The Fall Aldi Item Shoppers Consider Their Favorite Might Surprise You

The final months of the calendar year are an important time for retail grocery. From seasonal produce to Halloween supplies to Thanksgiving essentials, the inventory for the fall season is vast. In fact, Forbes estimated in 2018 that the market for pumpkin-spice goods alone was worth at least $600 million. But the most hotly anticipated item at supermarket chain Aldi might surprise you.

In a recent Instagram post, the beloved retailer asked its fans to name the "best" item in their "fall Aldi haul." Unsurprisingly, many Aldi-shoppers were most looking forward to the chain's wide range of pumpkin-spice foods and beverages, Aldi having kicked off its annual "Pumpkin Season" early last week (via Eating Well). Classic pumpkin-themed treats like pumpkin spice coffee creamer, pumpkin spice bagels, and pumpkin whipped cream topped many customers' lists. 

Some people named "pumpkin everything" as their favorite Aldi fall item. One jokester even claimed to be looking forward to Aldi's "pumpkin flavored fish filets" (a riff on pumpkin-spice mania and presumably a reference to Aldi's history of bizarre hybrid food items). But even with all the enthusiasm for Pumpkin Season food and beverages, one retail item stood head and shoulders above the competition: fall-themed candles.

In comment after comment after comment, Aldi customers shared their appreciation for the retailer's collection of scented candles. Fan favorites included the "pumpkin cookie candle," "pumpkin cinnamon candle," and "pumpkin apple fritter." The last is a recent addition, the fourth scent in a new line of three-wick candles Aldi rolled out a few weeks ago (via Yahoo! Life). Fans in the comments had plenty of nice things to say about the new line – including its low price. "Candles!!" wrote one Aldi customer. "Literally $4 for a bath & body works style candle. You can't beat that"

For the record, Aldi candles are a big deal among Aldi customers. The retail item not only has its own fan page on Instagram (#aldicandleclub) but is so in demand that some Aldi customers have taken to buying Aldi candles in bulk and scalping them online. (Fortunately, that does not appear to be an issue with this year's rollout, with multiple customer reports of massive supplies of scented candles at Aldi locations. One superfan on Instagram even claimed to have "never seen so many candles in [their] life" at Aldi.)