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Why Does Aldi Charge A Quarter To Use Shopping Carts? By Tiffany Betts Aug. 19, 2025 5:39 pm EST

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Aldi makes it a priority to offer quality products as cheap as possible so that its shoppers don't have to compromise. This is why it offers a unique, no-frills shopping experience with a curated selection of only the most popular flavors, sizes, and varieties of about 1,700 products. That reduced selection saves the company space and money, but one of the chain's most infamous quirks is requiring customers to insert a quarter into a shopping cart before using it. Believe it or not, this cart system is also one of Aldi's cost-cutting measures.

The locked carts at A

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