9 Things Aldi Shoppers Always Buy That Publix Shoppers Walk Right Past

Florida’s grocery scene is in the middle of a shake-up.

Publix is still king. The chain has more locations, more loyalty, and more BOGO deals than anyone else in the state.

But Aldi has been opening stores at a pace nobody saw coming, and shoppers are catching on.

The two stores aren’t really competing on the same basket. Aldi sells a smaller selection of mostly private-label goods at low prices. Publix sells everything under the sun at premium prices.

Here are some of the things Publix fans new to Aldi walk past but shouldn’t.

Specially Selected Aged Cheeses

Aldi’s specialty cheese case is impressive.

Walk into any Aldi, and you’ll find Manchego from Spain, Gruyère from Switzerland, Irish cheddar aged 1,000 days, truffle-laced cheeses, gin and rhubarb-infused cheeses, and a half dozen styles of Brie and goat cheese.

Much of it costs only $4 to $7 a wedge.

The same cheeses at Publix’s specialty cheese counter or in the Greenwise section can run $9 to $15 for a similar piece.

Publix has a beautiful cheese selection. It also has a price tag to match.

For Floridians who entertain, build charcuterie boards, or just like a good piece of Manchego with their wine, Aldi’s cheese case is the place to be.

Moser Roth German Chocolate

This is the one Publix shoppers don’t even know exists.

Moser Roth is a premium German chocolate brand made by August Storck, the same company that makes Werther’s Originals.

The chocolate is rich, smooth, and packaged in dark elegant wrappers that look like they belong in a European boutique.

At Aldi, a 4.4-ounce bar of Moser Roth dark chocolate costs around $2.

The same quality of chocolate at Publix would run you $5 or $6 for a comparable bar from Lindt or Ghirardelli. And Publix doesn’t carry Moser Roth at all.

Moser Roth comes in dozens of variations.

Dark chocolate with sea salt. Milk chocolate with hazelnuts. Truffle bonbons. Holiday assortments wrapped in foil that make affordable hostess gifts.

Aldi shoppers buy three or four bars at a time and stash them in the pantry. Publix shoppers grab a Hershey’s bar at checkout and call it a day.

Mama Cozzi’s Take-and-Bake Deli Pizza

Aldi’s frozen aisle has its share of favorites among fans, but the take-and-bake pizza from the cold case is the one that built a following.

Mama Cozzi’s 16-inch deli pizza costs around $7.

It’s a fresh, refrigerated pizza you bake at home, and the quality is closer to a pizzeria takeout than a frozen pizza from a box.

The pepperoni version is the fan favorite. There’s also a five-cheese, a supreme, and seasonal varieties that rotate through the year.

Publix sells take-and-bake pizzas too, but they typically cost $9 to $12 for a similar size.

The Publix version is good. The Mama Cozzi’s version is also good. The difference is that Mama Cozzi’s version is a few dollars cheaper.

For a busy weeknight in the Florida summer when nobody wants to cook, this pizza is the answer. Throw it in the oven, pour a glass of wine, and dinner’s done.

Friendly Farms Eggs and Milk

This is where the savings hit hard.

A gallon of Friendly Farms milk at Aldi typically costs $1 to $2 less than the equivalent gallon at Publix.

A dozen large eggs at Aldi often runs around half what you’d pay at Publix.

For a Florida family that goes through several gallons of milk and a dozen or two eggs a week, the savings add up to real money.

Aldi’s dairy comes from American farms. The brand is the store’s own private label, but the milk and eggs are real, fresh, and indistinguishable from name-brand versions.

Aldi shoppers grab eggs and milk on every single trip. It’s the foundation of every basket.

Publix shoppers pay $4 or $5 for the same dozen eggs because they don’t know there’s a cheaper version five miles down the road.

Or they know, and they trust Publix more. Either way, they’re paying.

Appleton Farms Premium Sliced Bacon

Aldi shoppers will tell you about this bacon if you let them.

Appleton Farms premium sliced bacon is Aldi’s house brand, and it has won the company’s Fan Favorites cult-favorite award multiple times.

It’s thick-cut, crispy, and runs about $4 to $5 a pound.

The same quality bacon at Publix in the deli case or refrigerated section can run $7 to $10 a pound, especially the thick-cut artisan varieties.

For Sunday breakfast, BLT sandwiches, or wrapping around scallops at a backyard cookout, this is the bacon that Florida Aldi shoppers swear by.

It’s also a regular feature in the freezer of anyone who’s been shopping at Aldi for more than a year.

Clancy’s Cuban Sandwich Kettle Chips

This one is made for Florida.

Clancy’s is Aldi’s house brand of chips, and they make seasonal flavors that rotate through the year. The Cuban sandwich variety is a hit.

The chips taste exactly like a real Cuban sandwich. Mustard, pickle, ham, and Swiss cheese, all hitting at once in kettle chip form. They sell out fast in South Florida every time they show up.

Other rotating Clancy’s flavors include Nashville hot chicken, dill pickle, and pizza.

Most of them cost about $2 a bag.

Publix has its own private-label chips and plenty of national brands, but nothing like the Cuban sandwich flavor. That’s an Aldi exclusive.

For Floridians who grew up on real Cuban sandwiches in Tampa or Miami, these chips are a fun, nostalgic snack. For everyone else, they’re just delicious.

Either way, Publix shoppers don’t know what they’re missing.

Specially Selected Wine

Aldi sells wine in 38 of the 50 states, and Florida is one of them.

The wine selection is small but mighty. Most bottles cost $4 to $9. Some of them have won real awards in international wine competitions.

The Specially Selected Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a regular fan favorite. So is the Specially Selected Prosecco for around $8.

Aldi also runs seasonal wine flights, including a wine advent calendar around the holidays that sells out in days.

Publix has a much larger wine selection, with hundreds of bottles and frequent BOGO deals on certain labels. The Publix wine department is excellent.

But for everyday $7 wine that doesn’t taste like $7 wine, Aldi has Publix beat. Florida shoppers who entertain regularly figure this out fast.

A case of Aldi wine for a backyard party costs about half what the same case would cost at Publix.

The Aldi Finds Middle Aisle

This isn’t a single product. This is an entire shopping experience that Publix simply doesn’t have.

The middle aisle at Aldi, officially called Aldi Finds and unofficially called the Aisle of Shame, is a rotating selection of seasonal and limited-time items that gets refreshed every Wednesday morning.

What’s in there changes constantly.

Cookware. Patio furniture. Garden tools. Halloween decorations in October. Pool floats in May. Air fryers, mops, holiday throw blankets, slow cookers, faux Uggs, and the occasional Himalayan salt lamp.

Most items cost a small fraction of what they would cost at a regular store.

There are over 3 million members of the official Aldi Aisle of Shame Facebook group. People plan their week around Wednesday morning store visits.

Publix has nothing like this. Publix runs seasonal endcaps and rotating themed displays, but they’re not the same kind of treasure-hunt experience.

The Aldi Finds aisle is a true treasure hunt, and Aldi shoppers are addicted to it.

Bake Shop Cheesecake

Aldi’s bakery section, called Bake Shop, makes a cheesecake that has won the company’s Sweet Treats fan-favorite award.

The Bake Shop cheesecake sampler comes with multiple flavors in one package and runs around $6 to $8.

The cheesecake is rich, dense, and tastes more expensive than it is.

Publix has its own bakery and makes excellent cakes, but a similar cheesecake from the Publix bakery typically costs $15 to $25, depending on the size and style.