Whenever there is a holiday or party coming up, being able to buy a bag of ice in the same store as your party snacks are such a huge convenience. One less store to visit is always a boon when party planning.
With their ultra-low prices and surprisingly versatile selection of kitchen staples, you might be wondering does Aldi sell bags of ice. Here’s what you need to know.
Does Aldi Sell Bags Of Ice?
Aldi does not sell bags of ice at this time in the United States. However, the grocery chain’s British stores appear to. Americans can visit other popular retailers, such as Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club, Publix, Food Lion, and Whole Foods Markets, and many more, to purchase bags of ice.
To find out why Aldi doesn’t sell ice in the US and where else you can go to find bags of ice, keep reading below!
Why Doesn’t Aldi Sell Bags Of Ice?
None of my research turned up any concrete answers for why Aldi doesn’t sell bags of ice, but I do have a good working theory.
Aldi stores only carry, on average, about 1,400 different products. That might sound like a lot at first, but your typical supermarket – even small regional chains – carries around 40,000 products, and your Walmart Supercenter carries well over 100,000.
Additionally, Aldi stores are built for compactness and efficiency, which means there isn’t a lot of warehouse space in the back – food arrives and it has to go out onto the floor quickly because there’s nowhere to store it for too long.
Consider, then, how much space bags of ice take up. Many stores, grocery stores included, have separate coolers just to accommodate them.
Aldi stores don’t have that kind of room, and what room they do have in their freezer coolers is taken up entirely with the smaller variety of quality goods they offer to stay competitive with the likes of Walmart or Target.
Where Can You Buy Bags Of Ice?
Though it suits their business model, Aldi is actually something of an outlier for not selling ice. There are dozens of big chain retailers that do. These include:
Supermarkets/Big Box Stores
- Walmart
- Food Lion
- Publix
- Whole Foods
- Sam’s Club
- Target
- Many regional/local chains, like Wegmans, Giant Eagle, BJ’s, Fareway and H-E-B
Pharmacies
- Rite Aid
- CVS
- Walgreens
Gas Stations/Convenience Stores
- 7-Eleven
- Wawa
- Sheetz
- Sonic
- Circle K
This list is by no means exhaustive; if you’re curious about a store not on this list, many will let you search their inventory online or have their contact information readily available.
Finally, Aldi and many of the big box retailers on this list all offer either delivery or pick-up. So if you want Aldi’s low prices on their groceries, but you also need a bag of ice, you can try using Instacart to get both delivered.
Or, if you don’t mind making a trip out, you can make pick-up orders for both and schedule them for similar times. While you’re still stopping at two stores, at least you have the option to stay in your car and let an associate bring your orders out to you.
How Much Does A Bag Of Ice Cost?
How much a bag of ice costs depends on the size you want. Smaller bags, around seven or eight pounds, hover around the $2-4 price range, while bigger bags, in the 20-lb. range, can cost as much as $6.
Again, most retailers will let you see the price online, so you can shop around. On the whole, though, bags of ice are very affordable.
If are looking to learn more, you can see our related posts on whether or not Walgreens sell bags of ice, if Home Depot sells ice, and also if Costco sells bags of ice.
Conclusion
While Aldi does not sell bags of ice, many other retailers do, and for affordable prices.
Further, you can use online shopping app Instacart to purchase your groceries from Aldi and your ice from another retailer, and have both delivered or schedule both for pick-up at the same time.
