A popular content creator revealed a hack on how to get half-priced bread at Aldi.
In a skit, popular TikTok user Faares (@faaresq) portrayed both the Aldi customer and employee. As the customer, Faares handed a loaf of bread to the employee. After the employee shared the price, the customer noted that the bread was about to expire in a couple of days. Instead of getting a new loaf of bread, the customer wanted it for half off. That’s when the worker revealed the “five-day expiration date policy.”
“If something expires within five days, you get the item for a discount,” the employee explained.
@faaresq What Aldi doesn’t want you to know 👀🛍️#groceryshopping #groceryhack #aldi #aldihack #money #learnontiktok ♬ original sound – faares
The video amassed 1.8 million views as of Nov. 3. In the comments section, viewers who identified as current or former Aldi employees were divided on whether the policy was real.
“Ummmm. Not true, signed Aldi employee,” one viewer wrote.
“Hi, assistant manager at Aldi. Bread is a 4 day pull so we’re supposed to donate it 4 days before expiration,” a second remarked.
“Lol not a secret, 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,” a third stated.
“As a former Aldi employee, I’m not sure if that’s true. I just know that if it’s a day before we put a mark down sticker on it,” a fourth commented.
“That only works on loaf bread. Been working at Aldi for 8 years,” a fifth said.
The supposed policy also sparked debate on an Aldi subreddit. Averagepsycho127 answered, “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].”
They continued, “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 5 days, meaning certain items within 5 days of expiration had just been put out that morning. So no, the 5 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.”
However, several online sources maintain that the policy is real. In 2019, Best Life reported, “Exactly five days before loaves of bread and other types of baked goods are set to expire, Aldi will mark them down to 50 percent off. That’s a ton of savings if you find yourself making lots of school lunches! Even if you don’t snag these breads on sale, you’ll still save.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Aldi via press email and Faares via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment.
Update 12:43pm CT, Nov. 16: Faares continues to share “what stores don’t want you to know” tips and tricks. In one of his latest videos, he shares why Walmart notoriously doesn’t take Apple Pay and only offers customers the option to pay for their items using Walmart Pay. In another, he shares the reason why Costco only accepts Visa cards. And in another he shares the “secret trick” to getting fresh fries at McDonald’s. He often signs off his videos by encouraging viewers to follow him so that they can “know all the money secrets.”
