Look at any Aldi-brand product for more than a few seconds, and you’ll undoubtedly notice a peculiar quantity of barcodes, some of which extend along the entire length of the product.
They’re actually so prevalent on some packages that shoppers have questioned whether they’re simply utilized to eat up space that would otherwise be left blank.
“I like it. It takes up dead space like a painting in a museum,” one Aldi customer wrote on Reddit, adding that the barcodes are “slightly [shocking] and trippy” at first glance.
But while those barcodes may indeed be taking up plenty of space on an Aldi carton, the actual reason for their redundant, sometimes ungainly appearances has more to do with practicality, according to Aldi.
“Everything we do (and don’t do) is designed to offer a quicker, easier and more enjoyable shopping experience. Our barcodes are no exception,” an Aldi spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement obtained by Nexstar. “While a small detail, we’ve designed our barcodes to ensure products can be scanned quickly from almost any angle, whether by employees or customers using self-checkout.
Larger barcodes also “reduce the amount of time shoppers need to search for barcodes, which means they can get in, check out and [get] back to life outside the grocery store,” the spokesperson added.
Customers and self-identified employees on Reddit appeared to agree, claiming the checkout process is speedier with larger or more numerous barcodes.
“As a cashier, I love this,” one user said.
“Surprised something similar isn’t industry standard by now,” another wrote.
That said, several shoppers admitted the barcodes can be a bit funny-looking, and at times even otherworldly.
“Shopping at Aldi sometimes feels like shopping in an alternate universe,” one user claimed. “Stuff like this mixed with brands no one has ever heard of, ‘renting’ a cart and not getting bags. But still somehow familiar to shopping at a ‘real’ place.”
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