A GTIN starts with the GS1 Prefix of the GS1 Member Organisation that allocated a GS1 Company Prefix to a company to allow them to generate GTINs and bar code their products. This does not mean that the product was manufactured in a specific country or by a specific manufacturer, it may have been produced anywhere in the world.
It is no secret that my favorite place to grocery shop is ALDI. I spend a good amount of time in there while creating my Aldi meal plans, and have picked up some secret tips that you probably don't know about.
Oh – and in case you're interested, I'd LOVE to send you a FREE ALDI Meal Plan! 10 super easy meals prepared in about an hour for $80! Sign up right below:
I thought you would want to know how this simple store makes shopping such an easy experience, so here are 13 secrets that you do not know about Aldi.
1.) There are multiple bar codes on every product so that when the cashier scans the item, she scans it the first time. Have you ever wondered how they can cash you out so fast? This is why. Next time you are in an Aldi, count how many barcodes are on your products, the average item has up to five bar codes on it.
I pulled out a package of Aldi butter today to check, and it had FIVE bar codes!
2.) The boxes that store the items at Aldi are specifically designed for their store. They can easily rip off the top of the box and place on the shelf, making it quick and easy to stock the shelves. The boxes also match the packaging on the actual product, making it easy for you to identify when you are doing your shopping.
If you've forgotten your Aldi bags, you can always find an empty box and use that to bring your groceries home in.
3.) Have you ever wondered what that strange yellow hook in the front of their shopping carts is for? It is to hold your reusable bags – genius! You can also hook multiple carts together using the hook, perfect for large families.
4.) Aldi will discount their bread items 5 days before the item expires. Simply look on the package for the expiration date, if it is expiring in six days and it is nearing the end of the day, wait until tomorrow to get it at a deep discount.
5.) You have to bring your own bags to Aldi and bag your own groceries. This is just one of the ways that they keep costs down, and make it an efficient place to shop (and work). You can purchase their Aldi bags for $0.10 a piece for plastic or $0.06 for paper. I typically just keep my bags in the back of my van, that way I always have them on hand.
6.) They have specially designed produce signs. Instead of switching the sign out every week, they only switch out the prices. You can see that the black tags are the only ones that are changed, this helps the employees run the store efficiently.
7.) The refrigerated items are stocked from behind the racks. We buy from the front of the shelf, and the shelf replenishes itself. This makes it easy for us to buy the newest items, and for the stock to never go bad.
8.) They locally source certain products. My local store uses a local milk provider (Byrne Dairy), and much of the produce is sourced from local farms.
9.) Aldi has a HUGE selection of Gluten-free and Organic foods. Their natural/organic line is called Simply Natural and their gluten-free foods are under the live gFree line.
10.) The average Aldi store has 6-8 employees. They pay their employees significantly higher than the national average and by working only 20 hours a week, they give their employees full health insurance.
11.) Aldi's offers a double back guarantee. If you don't like an item, you can bring it back, get it replaced, AND get your money back!
12.) Many of their store brand items are actually name brand items. I've heard that their Kirkwood Chicken is actually Tyson chicken, just under a different package. The Kirkwood Gluten Free Chicken nuggets are the same exact ones that I buy under the Wegmans brand. The Wegmans brand is $2.00 more per bag.
13.) You can feed your family on under $100 per week at Aldi – I am proof! I have a family of 6 and we eat for under $100 per week at Aldi. Don't believe me – check out my Aldi meal plans where I teach you how to buy a month worth of dinners for under $150.00. There are four meal plans available – you can check them all out here.
Looking for more Aldi posts – check out these similar posts:
- Check out my four Aldi meal plans – 20 dinners for under $150
- 72 Organic Foods at Aldi – What to buy Organic at Aldi
- Aldi Gluten-free foods – here and here
- Which store is cheaper? Aldi vs. Walmart – an in depth look
A Viral message claims potentially hazardous products made in China or other countries can be identified by examining the first three digits of the barcode on the packaging, which supposedly indicate the country oforigin.
Description: Viral message / Forwarded email
Circulating since: Oct. 2008
Status: Mixed / Misleading (details below)
Circulating since: Oct. 2008
Status: Mixed / Misleading (details below)
Example
Email from Nov. 8, 2008:
Made in China barcodes
THIS IS GOOD TO KNOW!!!
The whole world is scared of China made 'black hearted goods'. Can you differentiate which one is made in the USA , Philippines , Taiwan or China ? Let me tell you how... the first 3 digits of the barcode is the country code wherein the product was made.
Sample all barcodes that start with 690.691.692 until 695 are all MADE IN CHINA.
This is our human right to know, but the government and related department never educate the public, therefore we have to RESCUE ourselves.
Nowadays, Chinese businessmen know that consumers do not prefer products 'made in china', so they don't show from which country it is made.
However, you may now refer to the barcode, remember if the first 3 digits is 690-695 then it is Made in China.
00 ~ 13 USA & CANADA
30 ~ 37 FRANCE
40 ~ 44 GERMANY
49 ~ JAPAN
50 ~ UK
57 ~ Denmark
64 ~ Finland
76 ~ Switzerland and Lienchtenstein
471 is Made in Taiwan (see sample below)
628 ~ Saudi-Arabien
629 ~ United Arab Emirates
740 ~ 745 - Central America
All 480 Codes are Made in the Philippines.
Please inform your family and friends for them to be aware.
Analysis
The information above is misleading and unreliable, on two counts:
- There's more than one kind of barcode in use around the world. UPC barcodes, the type most commonly used in the United States, do not typically contain a country identifier. A different type of barcode known as EAN-13 does contain a country identifier, but it's more commonly used in Europe and other countries outside the U.S.
- Even in the case of EAN-13 barcodes, the digits associated with the country of origin don't necessarily specify where the product was manufactured, but rather where the barcode itself was registered. So, for example, a product manufactured in China and sold in France could have an EAN-13 barcode identifying it as a 'French' product even though it originated in China.
Looking for a 'Made in XYZ' label is generally more helpful, but, particularly with regard to foods and beverages, there's no sure-fire way to determine in every case where a product or its components originated. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration mandates country-of-origin labeling on many food products, but there are exceptions, most notably the entire category of 'processed foods.' Consumer groups are currently advocating the closure of these loopholes.
Sources
EAN Identification for Retail/Trade Items
GS1 Singapore Number Council
GS1 Singapore Number Council
A Closer Look at EAN-13
Barcode.com, 28 August 2008
Barcode.com, 28 August 2008
Design and Technology of Packaging Decoration for the Consumer Market
By Geoff A. Giles, CRC Press, 2000
By Geoff A. Giles, CRC Press, 2000
Universal Product Code (UPC) and EAN Article Numbering Code (EAN)
BarCode 1, 7 April 2008
BarCode 1, 7 April 2008
How UPC Bar Codes Work
HowStuffWorks.com
HowStuffWorks.com
At Long Last, Food Labeling Law Set to Take Effect
MSNBC, 30 September 2008
MSNBC, 30 September 2008