Product purchase and consumption patterns in America point toward a desire for affordable simplicity in our foods. This has catalyzed ongoing product development efforts to meet increasing consumer demand for natural and organic snacks. And efforts to bring cleaner snacking options to more Americans find increased success when retailers can offer such simplified products at affordable price points.

This strategic alignment of product characteristics fits neatly within the corporate framework at ALDI U.S., which has its headquarters in Batavia, IL. ALDI’s Simply Nature line of exclusive brand natural and organic foods is home to a great variety of unique and on-trend snacks, making clean-label snacking a possibility for most Americans. In recognition of this groundbreaking work on its Simply Nature line, along with other forward-thinking corporate initiatives that bring refreshing perspectives to today’s food industry, Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery is delighted to honor ALDI as its “Snack Producer of the Year” for 2021.

“We are very honored by this award and appreciate the recognition of our Simply Nature line,” says Joan Kavanaugh, vice president, national buying, ALDI U.S. “Simply Nature has grown quite a bit since it was first launched in 2014 when we saw a need for cleaner, healthier products at an affordable price point.”

IN ITS CULTURE
In 1976, ALDI entered the U.S. retail grocery industry with a single store in Iowa City, IA. Additional store openings followed in quick succession, and the momentum hasn’t stopped. ALDI now has more than 2,100 stores across 37 U.S. states, employing over 40,000 people—and more stores are added every year. In February 2021, ALDI announced that it would open approximately 100 new locations nationwide through the year, with a focus on Arizona, California, Florida, and the Northeast. ALDI is currently building a new regional headquarters and distribution center in Loxley, AL to serve expansion in that part of the country. In recent years, ALDI has invested more than $5 billion in a nationwide growth and remodel initiative to update existing stores and to open hundreds of new locations. By the end of 2022, ALDI is poised become the third-largest grocery retailer in the U.S. based on total store count.

The discount retailer is also expanding its e-commerce offerings, including addition of Curbside Grocery Pickup service to 500 additional stores before the end of 2021, bringing the total number of curbside locations to more than 1,200 stores.

ALDI’s impressive growth demonstrates a strong resonance with U.S. consumers, and a big part of that attraction is its extensive work on exclusive brands. Roughly 90 percent of the groceries ALDI offers come from its diversified lines of exclusive brands, a range of essential and unique foods carefully selected and curated by ALDI’s team of category buyers.

ALDI secures its exclusive brand products in high volumes. It also maintains a streamlined retail store concept. These efforts allow the chain to set low price points for its brands—but not at the expense of quality, a rubric maintained since the company’s founding.

This approach keeps customers coming back. And ALDI backs its exclusive brand products with a “Twice as Nice Guarantee.” If a customer is not completely satisfied with their purchase, they can always bring it back to the store where ALDI will replace the product and refund the customer’s money.

• Chips

  • Organic Tortilla Chips in Blue Corn and Multigrain varieties

  • Organic Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips

  • Black Bean Chips

  • Hint of Lime White Bean Chips

  • Sweet Potato Chips

• Organic Popcorn

• Grain Free Pretzels in Sea Salt and Roasted Garlic & Herb varieties

• Organic White Cheddar Puffs

• Crackers

  • Peppercorn Brown Rice Crackers

  • Brown Rice Crackers in Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato & Basil Brown varieties

  • Cauliflower Crackers in Sea Salt and Cheddar varieties

• Cookies

  • Grain Free Cookie Bites in Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Chip, and Salted Caramel varieties

  • Coconut Cashew Crisps in Vanilla, Chocolate, and Sea Salt Caramel varieties

• Organic Beef Jerky in Original, Peppered, and Teriyaki varieties

• Nuts

  • Raw Cashews, Walnuts & Macadamia Nuts

  • Raw Almonds, Pecans & Pistachio Kernels

• Organic Chewy Granola Bars in Chocolate Chip and Vanilla Chip varieties

• Breads

  • Organic Graintastic Breads in 21 Whole Grain & Seed and Seedtastic Jam-Packed with Seeds varieties

  • Sprouted 7 Grain Bread in Regular and Low Sodium varieties

“There are now more than 130 Simply Nature products available in ALDI stores every day, with additional products introduced on a seasonal basis,” says Kavanaugh. “From pantry staples such as cereal, fruit bars, and pasta sauce, and fresh items like bread, produce, and salad mixes, to newer items including cauliflower tortilla chips and coconut cashew crisps, there is truly something for everyone.”

This great assortment of exclusive brand products is a testament to the ongoing efforts of ALDI’s team of buyers and suppliers. “The incredible quality of this product line wouldn’t be possible without our amazing supplier partners,” says Kavanaugh. “We applaud them for their passion for innovation, and that pushes us to create new and exciting products, while still keeping our prices low.”

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent by 2025 through a continued transition to solar and wind energy

• Continued conversion to natural refrigerants in all store locations

• Diverting 90 percent of operational waste by 2025

• Reducing packaging materials by 15 percent and converting all ALDI exclusive-brand packaging to reusable, recyclable, or compostable materials by 2025

• Striving to reduce food waste by 50 percent by 2030 through composting and food recovery initiatives

• Expand sustainable sourcing of coffee, while continuing to source cocoa and seafood
  sustainably
  
  
  
  

This work builds on an already-strong environmental track record. To date, ALDI has outfitted solar panels at over 100 stores and 12 distribution centers across the U.S. The retailer plans to add solar arrays to warehouses in Alabama and Kansas, as well as to roughly 60 additional stores by the end of 2022. ALDI currently purchases enough renewable energy each year to power its 2,100+ stores, 25 warehouses, and offices. ALDI sources this power through Green-e, a global leader in clean energy and carbon offset certification.

Also, all ALDI warehouses and nearly 400 stores in the U.S. currently use natural refrigerants that reduce the environmental impact up to 4,000 times more as compared to common refrigerants.

ALDI currently has recycling efforts in place for food, plastic film, corrugated cardboard, paper, metals, and other materials. In 2020, ALDI recycled nearly 300,000 tons of material.

For these efforts and others, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized ALDI as a “Green Power Leadership” award winner in 2020.

ALDI has also already fully entered the mission to help combat food waste and food insecurity. In 2020, ALDI donated more than 29 million pounds of product to local food banks through its partnership with Feeding America, a network of 200 food banks across the country that feeds 40 million people at risk for hunger, including 12 million children and 7 million seniors.

These efforts are emblematic of the forward-thinking corporate culture of ALDI, always staying slightly ahead of the curve. The Simply Nature exclusive brand arrived on the U.S. market at just the right time to help catalyze overall growth of the natural and organic food movement, and today the brand’s product assortment reflects a number of emerging trends related to plant-based nutrition.

Of course, ALDI isn’t content with its past successes and always looks toward the future, with buyers and supply partners continually seeking the next big snack, baked good, or other innovative product for its loyal shopper base, continuing the successes celebrated over the past seven years since Simply Nature debuted. “I’m looking forward to seeing what the next seven years of Simply Nature brings,” says Kavanaugh.