BATAVIA, Ill. -- Discount grocery retailerAldi is introducing "Healthier Checklanes" in select stores this year. The initiative will feature increased organics and healthier options at checkout to help make the shopping experience easier to navigate with an eye toward better eating.
Grocery checkout lanes are a "notorious" source of unhealthy impulse buys, the company said.
To cut out that temptation and allow shoppers to end their grocery trips on a healthy note, Aldi devised Healthier Checklanes. Rather than chocolates and candies, these checkout lanes will be stocked with healthier items like single-serve nuts and trail mixes, dried fruits and an assortment of granola bars.
Aldi plans to roll out the program to its nearly 1,500 locations by the end of 2016.
“By introducing Healthier Checklanes and through a number of other initiatives, we are doing our part to remove temptation at checkout and stocking stores with even more nutritious options,” said Jason Hart, CEO of Aldi. “At Aldi, we truly care about our customers, and we’re responding with guilt-free checkout zones and increased food options they can feel good about.”
These changes aren’t just taking place at checkout. Aldi will make the overall shopping experience simpler throughout the store, and for better-for-you options. Aldi exclusive food brands, which comprise more than 90% of products sold in stores, are now free of certified synthetic colors, partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) and added MSG.
The company has also taken the ingredient removal commitment a step further. While Aldi milk has been free of artificial growth hormones for years, it is committed to ensuring that the milk used to make all Aldi cultured products, such as yogurts, sour cream and cottage cheese, has no artificial growth hormones. This effort ensures that customers have an even wider selection of dairy products that meet their needs.
With these updates, it’s clear that the shopping experience is no longer about “shopping the perimeter,” where fresh and healthier items historically appeared in stores. Aldi is broadening its product offerings within every aisle, including:
- Expanding its selection of fresh and organic meat and produce, including the Never Any! brand of meat products that contain no added antibiotics, hormones, animal by-products or other additives.
- Expanding the SimplyNature line of products, free of more than 125 artificial ingredients, as well as a gluten-free line of products under the Aldi exclusive brand, liveGfree.
- Highlighting nutritional facts on the front of its exclusive brand food packages for shoppers to easily find key nutritional information.
- Partnering with registered dietitians through its Advisory Council to provide tips, recipes and meal-planning ideas that make healthy eating easy and affordable for families.
Batavia, Ill.-based Aldi operates nearly 1,500 U.S. stores in 32 states. It sells the most frequently purchased grocery and household items, primarily under its exclusive brands.
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