Social media trends are increasingly influencing the path to purchase, at least according to Aldi’s fifth-annual Fan Favorites list revealed this week by the discount grocer.
Shoppers voted for their top picks from a wide variety of Aldi-exclusive items. But this year's survey results noted that it’s not the weekly flyer that’s mostly piquing interest in buying certain products—it’s TikTok.
"Our loyal shoppers are always vocal about their love for Aldi products and over 70,000 of them sang praises in this year's Fan Favorites survey," said Scott Patton, VP of national buying, in a statement. "Their feedback is invaluable, which is why we were excited to introduce new survey categories inspired by our fans' interests, including 'TikTok Made Me Buy It' among others."
In fact, landing on the list this year is TikTok Made Me Buy It: Friendly Farms Cottage Cheese.
“Cottage cheese sales at Aldi spiked more than 14% during this protein powerhouse's viral TikTok run,” the discount grocer said in a statement.
Aldi's Friendly Farms Cottage Cheese and Low Sugar Greek yogurt both took the No. 1 spot in their respective categories after the cottage cheese trend and yogurt cluster trend swept #FoodTok.
Now through Monday, DoorDash is offering $10 off an order when shoppers add three or more items from the Aldi 2023 Fan Favorites list to their cart.
The results of the poll also shed light on emerging and continuing grocery trends. Quick meal solutions remained popular with shoppers as Aldi’s Mama Cozzi's Pizza Kitchen Take and Bake Deli Pizza was voted as third most popular overall product in the survey. The bake-at-home pizza has been five-peat Fan Favorite category winner every year since the survey launched in 2019.
This year, dairy was the dark horse while avocados had a major comeback this year as a double winner in the product list, according to an Aldi press release.
The complete list of 2023 Aldi Fan Favorites winners is:
- TikTok Made Me Buy It: Friendly Farms Cottage Cheese
- Rookie of the Year: Friendly Farms Low Sugar Greek Yogurt
- Ready When You Are: Mama Cozzi's Pizza Kitchen Take and Bake Deli Pizza
- Snacks For Everyone: Happy Farms String Cheese
- Cream Of the Crop: Avocados
- On The Lighter Side: Simply Nature Avocado Oil
- Protein Pick: Kirkwood Fresh Chicken
- What A Deal: Clancy's Kettle Chips
- Great Catch: Fresh Atlantic Salmon with Mediterranean Herb
- Raise A Glass: Belletti Sparkling Moscato Rose
- Choose Your Cheese: Emporium Selection Fresh Mozzarella
- Sweet Tooth Satisfaction: Specially Selected Ice Cream
- Sauce on the Side: Specially Selected Vinaigrette Dressings