Traipse into an Aldi store and you’ll encounter many things, from clerks who scan at a break-neck pace to a middle aisle filled with a treasure trove of goodies you never knew you needed. A leaf blower? Why not!
What you won’t find, however, is music playing over the speakers. Now, however, a spokesperson for Aldi has now unravelled the mystery behind the store’s lack of a shopping soundtrack. Like most things at Aldi, the store’s quieter aisles — besides the mile-a-minute beeping at the checkout — are a cost-saver.
“By skipping extras like in-store music, we keep things simple and pass those savings straight to our customers,” a spokesperson told Daily Mail.
“You won’t hear music playing in our stores, but we hope our customers are singing praises about the savings,” they added.
While Coles and Woolworths single-handedly contribute to the bulk of Michael Bublé’s royalties with their background music, Aldi hits skip on “Haven’t Met You Yet” to avoid what’s called a public performance license, the spokesperson said.
In Australia, retailers like Coles and Woolies are required to hold this license to play background music in their stores, with money flowing back to the artists behind them.
It’s perhaps why older hits are replayed within an inch of their life anytime you enter a Westfield, to the point where I might scream if I hear Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire” in Cotton On ever again.
The cost of these fees varies between stores, and while Coles and Woolies are happy to pay for songs that make you say “oh this is my jam!” and feel incredibly, bone-achingly old, Aldi chooses to bypass it altogether.
The revelation comes after an election cycle dominated by supermarket price gouging amid cost of living pressures, with Coles and Woolworths both rejecting claims of price gouging in stores.
Anyway, for anyone off to dive in Aldi’s middle aisles, remember to bring a pair of headphones (or enjoy the lower stimulation environment).
Lead image: Getty Images
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