Why ALDI doesn’t play music in stores

Batavia, Ill.-based ALDI doesn’t play music in its stores in order to avoid paying licensing fees, which helps keep its prices on various products low.

The lack of tunes is part of ALDI’s strategy for keeping prices low, said Jenna Coleman, a consumer behavior analyst in the grocery sector and founder of Particular Pantry, in Reader’s Digest. “As someone who shops at ALDI every week, I am very familiar with the many things ALDI does to cut costs,” she says. “Not playing music in their stores is just another line item they aren’t passing onto their customers.”

“There’s been research that suggests playing relaxing music in stores makes customers relax and browse more, which is why many stores play music,” says Kristin McGrath, an editor and shopping expert at Offers.com. Relaxation isn’t the most important thing to ALDI customers—but savings are. “People are there to save as much money on essentials as possible, period.”

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