In today’s 24/7 world, shoppers have come to expect just that – access to the stores they love, pretty much 24/7, 365 days per year. Big retailers like Walmart, and even smaller regional chains like Wegmans, operate at full tilt, all day and all night.
You might be wondering if German grocery chain Aldi follows suit, since they compete with the likes of Walmart in terms of steeply discounted prices. Well, the answer might surprise you, and you can find it below.
Key Takeaways
What Are Aldi’s Hours In 2022?
The majority of Aldi stores operate Monday through Sunday, opening at 8:30 or 9 a.m. and closing between 7 to 9 p.m. Aldi stores are closed for four major holidays and operate on limited hours for another two holidays. Be sure to check with your local Aldi in case they have unique opening/closing hours.
To learn more about these varying closing times, Aldi’s Sunday and holiday hours, where you can find your exact store’s hours and why Aldi isn’t open 24/7, keep reading!
What Are Aldi’s Normal Trading Hours?
You might be wondering about the “opening at 8:30 or 9 a.m.” and “closing between 7 to 9 p.m.” bits above. Part of these variations in store hours has to do with the pandemic and part has to do with geography.
The discrepancies in closing times appear to be geographical; as the writer at AisleofShame.com commented, it seems that West Coast stores have the later close time of 9 p.m., while more easterly states close at 8 p.m.
How Do You Find Your Aldi Store’s Hours?
The best way to be sure of your store hours is to use the Aldi website’s store locator.
From what I can tell, Aldi is pretty on the ball with keeping their store information updated, so this is always the first place I’d check to make absolutely sure.
Are Aldi Hours Different On Sundays?
In some locations, Aldi stores which are open until 9 p.m. other days of the week may close at 8 p.m. on Sundays.
My personal store used to be like this, until the pandemic changed all closing hours to 8 p.m. no matter what day.
Again, the best way to find out if this affects your store is to use the store locator.
If you can’t check beforehand, your best bet is to show up on Sunday before 8 p.m. (just to be safe) and then scope out the store hours listed out front.
What Are Aldi’s Holiday Hours?
Aldi keeps it pretty straightforward when it comes to their holiday hours.
They are completely closed on New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday (according to their website, except in California and Arizona), Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day, presumably to give employees time to be with their families.
The stores also operate limited hours on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve.
One thing I really appreciate about Aldi’s store locator is that when a holiday is coming up, they list the special hours ahead of time so that shoppers can prepare accordingly.
So if you need something last-minute on July 4th, check their store locator to find out exactly when they close. (I’ve noticed that Google Maps is also quite accurate, though I would rely on the Aldi website first.)
Why Does Aldi Close So Early?
It used to be that nothing stayed open past 10 p.m., but the retail landscape has changed a lot, even in the last decade. Now you have grocery stores open at 3 a.m.
Aldi competes (and most often wins) in the pricing war with Walmart, but they are happy to stay in their own lane when it comes to nighttime accessibility.
Limiting hours means lower utilities; not having to keep all the lights on all night saves on electricity (and it’s good for the environment).
it also means that they don’t have to pay employees to be at work all night long. Aldi already limits the number of employees per store by cross-training hires and getting shoppers to return their own carts.
Closing early also helps Aldi avoid late-night chaos that can arise; people aren’t always on their best behavior at 2 a.m., and they can be disruptive and destructive.
To learn more, you might also be interested in reading up on what are Aldi special buys, Aldi’s competitive advantages, and 17 reasons why Aldi is so cheap.
Conclusion
Aldi maintains what I think of as “good old-fashioned” store hours, opening at 9 a.m. and closing at 8 or 9 p.m., in most cases, seven days a week.
Even better, the company clearly makes a priority out of keeping their shoppers informed about store hours and potential disruptions via the Aldi US website.