September 29, 2025
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Will More ‘Aldi’ Branding Elevate Aldi’s Appeal?
Facing a lawsuit from snack maker Mondelēz International over alleged copycat packaging, Aldi USA has unveiled an extensive packaging refresh that will put its name on nearly every product — and see the launch its first-ever namesake brand.
Several store brandings will be replaced with the Aldi name, while existing Aldi private labels like Clancy’s, Simply Nature, and Specially Selected will remain on shelves with modernized branding and “an Aldi Original” call-out. Other items like “Red Bag Chicken” will adopt shopper-given nicknames.
More than 90% of Aldi’s products are private label. Aldi noted that every private label product is tested and tasted up to five times “to ensure only the best make it to Aldi shelves.” All exclusive product is also free from certified synthetic colors.
Aldi said it’s been working on the refresh “for the past few years,” with the packaging makeover inspired by a “direct response” to customer feedback.
“Our customers already call our private labels ‘Aldi brands,’ and we’re excited to officially recognize them with a name they can see and trust,” said Scott Patton, chief commercial officer at Aldi USA, in a press release. “Our research shows customers associate Aldi with affordability, value, quality and convenience. Now, they can feel confident knowing our trusted name is behind every exclusive product in their cart.”
Some updated packaging can already be found in stores with all product labeling undergoing a refresh over the next few years.
Aldi Continues Facing Down Lawsuit Over Alleged Copycat Packaging
The refresh comes as Mondelēz, in late June, filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in Illinois calling Aldi’s store-brand cookies and crackers “blatantly copies” of Mondelēz snack products like Chips Ahoy!, Wheat Thins, and Oreo. In some cases, the wording closely resembles Mondelēz’s brands — i.e., “Wheat Thins” versus Aldi’s “Thin Wheat” — and the packaging colors and cursive are also seemingly similar.
Aldi Could Be Taking Cues From Competitors Like Lidl and Trader Joe’s
Aldi employs an extensive range of private labels, and it’s unknown how may will be retired. Other store brands include Benton’s (cookies), Chef’s Cupboard (baking), Casa Mamita (Mexican), Deutsche Kuche (German), Mama Cozzi’s (Italian), Millville (cereal), and Friendly Farms (dairy).
Currently, Aldi’s private labels are called out by an “Aldi Twice as Nice Guarantee” symbol on the back of packages, near the recycling symbol. The guarantee promises a refund or replacement if the customer is not satisfied.
If the Aldi name is used across many products, the grocer may be taking a page from limited-assortment competitor Trader Joe’s, which uses its name across all products. Costco has found success using a single brand, Kirkland, across a wide range of products.
If the Aldi name continues to use a wide range of private label names, but calls them out more prominently as “an Aldi Original” on the front of packaging, it would be following the path of Lidl, which calls out store brands via a “By Lidl” messaging on the front of packages.
BrainTrust
Perry Kramer
Managing Partner, Retail Consulting Partners
Warren Shoulberg
Senior Contributor, The Robin Report
John Hennessy
Retail and Brand Technology Tailor
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Do you see more upside than downside for Aldi in using the Aldi name for private labels or calling out ‘an Aldi Original’ on the front of store-brand packaging?
Do you think the Aldi name should replace a few or the majority of Aldi’s private labels?
Poll
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The original private label strategy was designed to keep some distance between Aldi and its products. This was mainly because Aldi was seen as being very price focused and there was a danger that products could be viewed as cheap. The older sub-brands also allowed Aldi to imitate national alternatives. A lot has now changed: while it is still an undisputed price leader, Aldi is highly regarded and has a proposition that is more focused around value. This means that including the Aldi name on products is an advantage – indeed for new customers it’s probably more reassuring than a generic brand. Consumer perceptions of private labels have also shifted favorably. Aldi is simply moving with the times.
Aldi is kicking ass in the U.S. and if I were running any other grocery chain in the country, i’d be plenty scared. This private label initiative is brilliant, it continues to build out the Aldi brand to consumers who are just starting to embrace it as well as those who have been shopping the store for decades. Forget about Ann Page, Basics and all the other lame store brand names used over the years. Aldi is a powerhouse and getting stronger every day.
I’m not sure it matters much, as long as the packaging is designed to look like competitor’s; and even that – as we discussed a few weeks ago – was of questionable importance: most people know what their getting from Aldi…the “fool most only sometimes” maxim comes into play here.
Aldi has grown into a well-known, well-loved brand in the U.S. over the past decade. There was a time when mimicry of national brands helped establish credibility. That time has passed.
Aldi shoppers know the brand. They know what they’re getting. Lean into that; the brand has equity. Their customers trust it. They’d probably be delighted to see “Aldi” on the label. It confirms pedigree, it ties the product back to the store they love, and avoids the weirdness of wordsmithed pseudo-brands that feel like something out of an alternate reality movie.
I believe the upside of unifying Aldi’s private labels under the Aldi name far outweighs the risks. Using “Aldi” or “an Aldi Original” across packaging gives shoppers clarity and consistency, reinforcing that all products carry the same guarantee of value and quality. Right now, many Aldi offerings sit behind sub-brand names that confuse the connection back to the parent chain. A unified brand identity turns that ambiguity into clarity and strengthens the overall Aldi brand in consumers’ minds.
In fact, Aldi is already moving in this direction: the chain is consolidating some 90 private labels down to 26 and rolling out new packaging that prominently features “Aldi” or a call-out “an ALDI Original,” while gradually phasing out weaker legacy sub-brands. This shift signals that Aldi sees more benefit in being its own hero brand—taking control of quality perception, shelf equity, and branding coherence.
Personally, I’d go all in: replace all private labels with Aldi branding. The consistency creates strong brand equity, simplifies marketing, and reduces the risk of dilution or confusion. Customers already refer to many of these items as “Aldi stuff”—so it’s time to make the connection official and eliminate the tangled sub-brand architecture holding back the full value of the Aldi name.
Finally…submitted as a successful for your consideration…Kirkland Signature. Costco’s single private brand is the largest private brand in the market. They proved skeptics like me wrong when they consolidated under a single brand. They proved that approach works when you have built a strong consumer trust in quality and value, and ALDI could replicate that effectively in my view.
I am not a fan of Aldi, though I am of Trader Joe’s (same company, 2 different divisions). I walked in the shiny new Aldi in my neighborhood and saw piles of fake Frosted Flakes (not subtle). The store was very poorly organized, and the whole checkout experience also offended me. Maybe I’m a snob. But the same company should be able to get learnings from sister divisions (even though the Aldi brothers don’t speak to each other).
Don’t underrate snobbery!! “I don’t shop at WalMart because of the people who do”: is the little internal voice that every WM critic has to overcome before telling us the real reason they don’t.
Aldi has been building trust for years and now claims its value authority. When you’ve built sufficient trust equity, consolidation creates compounding returns with more efficient marketing, acknowledged quality signals, and easier decision-making for consumers. The rebrand is simply bringing the label in line with the operating mental model of its customers. Additionally, applying Aldi across packaging creates legal separation from CPG litigants (think Mondelez) in a decisive brand consolidation move. Success will depend on product quality and Aldi’s in-store execution.
The private label of Aldi or Aldi Original shouldn’t make a difference. People who shop at Aldi’s know what they are shopping for. One of the benefits of shopping at Aldi’s is a simpler and easier shopping experience. Fewer choices mean less confusion. Clear labeling, recognizing the trusted Aldi brand, makes the shopping experience even better.
The timing is good for updating the private label branding. Combining the rebranding with a solid marketing strategy and possible promotional program will draw new customers while the loyal consumers know the products well and will transition to the new labeling without issue. Consumers are much more familiar with and confident in the quality of private label products. The rebranding of the private label products will continue to show Aldi’s commitment to value.
I think there is only upside for Aldi with this strategy. Margin aside, there is clarity for customers and I think the opportunity to create a distinct brand voice rather than the copy cat approach today. The qualifier is that the quality and value positioning have to be consistent so customers know what to expect across product categories and not just from one item to the next.
Can we set aside the nonsense of the lawsuit?
Simply, nobody does private label better than Costco and Trader Joe’s. Copying their initiatives is just plain smart..
Aldi has come a long way. Putting the Aldi name on products reflects how far they’ve come. It also says Aldi, not a 3rd party, stands behind those products.
Applauding Aldi for taking this step in private label. Making a commitment to put your brand name on packaging allows for perception repetition, story telling, and increased loyalty by guiding shoppers to the right value equation. Maybe most important, is that this has the potential to increase profit margins if done right.
The best private label approach Aldi can follow, is where they can create and tell their consistent value equation story for the majority of items, but not all. For example, there are several products their name doesn’t need to be on, i.e. beef, poultry. No customer believes that Aldi owns the farm, raises the animals, and owns safety & processing. But anything on a shelf, cooler, or frozen case has high upside.
As global private label sales soar this decade, Aldi is wise to own its store brand leadership by making the Aldi name more prolific and conspicuous.
This private label refresh helps Aldi differentiate its offerings and build loyalty as more consumers seek CPG quality and affordability they can trust.
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The original private label strategy was designed to keep some distance between Aldi and its products. This was mainly because Aldi was seen as being very price focused and there was a danger that products could be viewed as cheap. The older sub-brands also allowed Aldi to imitate national alternatives. A lot has now changed: while it is still an undisputed price leader, Aldi is highly regarded and has a proposition that is more focused around value. This means that including the Aldi name on products is an advantage – indeed for new customers it’s probably more reassuring than a generic brand. Consumer perceptions of private labels have also shifted favorably. Aldi is simply moving with the times.
Aldi is kicking ass in the U.S. and if I were running any other grocery chain in the country, i’d be plenty scared. This private label initiative is brilliant, it continues to build out the Aldi brand to consumers who are just starting to embrace it as well as those who have been shopping the store for decades. Forget about Ann Page, Basics and all the other lame store brand names used over the years. Aldi is a powerhouse and getting stronger every day.
I’m not sure it matters much, as long as the packaging is designed to look like competitor’s; and even that – as we discussed a few weeks ago – was of questionable importance: most people know what their getting from Aldi…the “fool most only sometimes” maxim comes into play here.
Aldi has grown into a well-known, well-loved brand in the U.S. over the past decade. There was a time when mimicry of national brands helped establish credibility. That time has passed.
Aldi shoppers know the brand. They know what they’re getting. Lean into that; the brand has equity. Their customers trust it. They’d probably be delighted to see “Aldi” on the label. It confirms pedigree, it ties the product back to the store they love, and avoids the weirdness of wordsmithed pseudo-brands that feel like something out of an alternate reality movie.
I believe the upside of unifying Aldi’s private labels under the Aldi name far outweighs the risks. Using “Aldi” or “an Aldi Original” across packaging gives shoppers clarity and consistency, reinforcing that all products carry the same guarantee of value and quality. Right now, many Aldi offerings sit behind sub-brand names that confuse the connection back to the parent chain. A unified brand identity turns that ambiguity into clarity and strengthens the overall Aldi brand in consumers’ minds.
In fact, Aldi is already moving in this direction: the chain is consolidating some 90 private labels down to 26 and rolling out new packaging that prominently features “Aldi” or a call-out “an ALDI Original,” while gradually phasing out weaker legacy sub-brands. This shift signals that Aldi sees more benefit in being its own hero brand—taking control of quality perception, shelf equity, and branding coherence.
Personally, I’d go all in: replace all private labels with Aldi branding. The consistency creates strong brand equity, simplifies marketing, and reduces the risk of dilution or confusion. Customers already refer to many of these items as “Aldi stuff”—so it’s time to make the connection official and eliminate the tangled sub-brand architecture holding back the full value of the Aldi name.
Finally…submitted as a successful for your consideration…Kirkland Signature. Costco’s single private brand is the largest private brand in the market. They proved skeptics like me wrong when they consolidated under a single brand. They proved that approach works when you have built a strong consumer trust in quality and value, and ALDI could replicate that effectively in my view.
I am not a fan of Aldi, though I am of Trader Joe’s (same company, 2 different divisions). I walked in the shiny new Aldi in my neighborhood and saw piles of fake Frosted Flakes (not subtle). The store was very poorly organized, and the whole checkout experience also offended me. Maybe I’m a snob. But the same company should be able to get learnings from sister divisions (even though the Aldi brothers don’t speak to each other).
Don’t underrate snobbery!! “I don’t shop at WalMart because of the people who do”: is the little internal voice that every WM critic has to overcome before telling us the real reason they don’t.
Aldi has been building trust for years and now claims its value authority. When you’ve built sufficient trust equity, consolidation creates compounding returns with more efficient marketing, acknowledged quality signals, and easier decision-making for consumers. The rebrand is simply bringing the label in line with the operating mental model of its customers. Additionally, applying Aldi across packaging creates legal separation from CPG litigants (think Mondelez) in a decisive brand consolidation move. Success will depend on product quality and Aldi’s in-store execution.
The private label of Aldi or Aldi Original shouldn’t make a difference. People who shop at Aldi’s know what they are shopping for. One of the benefits of shopping at Aldi’s is a simpler and easier shopping experience. Fewer choices mean less confusion. Clear labeling, recognizing the trusted Aldi brand, makes the shopping experience even better.
The timing is good for updating the private label branding. Combining the rebranding with a solid marketing strategy and possible promotional program will draw new customers while the loyal consumers know the products well and will transition to the new labeling without issue. Consumers are much more familiar with and confident in the quality of private label products. The rebranding of the private label products will continue to show Aldi’s commitment to value.
I think there is only upside for Aldi with this strategy. Margin aside, there is clarity for customers and I think the opportunity to create a distinct brand voice rather than the copy cat approach today. The qualifier is that the quality and value positioning have to be consistent so customers know what to expect across product categories and not just from one item to the next.
Can we set aside the nonsense of the lawsuit?
Simply, nobody does private label better than Costco and Trader Joe’s. Copying their initiatives is just plain smart..
Aldi has come a long way. Putting the Aldi name on products reflects how far they’ve come. It also says Aldi, not a 3rd party, stands behind those products.
Applauding Aldi for taking this step in private label. Making a commitment to put your brand name on packaging allows for perception repetition, story telling, and increased loyalty by guiding shoppers to the right value equation. Maybe most important, is that this has the potential to increase profit margins if done right.
The best private label approach Aldi can follow, is where they can create and tell their consistent value equation story for the majority of items, but not all. For example, there are several products their name doesn’t need to be on, i.e. beef, poultry. No customer believes that Aldi owns the farm, raises the animals, and owns safety & processing. But anything on a shelf, cooler, or frozen case has high upside.
As global private label sales soar this decade, Aldi is wise to own its store brand leadership by making the Aldi name more prolific and conspicuous.
This private label refresh helps Aldi differentiate its offerings and build loyalty as more consumers seek CPG quality and affordability they can trust.