Harris Teeter and Aldi are two of the top competitors in the grocery store space. They both have similar items to similar customers. However they do have some differences. So, if you’re wondering which one is better, then this post is right for you.
I compared the stories based on three major decision-making factors:
- Price
- Quality
- Variety
By the end of this article, you should have a much better idea as to which store is right for you.
Which is Better: Harris Teeter or Aldi? In terms of price, Aldi is cheaper than Harris Teeter by 6% to 109% depending on the product. However, Harris Teeter has significantly higher quality products, according to the FDA.
Is Harris Teeter Cheaper Than Aldi?
When shoppers go to the grocery store, they’re primarily concerned with how much money they are going to spend. Shoppers want to make sure that the store that they pick is affordable and cheap. So when taking a look at Aldi and Harris Teeter, which one is cheaper?
To figure this out, I collected the prices of the most commonly purchased store brand items and averaged them out over common shopping categories.
Aldi is cheaper than Harris Teeter by anywhere from 6% to 109%.
Below is a table that further breaks down the average prices from each category.
| Category | Harris Teeter Avg Price | Aldi Avg Price |
| Beverages | $0.89 | $0.89 |
| Baking Goods | $1.99 | $0.95 |
| Canned Goods | $0.69 | $0.65 |
| Dairy | $3.39 | $2.59 |
| Dry Goods | $0.99 | $1.09 |
| Frozen Foods | $1.69 | $0.89 |
| Personal Care | $1.99 | $1.09 |
| Cleaners | $4.50 | $3.65 |
to give you a better idea as to how the price is from each store compared to one another, I created a bar chart. As you can see for practically every category, with the exception of dry goods, Aldi is significantly cheaper than Harris Teeter.
So if you are someone who is primarily concerned with price, then Aldi is a much better option for you.
Product Quality: Harris Teeter vs Aldi
Another major decision making factor is product quality. Customers want to know that the products they are purchasing are safe. So between Harris Teeter and Aldi, which one has better quality products?
To figure this out, I took a look at the FDA‘s product recall database. This database shows how many recalls a certain store has had in recent years. So the store with the least amount of recalls is the one with the highest quality products.
Harris Teeter has 14 product recalls, whereas Aldi has 31 product recalls. This insists that Harris Teeter has higher quality products than Aldi.
| Category | Harris Teeter Recalls | Aldi Recalls |
| Animal & Veterinary | 0 | 0 |
| Biologics | 0 | 0 |
| Cosmetics | 0 | 0 |
| Dietary Supplements | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 0 | 0 |
| Food and Beverages | 14 | 31 |
| Medical Devices | 0 | 0 |
| Radiation Emitting Products | 0 | 0 |
| Tobacco | 0 | 0 |
As you can see, both stores have all of their product recalls in the food and beverages category. This is mainly due to the fact that a majority of the products that each store sells falls within the food and beverages category.
So, if you are a shopper who prefers higher quality products, then Harris Teeter is the right option for you.
Product Variety: Harris Teeter vs Aldi
In terms of product variety, a lot of customers want to know that the store they are shopping at offers a really wide depth of different products to purchase. So, between these two stores, which one has more products to buy?
| Total Harris Teeter Products | Total Aldi Products |
| 30,000 | 1,400 |
Harris Teeter has a total of 30,000 products whereas Aldi has a total of 1400 products. There is a significant difference between the two. So if you’re looking for a store that has more product variety, Harris Teeter is the best option for you.
Which One Should You Shop At: Harris Teeter vs Aldi?
When to shop at Harris Teeter: If you were looking for a store that has higher quality products and more product variety, you should shop at Harris Teeter.
When to shop at Aldi: If you were looking for a store who has the cheapest prices, although not the highest quality, then Aldi is the right option for you.