Ever wondered why Aldi’s stores have a strange layout? Now you know…

Aldi stores aren’t like your typical supermarket, yet Australians seem to love them! Could this German giant be on to something, just by simply arranging their store in a certain way? Well, yes.

The retail scientists of Aldi have worked out the perfect way to tempt shoppers into their supermarket aisles, and it has a lot to do with their twice-weekly deals in the centre of the store.

When you go into Coles or Woolies, it’s rare you will see any products aside from food and drink that you would actually want, such a new set of drawers or some hiking shoes. This is where Aldi sets themselves apart: they know that and capitalise on it.

By placing such products in the centre of its stores, customers are encouraged to weave their way through aisles of other items that might tempt them along the way, reports the New Daily.

The layout is much different to the usual supermarket strategy of forcing customers to move around impulse-buy items to find everyday essentials, such as placing milk at the back of the store.

Another tactic successfully used by Aldi is putting pantry items first, instead of fresh produce – this is so heavier items go in the bottom of the trolley. No one likes their fruit and veg being crushed, so it makes sense.

According to Dr Steve Ogden-Barnes, author of Sales Promotion Decision-Making Concepts Principles and Practices and a lecturer at Deakin University, most of these innovations have little impact on drawing people to the store, with the exception of the mystery aisle.

“It adds a bit of excitement to the experience,” he tells The New Daily.

“It’s a revolving door of products that people talk about – what’s going to be there next week?”

Tell us, do you shop at Aldi regularly? Do you like the layout or do you prefer the more traditional supermarket?