Once you get past the whole temporarily-paying-for-a-shopping-cart thing, Aldi is a pretty magical place. There’s the Aisle of Shame, the low prices and those cashiers who scan items at the speed of light. And let’s not forget the chain’s annual advent calendar filled with wine. (Cheers to Christmas at Aldi!)
But there’s still a certain mystique around Aldi if you aren’t completely familiar with how the company operates. Like Aldi’s red tags on certain items—what are those all about? Should you grab an item if you see a red tag adorning it, or should you steer clear?
The good news is that you don’t have to be a member of a secret club to decode Aldi’s tags. In fact, Aldi eschews the idea of any sort of loyalty program—the company believes the value of its products speaks for itself. So let’s demystify those red tags so you know exactly what you’re looking at the next time you make an Aldi run.
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What does it mean if you see a red price tag at Aldi?
It means you’re about to save some money!
“A red tag is a signifier that Aldi is looking to move on the product fast for two main reasons,” says Dan Wilderness, founder of The Financial Wilderness, where he covers personal-finance topics and money-saving tips. “First, the packaging is damaged. You’ll usually see a 30% discount with this. It’s worth considering what’s within to see if there’s a danger of the product being damaged, but if not, this is purely about an imperfect box, so it’s a great way to get something cheap.”
Wilderness says the second reason an item may have a red tag is because the product is about to expire, so before buying it, be honest with yourself about whether you’re really going to use it before that date. “This is usually food and will be due to expire either that day or immediately afterward, so you’ll want to use it soon,” he says. “Discounts here will vary depending what it is but can be up to 70%.”
How do you get the discount?
It’s simple—so simple, in fact, that all you have to do is throw the red-tagged item in your cart and head to checkout.
“Aldi shoppers just need to grab the products that bear the red labels or stickers in order to receive these discounts,” says savings expert Marc Mezzacca, founder of CouponFollow. “In the case of products that have red markdown labels with a nearby expiration date, it would be best to make the cashier aware, although the discount is usually recognized automatically.”
Well, that sounds easy.
How much of a discount can you expect?
It really depends on the product. Mezzacca notes that red tags labeled “Aldi Savers” offer substantial savings, often as much as as 33% off normal price.
“Clearance items are often priced for sale at their final discounted price, though savings can be variable,” he says. “Prices on Aldi Finds are already set and generally have reasonable value, though specific discount percentages often aren’t marked. The most dramatic savings are often red-stickered perishables, often reduced up to 50%.”
What does Aldi do with unsold food?
To avoid having unsold food, Aldi offers plenty of markdowns before items expire. However, in the event the store does not sell these items, it might mitigate the potential for food waste by donating unsold food to various charities, including Feed America. Through that organization, Aldi collaborates with local food banks so that stores are giving back to the very communities in which they operate.
RELATED:
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- Here’s Why Aldi’s Barcodes Are So Long
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Sources:
- Dave Wilderness, founder of The Financial Wilderness; interviewed, June 2025
- Marc Mezzacca, savings expert and founder of CouponFollow; interviewed, June 2025
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