Aldi, a German grocery chain that expanded to the US in 2017, requires customers to pay a small deposit to use shopping carts. This policy might seem unusual to newcomers, but it serves several practical purposes. First, it helps Aldi keep prices low. By having customers return their own carts, the store saves on labor costs, as they don’t need extra staff for cart retrieval. Additionally, the policy reflects a European approach, where “coin-release” carts are common, and people are more accustomed to returning carts themselves. This small effort contributes to maintaining Aldi’s affordability and efficiency.