Supermarket Sleuths: 'I have found myself wandering into Woolies instead of Aldi'

It surprised me to hear that just 10 percent of Aussies shop at Aldi. I have been shopping at the discount supermarket for almost twenty years and without Aldi, I don't know how I would have been able to afford to feed my family some weeks over the years.

Lately, however, I have found myself wandering into Woolworths and Coles more often, even though I know they aren't the most affordable option. These days I bounce around between Aldi, Coles and Woolies as well as my local fruit market.

Finder found that Aussie supermarket shoppers still prefer Woolworths, with 48 percent shopping there, closely followed by Coles at 39 percent so my habits are in line with most Australians, and then 10 percent at Aldi. The remainder shop at independents such as their local IGA.

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In terms of cost and amid the current cost-of-living crisis, this just doesn't make sense.
But it does if you look at other factors that determine people's supermarket choice.

Consumer Psychologist and Thinkerbell founder Adam Ferrier says he suspects two reasons behind most Australians favouring Woolies and Coles over Aldi and those reasons are because Woolies and Coles provide a more interesting shopping experience, and also for convenience.

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"People go to the closest supermarket to them," he explains. "Location accounts for the most variance in supermarket preference, and both Coles and Woolies have many more locations than Aldi."

It is true to suggest Aldi isn't the most interesting shopping experience in terms of the fact their grocery products remain largely unchanged.?

Consumer Psychologist, Behaviouralist and Brand Strategist? Peter Resanceff explains that ALDI's business model has "always been about saving the consumer money."

"By providing customers with a pared-back and simplified supermarket shopping experience, they aim to cut out unnecessary costs and pass these savings on to customers," he explains. "But therein lies the rub ¨C certain aspects of this simplified business model necessarily result in a shopping experience that doesn't suit every type of shopper.

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Then there is the shame factor. When I first started shopping at Aldi I would sometimes run into another school mum and they would sometimes seem defensive about being in there, but I was in there too? So why be defensive? I always thought Aldi was awesome.

Ferrier thinks Aldi has largely overcome this stigma.

"I think Aldi have positioned themselves very well in the market as a place where smart, savvy shoppers shop," he says. " They've substantiated this well with a quirky tone that makes shopping there feel both cheap, but also fun too."

He feels Woolies and Coles are popular due to the "ease and convenience" of shopping there but also because "both of the larger chains can do more value adds and fun things to make the shopping experience more memorable."

"They have trialed quiet hours, and hours with lower sensory stimulation, however, could they do the opposite and have disco hour, or singles nights and try and make the shopping experience more of an experience," he suggests. "It's all gotten very functional and dry."

Sign me up for disco night!

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After price point, Aussies are looking for quality of product, Ferrier says.

"Very few shoppers actually shop for the lowest costs baskets," he suggests. "Most wouldn't know."

Resanceff says most Aldi shoppers find themselves having to go to Woolworths and Coles and green grocers in order to find all items on their shopping lists, which rules out Aldi.

"The limited range of products, compared to Woolies and Coles, means that relying on Aldi for everything isn't possible," he says. "So many Aldi shoppers also visit Coles and Woolies for the things they can't get from Aldi.

"Aldi has embraced this, as many of their customers have, as a positive," he says. "Their latest campaign suggesting that if you make Aldi your first shop, you'll always end up saving money.

"But, of course, for a good proportion of shoppers, who don't have the time or inclination to shop across a number of stores or locations, this rules Aldi out. They want a one-stop-shop and the big two, Woolies and Coles, cater to that need."