Both Aldi and Stop & Shop are amongst some of the most well-known grocery stores in the United States. They both offer great prices, good quality, and sell to millions of customers a year. but if you are deciding between the two, which one is better.
In this article, I compare these two stores on three main decision-making factors that most customers consider when deciding which store to shop. These three factors are:
- Price
- Quality
- Variety
By the end of this article, you should have a good idea as to whether Aldi or Stop & Shop is a better choice for you.
Which is Better: Aldi or Stop and Shop? Aldi is much cheaper than Stop n Shop. However, Stop n Shop does offer higher quality products and they give customers more variety to pick from.
Is Aldi More Expensive Than Stop and Shop?
The first thing that I analyzed when looking at these two stores is price. Price is one of the biggest factors when it comes to picking a store to shop at, so which one of these stores will give you the cheapest prices, or the best bang for your buck.
I took a look and compared store brand items from each store, and then documented their average price. Below is a table that breaks down which store has the cheapest prices in each popular shopping category.
| Category | Aldi Brand | Stop and Shop Brand |
| Beverages | ✓ | |
| Baking Goods | ✓ | |
| Canned Goods | ✓ | |
| Dairy | ✓ | |
| Dry Goods | ✓ | |
| Frozen Foods | ✓ | |
| Personal Care | ✓ | |
| Cleaners | ✓ | ✓ |
After checking both their stores, it seems as though Aldi offers cheaper prices than Stop and Shop. Aldi had the cheaper prices in a majority of popular shopping categories.
The only category where Aldi wasn’t the cheapest was the dry goods category.
So if you are picking at the grocery store based on price, then you are better off shopping at Aldi as they will give you the most affordable prices in comparison to Stop and Shop.
Product Quality: Aldi vs Stop and Shop
The next point of comparison is on product quality. Each store offers similar types of products, but which ones are better? In other words, which store has higher quality products?
To get an idea of what quality of products each store sells, I checked the FDA’s product recall database to see which store has had more recalled products in recent times. The store with more product recalls is likely to have lower quality products.
| Category | Aldi Recalls | Stop and Shop Recalls |
| Animal & Veterinary | 0 | 0 |
| Biologics | 0 | 0 |
| Cosmetics | 0 | 0 |
| Dietary Supplements | 0 | 1 |
| Drugs | 0 | 4 |
| Food and Beverages | 31 | 19 |
| Medical Devices | 0 | 0 |
| Radiation Emitting Products | 0 | 0 |
| Tobacco | 0 | 0 |
According to the FDA, Aldi has had a few more product recalls than Stop and Shop. More specifically Aldi has had 31 recalls mainly in the food and beverages category. Stop and Shop has had 24 product recalls mainly in the dietary supplements, drugs, and food and beverages category.
Aldi: 31 Product Recalls
Stop and Shop: 24 Product Recalls
So, it is safe to assume that Stop and Shop offers higher quality products to their customers. So, if you are a shopper that prioritizes product quality, then Stop and Shop is the better option for you.
Product Variety: Aldi vs Stop and Shop
While it may not be as important as the previous two factors, product variety is something that many shoppers like in a grocery store. Essentially, product variety means that there are more options for shoppers to pick from.
So between these two stores, which one will give you the most items to pick from?
| Total Aldi Products | Total Stop and Shop Products |
| 1,400 products | 30,000 products |
It seems that Stop and Shop is the clear winner here. They offer significantly more products than Aldi does. In fact, Stop and Shop has more than 21 times the amount of products as Aldi. This means that you are likely to find what you are needing at Stop and Shop, because they offer much more variety and depth in terms of their products. So, if you are someone that enjoys having many products to choose from, then Stop and Shop is your clear winner.
Which One Should You Shop At: Aldi vs Stop and Shop?
When to shop at Aldi: If you prefer price over everything, then Aldi is the right choice for you. Despite having lower quality products and less to pick from, they do offer very low prices in comparison to Stop and Shop.
When to shop at Stop and Shop: Despite not offering the lowest prices, Stop and Shop does offer higher quality products and more product variety. If you don’t mind paying a bit extra for these two factors, then Stop and Shop is where you should shop.