ALDI Sees Traffic Surge Throughout 2024, but Costco Shoppers Stay in the Store Longest

ALDI has been a social media darling for some time now, with various platforms playing host to brand fans discussing everything from the grocer’s notably low prices to its famous (or infamous) “aisle of shame.”

That seems to be reflective of the company’s overall popularity when it comes to real-life metrics, as well. According to Supermarket News, citing data from Placer.ai, ALDI managed to increase foot traffic by double digits for nearly every month last year, missing that target only once (in December).

The actual statistics speak for themselves:

• January: Up 15.7% in terms of foot traffic
• February: Up 22.9%
• March: Up 22.6%
• April: Up 18.5%
• May: Up 20.4%
• June: Up 21.4%
• July: Up 18.2%
• August: Up 20.5%
• September: Up. 18.2%
• October: Up 13.1%
• November: Up 15.2%
• December: Up 8.8%

Even December’s figure of 8.8% was double the foot traffic growth experienced by ALDI’s nearest fast-growing competitor, H-E-B, which saw 3.6% year-over-year growth that month.

While ALDI Sees Amazing Foot Traffic, Costco Shoppers Actually Linger in Stores Longest

Another metric measured by Placer.ai — the monthly average visit duration — saw warehouse club Costco take the lead by a significant margin.

The data put forth suggested that Costco shoppers spend between 37 and 40 minutes browsing the orderly aisles before making their way toward the checkout, with November showing the longest average visit (40.3 minutes) and February, April, May, and July sharing the spot for the shortest average visit (37.4 minutes).

Walmart took the second-place position in this regard, with shoppers spending an average of between 32 and 35 minutes meandering through the floor space belonging to the blue-and-yellow brand.

The logical conclusion drawn by Supermarket News was that a larger physical footprint meant that consumers would be spending more time shopping, an argument that seemed to be borne out in the data provided.

Those shopping at dollar stores, in comparison to those shopping at grocers or warehouse clubs, took relatively little time, averaging between 15 and 17 minutes to conduct their business.