Why Doesn't Aldi Play Music In Its Stores?

Aldi is one of the most beloved grocery store chains in the U.S. (and around the world), thanks to its low prices, fun Aldi Finds aisle (nicknamed the "Aisle of Shame" by superfans), and terrific wine selection. Step inside a typical Aldi, which is a fraction of the size of most big box stores, and you'll notice things are a little ... different. You'll hear people chattering and registers ringing up items, but you won't hear songs over the speakers. Why doesn't Aldi play music in its stores?

For music to be played in grocery stores (and indeed, all retail locations) the chain has to buy the licensing for those tunes. Aldi, which is committed to cutting costs wherever it can to pass the savings onto its customers, simply chooses not to do that. While it can be a bit jarring at first, especially if you're new to the Aldi realm (the silent bathrooms are a lot), it can also be kind of nice not to have your ears assailed by loud Christmas songs as soon as Thanksgiving is over or to hear bad instrumental versions of your favorite '00s hits.

Not paying music licensing fees is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what Aldi does to pass savings onto customers. While perusing the aisles, you might notice there are no fancy displays anywhere, no cans stacked on top of each other to make shapes or designs. In fact, Aldi keeps its items in the boxes they were transported in, so it can employ fewer people per store and save money on wages.

In addition to the lack of decoration and fewer employees, the international chain also sells a limited number of items — around 1,700 in each store. This is very small compared to most other grocery chains, which generally keep over 40,000 items on store shelves. While you can find pretty much all of your pantry staples (plus some extras) at Aldi, you'll only get one or two options, versus at your big box chain, where there might be a dozen selections of the same item. And, while you do find some brand names at Aldi, for the most part, its products are generic — but still high quality — house brands.