Aldi is one of the most popular supermarket chains in the world, running over 10,000 stores in twenty different countries, including the US. As you can likely imagine, with over 200,000 employees and typical staff fluctuation in retail, Aldi is always hiring new people. Trying to get a job in one of their stores, you will have to deal with many different questions. In this article we will look at one which looks rather simple, but it isn’t simple at all: What do you know about Aldi?
Most people will head to Wikipedia and check some facts. Who the founder of the business is, history of the company, number of locations, countries of operation, etc. But is this really what the hiring managers want to hear from you? I don’t think so. They want to know what Aldi means for you personally, how it stands out in your eyes. They wonder whether you applied with five other retailers and do not care about your future place of work, or want to work for Aldi in particular, and have a good reason for it.
In order to convince them that you did your homework, and that Aldi is your no.1 choice for a job, you should come up with one or more things that make Aldi stand out, in your eyes. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an advantage for everyone interested in working in the company. But it is something special for you, and it motivated you to apply for the job with the company. Let’s have a look at 7 sample answers to this interesting question. I tried to come up with some variety, and I hope at least one of the answers will resonate with you and with the message you hope to convey in the interviews. Enjoy!
7 sample answers to “What do you know about Aldi?” interview question
- I know Aldi mostly from the position of a customer. Been shopping at the stores for over a decade, and I always found your offers superior to the offers of other stores, in terms of price to quality ratio. Especially the fruits and vegetables, but also the pastry and biscuits. What’s more, I really enjoy the atmosphere with in the store, with no lousy music and advertisements as you experience in most other supermarket chains here. I know that I enjoy shopping at Aldi, and I see no reason why I would not enjoy working here. Of course, I know also a bit about the founders of the company and the expansion of the business over the years. To be honest though, while it is a remarkable success story, it isn’t something that influenced my decision to apply for a job with you.
- I know a lot of things, but one characteristic stands out: the wages. Your business model with much less employees per location, when compared to other players in the field, and a great organization of each supermarket, allows you to pay higher wages to the employees. In 95% of other supermarkets I’d get a minimum wage as a new force, but here things are different, and the extra couple of dollars each hour make a huge difference for me, since things are quite tight currently, with the recession, inflation and everything else going on in the world.
- I admire your no advertising policy in Germany. It is more ecological for the planet, because those tons of paper delivered each day to the postboxes of people are a complete waste. But I understand the policy also allows you to offer great prices to the final customer, since your costs are lower (you save millions on advertising), and hence your profit margins do not have to be as high as they are in many other stores. I admire this policy, and it motivates me a lot to work for you, and to support such an initiative.
- To be honest to you, I am no expert on Aldi, or other supermarket chains. I just know that one can get everything they need here in the store, and that the place isn’t overpriced. And I also know that this store is located just three minutes walking distance from my apartment, which would make it super convenient for me to get to work, and would save me a lot of time each day. Last but not least, I know that I meet the job requirements, and I am extremely motivated to start working here as soon as possible.
- I know it is a great place to work, and to shop. After all, it won the supermarket of the year award on multiple occasions here in the UK, and considering how tough the competition is here, and that all big brands are present on the market, it is a huge achievement. What’s more, it fares great in employee satisfaction surveys, and overall it seems like a great place to work, especially for someone like me with high school only. With my qualification and no previous experience, I know a job at Aldi is one of the best jobs I can get.
- Well, I have read the Bare Essentials book, and know a lot about the management system key success factors that made Aldi the brand it is today. I especially love the insights on the philosophy of ALDI and the top-to-bottom discipline, which, at least in my eyes, makes this company really special and its success hard to replicate. When you imagine that the company is family-owned, and started with just one store 76 years ago, what they achieved up to this point is an overwhelming success. I would love to contribute to the success as your new store manager, and I hope the book and my extensive knowledge of Aldi will help me along the way.
- I just know that I want to work here. Have friends working in almost every supermarket chain in this area. And from what I have heard, Aldi is a clear no. 1 in terms of wages and employee benefits. The workload may be harder here–at least based on the feedback my connections gave me, but I enjoy working hard and I do not mind staying overtime, as long as I am properly compensated for my efforts–which seems to be the case at Aldi. For me this matters more than anything else, and makes your place my no. 1 choice.
Ready to answer this one? I hope so! Do not forget to check also sample answers to other tricky interview questions you may face while trying to get a job with Aldi:
- Why do you want to work for Aldi?
- Tell us about a time you went above and beyond for the customer.
- 11 most common Aldi interview questions & answers.
