seems that digital seasonal tags may not exist. It appears that the company is in the process of phasing out seasonal tags. You may be able to identify seasonal items with the "new" label, but not always. After talking with employees, it sounds like even they don't know which items are just for the season and which will be sticking around long-term, which may be frustrating for frequent shoppers.