Aldi Plans to Hire 20,000 U.S. Workers in Holiday-Season Ramp-Up

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: The Wall Street Journal.

Aldi Plans to Hire 20,000 U.S. Workers in Holiday-Season Ramp-Up
New hires will earn average of $15 an hour for store jobs and $19 an hour for warehouse jobs
Employers Competing for Workers Turn to Signing Bonuses and Freebies

By Matt Grossman
https://twitter.com/mattgrossman
[e-mail]
Updated Aug. 16, 2021 9:48 am ET

Discount supermarket chain Aldi aims to hire more than 20,000 workers in the U.S. this year as its network grows and as it prepares for holiday shopping, the company said Monday.

Jobs that Aldi is hiring for include cashiers, stockers and associates at its more than 2,100 American stores and its 25 warehouses. The company will be drawing from a tight U.S. labor market in which openings have recently exceeded the number of people looking for work.

Against that backdrop, wages have been rising, including for low-skilled workers. Following a recent internal wage rise at Aldi, workers in the new positions will earn a national average of $15 an hour for store jobs and $19 an hour for warehouse jobs, the company said. The jobs come with healthcare and retirement plans and paid time off, Aldi said.

Other large retailers have cited hiring as a challenge in recent months.

“We’re seeing some pressure on labor in certain markets and in some of our distribution centers,” Albertsons Cos. Chief Executive Vivek Sankaran told analysts on a call last month. “The way we’re seeing the pressure there is more from turnover and the ability to fill jobs.”

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Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/aldi-plans-to-hire-20-000-u-s-workers-in-holiday-season-ramp-up-11629120174

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It's also in the Economy Group

Aldi to hire more than 20,000 U.S. workers ahead of holiday season

https://www.democraticunderground.com/111691106

Reuters

Aldi to hire more than 20,000 U.S. workers ahead of holiday season

Mon, August 16, 2021, 10:23 AM

(Reuters) - Grocery chain Aldi said on Monday it is hiring more than 20,000 new workers and raising its wages in the United States as it gets ready for the busy holiday season at a time when retailers and restaurants are scrambling to find workers.

The U.S. arm of the German discount supermarket group said it has increased its average national starting wages for store and warehouse workers to $15 and $19 per hour, respectively.

Aldi will host a hiring week in September to fill an array of positions, including cashiers, stockers and associates, at its more than 2,100 stores and 25 warehouses across the country.

The company is one of the first retailers to announce hiring for the holiday season, which could account for up to 40% of annual sales for certain retailers.

{snip}

[George II]

1. We have two stores in our area - they are amazing. Efficient, clean, and CHEAP!

[AZSkiffyGeek]

2. I have to drive about 15 miles for one in NW Phoenix

And it's totally worth it. Great prices, great service and interesting selections. Their cheeses are amazing. We also just discovered their 3-wick candles which are less than half the cost of Bath and Body Works' candles when they're on sale.

Google is showing one is going in about 2 miles from my house, but I haven't heard much apart from rumors otherwise. I'm hoping that's true.

[Jack from Charlotte]

12. Something interesting, simple and efficient Aldi does.......

They require the bar codes that allows the cash register to ID and ring up the items to be on every side of the box. That speeds check out time greatly. When you do self checkout or just watch a store's check out person work they're constantly turning and twisting the item around looking for the scanning bars to be face down to get a successful scan. Bar codes on every side of the item is a simple cheap way to speed checkout, greatly.

[Willis88]

4. And they pay there workers a livable wage

Probably one of the highest wages in the retail business for a cashier. When I looked at them a decade ago, I believe they were starting at 15 an hour with raises each year.

[George II]

8. I don't know how much they pay, but they put in a full day. When cashiers aren't needed....

....they fill in by stocking the shelves. When more than 2 people are on line, they open another cashier.

Even with all that, they are ALL unbelievably friendly. I have to believe they get paid well and have very good benefits. In about 5 years of shopping there, I've never had an issue.

[Siwsan]

5. It's where I do most of my basic grocery shopping

It's always a joy to shop there. My store has a very friendly staff who never fail to greet me, no matter where in the store I see them. I once had one of them run back to pick something up, for me, that I'd forgotten.

There are 4 of them in Genesee County, and two of them are located right by Super Walmarts. That doesn't seem to affect the business at Aldi, on tiny bit.

[NurseJackie]

11. They sell no national brands, though... correct?

Would it be any different than my shopping at Safeway or WeisMarkets and limiting myself to ONLY the cheaper "in-house" store-brands?

[AZSkiffyGeek]

13. They have some national brands. I think they get them on limited basis

I've found their meat to be higher quality and cheaper prices than the other grocery stores in the area. Their fruits and vegetables are pretty much the same.
I've also seen some deep clearance prices on dairy when it gets close to expiration. 75c for a gallon of milk! I drink enough that it wasn't in danger of spoiling, and I have a chest freezer for extra storage, so the expiration date wasn't a problem.

[George II]

14. Correct, they have their own brands which we suspect are manufactured by major companies...

We pretty much buy the same few things, not anything exotic.

For example, we get these (rough prices):

Maple syrup, which is just as good as national brands: $1.29 per bottle
Honey wheat bread: $0.89 per loaf
Spices: Pepper $1.59 for a grinder, garlic powder, $1.29
Eggs: usually about $1.20 per dozen, price fluctuates - never saw them higher than $1.60
Milk: $2.39 per gallon
Orange juice: $2.19 for "half gallon" (does anyone realize that's now only 59 ounces???)
Avocados: $0.79
Strawberries: $2.50 or less per box
Large ketchup (as good as Heinz): $1.89 per bottle
Green olives: $0.79 per jar

Some of their stuff isn't as good - peanut butter and mustard suck but most things are just as good.

[NurseJackie]

15. At my local grocery store, I have made an effort to TRY the store brand at least once...

... and on "Senior Discount Day" there is an additional 10% discount on any store brand item.

UNFORTUNATELY, only about half of the store-brands are anything I'd buy again. Ketchup yes. Mayo-no. Mustard-yes. Pickles-yes. Bread/buns-NO!!! Eggs-yes. Canned biscuit dough-yes. Frozen pizza-yes. Cheeses-yes. Cereal-no. Poptarts-yes. Lactose free milk-yes (when it's in stock). Chips-yes. Dips-no. Crackers-no. EasyCheese-no. Canned soups-yes. Pasta sauces-YES!!!

So, honestly, I do not mind TRYING store brands... sometimes it's a hit... other times it's a miss. BUT... at least I have the option to go back to the national brand when the store brand doesn't make the grade.

I also use coupons. Every day is "double coupon" day.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

17. Coca-Cola, Cheez-Its, Duke's mayonnaise, a few other things. Not a lot, though.

{edited: Cheez-Its, not Cheez-its}

Ketchup? Burman's not Heinz. Mustard? Burman's, not Gulden's. For a while, my local Aldi had quart bottles of Valentino hot sauce. They were even cheaper than what Shopper's Food Warehouse was selling them for. Not anymore.

[NurseJackie]

20. Coca-cola is one that store brands won't measure up to.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

21. Not even Faygo? The local Aldi sells that, and Coca-Cola too.

I guess they know they just can't compete.

[NurseJackie]

22. Neither Faygo nor Shasta nor Chek!

[Historic NY]

3. You mean all those phony bullshit click bait ads are wrong, they aren't closing.

[TheFarseer]

19. Nope

Burger King isn’t closing either, Tom Selleck isn’t gay and Julia Stiles isn’t homeless.

[SKKY]

6. I love me some Aldi...

...I shopped there when I lived in Stuttgart, and happily do so now. It's funny because some here see Aldi as "cheap", and often ridicule it. Someone I worked with even mentioned it's like the Dollar General for groceries. But, when I told them I love it and began shopping there when I lived in Stuttgart, they looked at it a bit differently. Almost like, "Oh, it's European? I didn't realize that."

[onetexan]

7. they apparently haven't seen the quality of the products to make such an uninformed opinion.

Too bad for them if they don't want to save moola on great stuff. I just went several days ago to the new store in Georgetown near me. The new stores are much improved me thinks. Love it!

[SKKY]

10. They haven't. They're very much a "Anything NOT Whole Foods must suck" type of shopper...

...and I'm fine with that. They can stay away from my green tea and habanero cheddar slices I love so much. Go get your overpriced kombucha.

[iluvtennis]

9. Great news! And we do our primary grocery shopping at Aldi's with Costco and Walmart for secondary

stuff. No shame in our game as we love the good prices.

[Johnny2X2X]

16. I love Aldi

In Michigan we have Meijer, we stop at Aldi first and get the things we wanted that they have. Canned food, some bread, some produce. Then we head to Meijer for the rest. Meijer's produce is hard to beat, it's what they pride themselves on, having the best produce.

[mcar]

18. Love Aldi

I stock up on their fresh steelhead trout when it's available.