Aldi Aisle of Shame Community: Birds of a feather flock together and 'caw caw' proudly
Do you "caw caw" while shopping for groceries? Let me explain...
Recently, I became an Aldi grocery store fan. Its spacious aisles, great prices, friendly service, speedy checkout, and Aisle of Shame turn me on.
Before going any further, let's get something straight from the get-go. The "s" in Aldi is nonexistent.
Until I joined the Aldi Aisle of Shame Community on Facebook, I unknowingly added an "s" at the end. Be warned...true fans find the mistake highly offensive. Ha!
Back to the human bird call...
As a newbie, I kept coming across posts that mentioned "caw caw". I got curious and visited aisleofshame.com.
It states crows are known for making a call that sounds like “caw caw caw” to find companion birds. Crows will often “caw” several times and then wait in silence, presumably listening for a response.
Shoppers "caw caw" to identify other Aldi fans. Who started this phenomenon?
According to Aisle of Shame's website, the earliest mention they could find in their group was on Aug. 7 last year in a discussion between Tayloranne Block, Carol Escobar Martell, and Martha Childers-Bauers.
Block planted the idea of squawking like birds in the aisles and waiting for a response. Martell suggested that Block go first. Childers-Bauers excitedly added, "caw caw ca caaawwww!"
'Christmas on High Street' tour: Petersburg homeowners open their decorated homes to help the homeless
What are you thankful for?: Fifteen people grateful: God, family, friends, good health, food, Animal Crossings...
In January, Aisle of Shame group member Rae Beth Outland posted, "Does the group have a secret code for finding other members in the store? Like a secret handshake or saying? If not it needs one."
"I vote we just 'Caw Caw' and see who does it back. Kind of like a Marco Polo thing," replied Stephanie Horton.
Another member Mina Anderson Gray provided the "Story of the Caw CAWWW" but many members doubted its authenticity.
Once I figured out the "caw caw" significance, I visited the Chester Aldi to see if my human bird call would scrounge up a fan. Sadly, it did not, but I did interview some Aisle of Shame shoppers.
What is Aisle of Shame?
The seasonal merchandise aisle that changes from week to week is where shoppers discover amazing deals on hot seasonal items.
When they're gone...they're gone! The items clearly sourced from the "left field" or perhaps "outer space" generally will not be restocked. Grab em' or kiss them goodbye!
Each week, Aldi stocks its Aisle of Shame according to its new theme. Most items are not edible. Items vary greatly and shoppers never know what to expect.
"You just never know what you can find but when you do find something it's really off-kilter in a good way," Patricia Richards of Chesterfield said.
Richards, who teaches at Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy, had a tough time finding a bubble blower for her preschool class, but she found one at Aldi.
"Look at this education rug with swimming sea horses and an octopus," Richards said while holding her latest Aldi find. "It's only $19.99."
Birds of a feather flock together
Batman spotted in Old Towne: Petersburg tourists stumble upon a crime scene in Gotham City: Batman fan film shooting
Agoria Market opens: Petersburg downtown: Healthy food and wellness options seven days a week
Friends Angelia Higgins of Chester and Christine Mosconi of Hopewell shop at Aldi often.
"I love Aldi. They don't have all the brand names, but their own is just as good," Mosconi said. "This aisle is interesting. You never know what you might find."
Mosconi had a roller cabinet in her shopping cart that she was going to use in her bathroom.
"Look here...in other places, you're going to pay $3 or more for this, but here it is $1.23," Angelia Higgins said while holding up a bag of Clancy's Cheese Puffed Corn.
"Some of Aldi's prices are lower than Walmart," Mosconi added.
Die-hard Aldi fans
"Aldi knows the market, the industry, and what's hot at the time," Amy Fobbs of Chesterfield said. "They purchase it, and it's always cheaper than Walmart and Lidl. Seasonal items are very well priced."
After shopping around for dry erase markers, Fobbs discovered she could purchase twice the quantity of them for half the price at Aldi.
"I shame myself all the time, so I'm cool with it," Fobbs quipped.
According to Fobbs, pet supply items are hands down better than everyone else's such as raincoats, leashes, and harnesses.
"Buy an item the minute you see it or it won't be there the next day," Fobbs suggested.
Fobbs's best friend and fellow Aldi fan Cheryl Van Dyke stated wittingly, "I'm shameful because I'm getting this 'Minions' book right now."
In the parking lot, I interviewed self-proclaimed Aldi nerd Sandy Rigsby of Chester who is one of 553.6K members in a Facebook group.
"I'm a member of the Aldi Nerd Community RECIPE GROUP!!!," Rigsby said. "We share meal planning tips and recipes using Aldi products."
"I love Aldi's variety, quality, and prices," Rigsby said. "You can't beat it. I buy almost anything especially kids educational toys, shoes, and bathing suits."
Rigsby provides a good tip, "Keep an eye out for red $1 off stickers to save even more."
Silence of the Caw Caw
Rigsby knew about fans 'caw cawing' and has heard them, but she has not been brave enough to respond...as of yet.
Angelia Higgins was not aware of the whole "caw caw" thing, but intrigued by the idea, she proudly 'caw cawed'. We excitedly listened for "caw cawing" in the distance, but all we heard was silence.
Aldi Aisle of Shame Community member Jack Gee provides reviews and posts shirtless selfies holding his latest Aldi finds.
"I finally found them, cant wait to try. I had the Carmel apple cookies and they were fantastic," Gee posted. "Also got the pumpkin spice cold coffee. Sadly, I caw caw'd and got no response."
Easy to splurge
I chatted with the Franco family as they loaded groceries into their vehicle.
"I love the 'Aisle of Shame'," Kayla Franco of Chester said. "I'm not sure about my husband but that aisle makes me think I need that stuff."
Quirky items make their way into my cart. Do I need them? Not really, but I'm happily preventing non-buyer's remorse.
My most recent score was a Belgian chocolate advent calendar. It was the last one on the shelf!
Unless shipping delays occur, I'm hoping to snag one of their holiday gnomes: Lumber Jack – Firewood Friend, Chillin’ Dylan – R&R Rockstar, Snowy Sam – Cocoa King, or Cozy Ken – World-Class Cuddler which are scheduled to hit the shelves on Dec. 1.
Check out the Aldi's Aisle of Shame at 11100 Iron Bridge Road in Chester and 465 Charles Dimmock Parkway in Colonial Heights.
For more information about Aldi and to find a store near you, visit aldi.us.
- Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly columnist is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at khiggins@progress-index.com, follow @KHiggins_PI on Twitter, and subscribe to us at progress-index.com.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Aldi Aisle of Shame Community on Facebook "caw caw" to find each other
