Dive Brief:

• Aldi is selling Thanksgiving meal ingredients for under $30 and providing all of its workers with two $30 gift cards each, the discount grocer announced Thursday. 
• The Thanksgiving dinner, which can feed up to 10 people, includes a Butterball turkey, bagged stuffing, sweet potatoes, Hawaiian sweet rolls, frozen peas, fresh cranberries, carrots, celery, canned pumpkin pie mix, pie crust, whipping cream and a gallon of whole milk. The discount grocer said the meal price is lower than what it offered customers last year.
• The announcement bolsters Aldi’s reputation for low prices and joins a string of recent news from grocers looking to make meals affordable for shoppers and support their workers this holiday season. 

Dive Insight:

Aldi putting a spotlight on reduced costs for Thanksgiving meal preparation fits into a larger effort by grocers to make cooking and meal inspiration easier and more affordable for shoppers. A report released by Dunnhumby last month found that food prices are a top concern among consumers.

SpartanNash recently said it would waive pickup fees for orders over $50 and offer half-off delivery for orders over $100 through the rest of the year via its Fast Lane e-commerce program. Whole Foods is promoting deals on turkeys sold under its brand, pushing Prime savings and even offering "turkey insurance" to help shoppers cover the cost of getting another bird if they have a cooking fail.  

Retailers and suppliers have said they expect Thanksgiving gatherings to be smaller in size than in years past due to safety concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. Turkey companies are selling smaller birds this year as a result.

With each Aldi employee receiving gift cards that can cover the cost of two Thanksgiving meals, Jason Hart, president and CEO of Aldi U.S., said in the announcement that employees can choose to pass along one or both to someone they know in need. 

Several grocers and delivery services have recently given out bonuses to workers ahead of the holidays, including H-E-B, Shipt, Target, Stop & Shop and Ingles Markets. Some retailers are closing their stores on Thanksgiving to give their employees a day off, like Big Y, which will also be closed the day after as well. Target, Walmart and Sam’s Club stores will also be closed on Thanksgiving.

In the announcement, Aldi also noted that it has expanded contactless delivery and pickup options, encouraging shoppers to turn to online shopping as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

Last month, Aldi teamed up with Instcart to allow online Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) payments for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants for delivery and pickup at more than 600 stores in five states. This summer, the discount grocer rolled out curbside grocery pickup to nearly 600 stores in 35 states. 

The grocer is also expanding its physical footprint. Last week, Aldi arrived in Arizona, opening two stores with several more planned for the state as the grocer continues to grow its presence in the Southwest on its way to becoming the third-largest grocer in the U.S. by the end of 2022.