Aldi vs Amazon: when each one actually wins on Australian household staples

Every time I post about Amazon Subscribe & Save savings, the same comment rolls in: "Yeah but you can just go to Aldi." Fair point, and I take it seriously, because Aldi is genuinely cheap. After 20 years of hammering away at Coles and Woolies, they've forced the duopoly to drop prices on a lot of categories and they're still routinely the cheapest option for plenty of household staples.

But "Aldi is cheap" and "Aldi is cheapest for everything" are two different claims, and the second one isn't true. There are categories where Amazon S&S bulk genuinely beats Aldi by a meaningful margin, and there are categories where Aldi destroys both Amazon and the big supermarkets. The trick is knowing which is which.

I sat down and worked through where each one actually wins. Here's the honest split.

Where Aldi wins (and you should just go)

These are categories where Aldi's everyday price beats Amazon S&S even at bulk pack size. Don't bother with the optimisation — just go to Aldi.

Fresh produce, fresh bread, deli meats, dairy

Amazon AU doesn't really compete here. Their fresh range is limited and the delivery economics don't work for produce. Aldi's fresh produce, while controversial in quality (some swear by it, some won't touch it), is dramatically cheaper than equivalent Coles or Woolies — typically 20-30% less on staples like bananas, milk, eggs, butter, and basic cheeses.

Snack foods, biscuits, chocolate, drinks

This is Aldi's home turf. Their house-brand replicas of mainstream snacks are often half the price of the brand-name versions and quality is comparable. Amazon's snack pricing isn't competitive even before you factor in delivery wait times. If you're stocking up on a kid's lunchbox or birthday party supplies, Aldi every time.

Specialty pantry items (gluten-free, low-sugar, organic)

Aldi's specialty range is genuinely impressive on price. Their gluten-free pasta, organic tomato passata, low-sugar muesli — all routinely 30-50% cheaper than the equivalent at Coles or Woolies and not really matched on Amazon.

Wine and beer

Where licensing allows. Aldi's wine has won awards, costs roughly half what the equivalent supermarket bottle does, and Amazon AU doesn't ship alcohol the way the big supermarkets do anyway.

Where Amazon S&S wins (and you should set a subscription)

These are the categories where bulk + Subscribe & Save genuinely beats Aldi's pricing — usually because Aldi doesn't sell at the same pack size, or the brand differential matters.

Bulk toilet paper (same-brand bulk)

Aldi has its own house-brand toilet paper at competitive prices, but if you're loyal to Quilton specifically (or your bottom is, anyway), the Amazon AU 48-pack on Subscribe & Save at ~24¢ per 100 sheets is a clear winner over Aldi's equivalent-quality 3-ply at supermarket price points.

Aldi's house-brand toilet paper IS cheaper than Amazon's house-brand toilet paper, mind you. But for "the brand you actually want to use" comparisons, Amazon S&S takes it. The full breakdown is in the Quilton bulk maths article.

Nappies and baby wipes (15% S&S Prime boost)

This is the biggest gap. Amazon's 15% S&S Prime boost on nappies and wipes specifically makes them dramatically cheaper than Aldi's house-brand Mamia nappies — and Mamia is already considered budget. Per nappy:

• Aldi Mamia Newborn: roughly 45¢/nappy
• Huggies Newborn 108-pack on Amazon S&S Prime: ~44¢/nappy

Same per-unit price, but you're buying the dominant brand on Amazon vs the budget house brand at Aldi. For new parents who specifically want Huggies (and many do — the brand has 60%+ market share for a reason), Amazon S&S is the cheaper path. The full maths is in Huggies bulk nappies on Amazon vs Woolies.

Bulk pet food (large bags)

Aldi sells dog food at competitive prices in small bags, but they don't stock the 15-20kg bulk bags that Amazon S&S has. For households with medium or large dogs, the bulk bag economics on Amazon are dramatically better than buying small bags repeatedly at any supermarket including Aldi.

Razor cartridges

Aldi's house-brand razors are popular and cheap, but they're not Gillette. If you specifically want Gillette Fusion5 or similar, the bulk pack on Amazon S&S is dramatically cheaper than buying 4-packs at any supermarket. If you don't care about brand, Aldi house-brand wins on absolute price.

Generic medicines (paracetamol, ibuprofen, antihistamines)

Aldi sells some generics but the range is limited. Chemist Warehouse beats both Aldi and Amazon for big-pack generic paracetamol (the largest packs are Schedule 3 and only sold via pharmacy), but for general-purpose generic medicines the Amazon AU pharmacy-seller route is competitive with Chemist Warehouse and cheaper than Aldi's range. See the generic vs brand pain relief pillar for the full breakdown.

Where neither wins (and the supermarket beats both)

I want to be honest about this category because the "Amazon vs Aldi" framing sometimes obscures it: Coles and Woolies on half-price specials still beat everything for a few things.

Most people aren't disciplined enough to do this consistently, which is why Aldi (consistent low prices) and Amazon S&S (set-and-forget bulk) end up being better for actual household budgeting. But if you've got the patience and the storage, half-price stockpiling at the supermarket is the absolute cheapest route for plenty of categories.

How to actually shop, in practice

Here's the workflow that's worked for me and people I've recommended it to. It's three lists, not one:

1. Aldi list (every 1-2 weeks): fresh produce, dairy, bread, eggs, snack foods, specialty/health pantry items, wine and beer if applicable. One-stop shop on the way home from somewhere.
2. Amazon S&S subscriptions (set once, review yearly): bulk toilet paper, dishwasher tablets, laundry powder, nappies, baby wipes, razors, pet food, generic medicines you use regularly. Boring categories that you burn through predictably.
3. Coles or Woolies trip (when needed): anything on this week's half-price catalogue that you'd actually use. Stock up at the bottom of the price cycle, ignore the rest.

The summary table

The honest bottom line

Aldi and Amazon S&S are complements, not substitutes. The optimal Australian household shop in 2026 uses both — Aldi for the categories where their consistent low pricing wins, Amazon S&S for the bulk-pack and brand-specific categories where their pricing wins. Trying to do everything at one shop is the mistake, not which shop you pick.

For the seven categories where Amazon S&S genuinely beats the supermarket baseline, the full breakdown with maths is in my Subscribe & Save guide.