Yahoo Lifestyle 
Aldi shoppers furious over common frustration with 25c item: 'Absolute rubbish'
A common Aldi shopping accessory is sparking outrage among customers .
It seems Aldi shoppers have reached a tipping point when it comes to one of the supermarket’s most frustrating features—its 25c paper bags. What started as a single social media post has sparked a flood of comments from shoppers across the country, venting their annoyance and sharing their own paper bag disasters.
Aldi customer Sophia Rose from Adelaide told Yahoo Lifestyle, “I find the Aldi paper bags useless. The only time I use them is when I forget my bags in the car or at home. Have I found them sturdy? Absolutely not. They tear by just opening the bag when you’re about to fill it.”
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'Honestly, the worst paper bags ever'
Her frustration didn't stop there—what began as a personal annoyance quickly turned into a public outcry. Sophia shared her experience on the Aldi Mums Facebook page, posting a photo of her broken paper bag and spilled groceries, including a shattered jar of pickles.
“Honestly, the worst paper bags ever,” she wrote, setting off a wave of comments from shoppers sharing their own experiences.
“We didn’t even make it to the car before ours broke,” one person commented.
Another added, “The Aldi bags are TERRIBLE,” while someone else chimed in, “Can’t believe they charge for them!”
Aldi customer Angelique Summers from Victoria echoed similar sentiments, explaining to Yahoo Lifestyle, “Most times when I’ve used Aldi paper bags, they break unless you fill them with really light shopping! I’ve gotten home and as I pulled shopping out of the car, a pasta sauce jar broke through the bag and smashed in my driveway!”
Could it be user error?
Despite the overwhelming criticism for the bags, some shoppers argue that the issue lies in overloading them with groceries.
One person suggested, “You put too much in. It was too heavy for only one bag,” while another advised, “Always carry paper bags like a baby under the bum! Do not trust!”
But even with extra care, Aldi customer Sophia noted that the bags still fail.
“I’ve had incidents where the bag broke during checkout, and staff just told me to grab another one,” she explained. Angelique shared similar experiences, saying she now only half-fills the bags with light items to avoid breakage.
“I’ve had them rip, and the handles break many times. Forget bulky or heavy items; I have to use fabric cooler bags for those.”
Interestingly, the problem isn’t limited to Aldi. One group member remarked, “They all are [like this]! I didn’t even make it out of Woollies yesterday and it broke. They are all absolute rubbish.”
While Aldi’s paper bags seem to be the focus, this is part of a broader frustration with paper bags across supermarkets. Although Woolworths alleges their paper bags can hold up to 5kg worth of items and Aldi and Coles claim to provide paper bags that can withstand 6kg of shopping, customers don't seem to be finding this to ring true.
A broader retail perspective
Customer Experience Advisor Aileen Day weighed in, telling Yahoo Lifestyle, “The reality is that supermarkets are looking to reduce expenses in every facet of business. However, if they choose to offer paper bags, they need to be responsible for their functionality and design. If they make them cheap and unusable, they become an indirect expense as customers will push back and insist on a replacement bag for no additional cost.”
The debate over paper bags isn’t new, and some retailers have already taken steps to avoid these issues entirely.
As Aileen noted, “This is partially why organisations such as Bunnings only offer boxes (no bags at all). It was evident early in the era of removing plastic bags from Bunnings that customer behaviours would only change when there was no other choice but to either take a box or bring their own.”
A lasting frustration for shoppers
For now, Aldi’s paper bags continue to divide shoppers. While some are happy to work around the limitations, others say it disrupts their regular shopping habits.
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Sophia admitted that the paper bags have changed how she approaches her Aldi shop.
“It’s hard enough going shopping with a toddler, then to have these flimsy bags break with all your groceries in it is just absurd.”
She added, “If I have forgotten my reusable bags, I will try to hold off on purchasing meats and canned foods for another day to avoid the paper bags getting too heavy and breaking.”
Whether it’s overstuffing or underperforming, one thing is clear: Aldi’s paper bags are a common frustration, and shoppers aren’t afraid to air their grievances.
