<p> The race to nab frugal consumers is heating up… A new study by Cheapism.com revealed that Aldi, a quickly expanding discount grocery chain in the U.S., is cheaper than Wal-Mart and Kroger. How is this possible?<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">To conduct the study, Cheapism visited one location for each store in the Columbus, Ohio area and priced 37 products from across different departments, choosing identical items (brand and size) whenever possible, and like items otherwise. Aldi’s shopping cart total came to $72.30, beating Wal-Mart by about $13 and Kroger by more than $21 (before savings with the Kroger Plus Card).<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Despite Aldi’s lower prices, Cheapism found that <B>consumers actually preferred Wal-Mart</b> for its quality and overall value, while <B>Kroger’s loyalty programs, excellent shopping experience, and product selection</b> also ranked high. Nevertheless, shoppers also say that Aldi’s store brands are comparable in taste and quality to brands carried by big-name grocery retailers, and the shopping experience is just as comparable to Kroger or Wal-Mart.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> According to Today, each retailer operates on a different model – Kroger is known for being a traditional grocery store and umbrella brand for chains across the U.S. and Wal-Mart is known for being a big-box multinational store, while Aldi is known for its bare-bones approach and emphasis on store brands. Store hours and inventory selection are limited, consumers bag their own groceries with bags brought from home, and deposit a quarter to use a cart (the change is refunded when the cart is returned).<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Meanwhile, it appears that Wal-Mart is staying on the heels of these competitors with a new online resource that could potentially help shoppers save even more money. Wal-Mart’s new “Savings Catcher” allows consumers to compare its prices on 80,000 food and household products to those of its competitors. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.andnowuknow.com/buyside-news/wal-mart-gives-new-window-competitors-prices/11142/jordan-okumura" target="_new"> Wal-Mart’s Savings Catcher </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p> At the end of the day, whichever retailer you go to all depends on what you’re looking for in your grocery shopping experience. If you’re looking to save a few bucks, Aldi might be your best choice. Otherwise, Wal-Mart or Kroger’s shopping experience and inventory selection may just be second-to-none. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.cheapism.com/cheapest-grocery-store" target="_new"> Cheapism </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
