No shame in the grocery aisle

May 12, 2026 by
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NPR published a bewildering (to me) story today. It profiled shoppers who were seemingly ashamed to shop at Aldi and other low-priced grocery stores. The premise was that due to “economic pressures and frustrations” people have started to shop at “budget grocery stores and warehouse clubs” instead of supermarkets, “their priorities shifting in pursuit of a good deal.” I’m not sure who this article is meant for – the private jet crowd? Temporarily embarrassed millionaires? In what world is it shameful to shop someplace that has been consistently ranked as a top 10 grocery chain?

Granted, I don’t run in the private jet crowd, but I work in a professional office chock full of comfortable, middle- to upper-class workers who gush about the bargains they find at discount and thrift stores. Aldi, for instance, earns high praise from parents whose children love berries. Perhaps Aldi just gets more love here in Minnesota, where it accounts for 15.4% of all grocery store visits.

Also, since when have clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club been the province of the economically downtrodden? They have membership fees, for goodness sake! To shop there, you pretty much need to have a car, plenty of storage, and the means to buy in bulk, things that many struggling people don’t have. Costco and Sam’s Club together claim over 12% of the US grocery market share (compared to Aldi’s slice of 2.8%), so it’s not like they are niche players.

What bothers me most about the NPR story is that it lends credence to the idea that there is shame in being poor: that somehow behaviors like shopping at discount stores are a mark of personal failure. This harmful notion runs deep in society. Not only does it add to the burden of being poor by causing personal distress, the belief that being poor is a self-inflicted injury stymies efforts to establish effective public policies that address economic disparities, exacerbating the problem. There should be no stigma associated with shopping for groceries at Aldi, or Lidl, or Dollar General, or Kwik Trip. None. Nor should there be shame in using SNAP benefits or other government assistance programs. Despite a persistent narrative suggesting that people who use these programs are moochers, the reality remains that it’s exceedingly difficult to qualify for and maintain those benefits. A generous interpretation of this article might say that it is combatting the association of poverty with shame but if that’s the case, based on responses I have seen it’s missing the mark.

Grocery store analyst Phil Lempert weighs in near the end of the NPR story to say that “People are using shopping lists more than ever before.” I am not sure when people weren’t using shopping lists (the private jet crowd doesn’t do their own shopping so they don’t count). Yes, I often forget to bring mine to the store, but the important thing is that I make a list. I don’t know many shoppers who completely wing it, although I am sure people do. Maybe some of them listen to NPR on the way to the country club, recoiling at the idea of shopping at Aldi.

Category: Antipasto

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11 Comments

  • KatieK1  on  May 13, 2026

    This fall a Lidl is opening up across the street from my building and I can’t wait. Trader Joe’s is a godsend, as is the produce stand downstairs. Never thought to be ashamed. Surprised that NPR would publish such an article.

  • JimCampbell  on  May 13, 2026

    To speak to the type of folks who do “low budget” shopping, we live in a relatively influential town. You should hear the comments at the town council meetings when one of “those” types of stores wants to come to town. You’d think it’s the end of the world. All the riff-raff that’s going to come into our community. Guess what? crimes not up, and the town boasts a TJ Max, Home Goods, Dollar Store, and an incoming Grocery Outlet, all in the same shopping center. Just a few doors down from the now closed saddlery shop. And guess who shops there? All these folks………

  • MollyB  on  May 13, 2026

    I’m just sad there aren’t any Aldi stores near me! I’d love to have one in northern Nevada!

  • jaelsne  on  May 13, 2026

    I love Aldi. I have to mention a somewhat related story. Not food related so bear with me.

    I went alone to test drive a small luxury car I was considering. Trying to decide between versions, I mentioned that I love shopping at Costco and going thrifting so I wanted a good sized trunk.

    The salesman looked a bit taken aback, and subsequently blew me off—not even taking my phone number. The next day I marched in to the same dealer, asked for a different salesman, took a second test drive and proceeded to buy the car on the spot! The motto is to never judge a person by their shopping habits.

  • FuzzyChef  on  May 14, 2026

    I did have a long period in my life where I didn’t use a shopping list, because my main grocery was 3 blocks from my home. I shopped every day.

  • FuzzyChef  on  May 14, 2026

    Also , I’m pretty sure the article author does not do the shopping in their family.

  • janecooksamiracle  on  May 14, 2026

    I always write a shopping list and quite often leave it on the kitchen counter 🤪

  • Indio32  on  May 14, 2026

    Sorry to be the contrarian here but I’m left absolutely flabbergasted that anyone one would think Aldi/Lidl are cheap! Firstly to say I’m in the UK so my experience is with them here and secondly I cook using ingredients mainly from scratch. I’ve noticed of late Aldi pricing most fruit & veg each rather than the normal per Kg. When you do the sums the prices have shot up. Waitrose onions £1/kg Aldi 3 onions for 95p or labeled as 32p each but £2.32/kg when weighed. Local greengrocer 50p cucumbers… Aldi 99p*. Same with the local butchers, better quality, cheaper and no single use plastic. A local charity Alexandra Rose specifically excludes supermarkets from excepting its fruit & veg vouchers after research showed they were 66% more expensive. Independents are under huge pressure but I’ve repeatedly found them cheaper and with a better variety of produce. Aldi/lidl do win the ultra-processed award though.
    *have lots of similar examples

    • Darcie  on  May 14, 2026

      Where I live (Minnesota), Aldi is far cheaper on most produce. One recent example is 170g/6 oz raspberries for USD $1.99 at Aldi v. $2.97 at Wal-mart, $3.49 at Hy-Vee, and $4.99 (“upscale” supermarket). Mangoes are currently $0.85 each at Aldi vs. $0.97 at Wal-mart, $1.49 at Hy-Vee, and $3.99 at Lunds/Byerlys. The quality of the produce is on par with those stores and often the same brands (e.g. all stores have Driscoll’s raspberries). There is no doubt that Aldi is better on price for produce. The meat prices are also better, but I agree that the quality isn’t as good as other places – but it’s better than Wal-mart, which is Aldi’s biggest competitor price-wise. Strangely Aldi went from pricing each for many items to pricing by weight – the opposite of your experience!

      Aldi here also seems to have fewer ultra-processed items than most other stores, but perhaps that’s because they don’t stock as many brands. I mainly cook from scratch, too, and do 60-70% of my shopping at Aldi. FWIW my town does not have an independent grocery store, only chains.

  • okmosa  on  May 15, 2026

    I’m glad I missed this reporting because I would have the same response and ruminate on it for a few days. From another Minnesotan, I appreciate the Wisconsin-adjacent Kwik Trip reference. 🙂

  • tui  on  May 17, 2026

    I live in New Zealand and we would love to have stores like Aldi as our supermarkets are totally controlled by two conglomerates and with no real competitors their prices are high. But we do have independent butchers and fruit and vegetable stores and their prices are usually cheaper and often the quality is much better. We buy only staples at the supermarket and get our meat from the Aussie Butcher (yes, I know) and our fruit and vegetables from Fruit World.

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