Costco and Aldi both enjoy strong reputations for helping grocery shoppers save money, but U.S. consumers are slightly more partial to the membership retailer than they are to the discounter, data from analytics firm YouGov shows.
When asked to compare the two retailers in terms of the value for money they offer, U.S. adults surveyed by YouGov assigned a net score of 38 to Costco and a score of 35 to Aldi.
However, when broken down by generation, the data paints a more nuanced picture. Baby boomers assigned the same value score — 37 — to both retailers, while members of Generation X gave a two-point edge to Aldi, the London-based research company reported.
On the other hand, younger shoppers favored Costco, with those in Generation Z assigning a value score of 44 to the club retailer and 32 to Aldi. Costco also enjoyed a nine-point advantage among Millennials.
The data suggests Costco is well-positioned to win increased spending from these younger consumers as their spending power grows and they start families.
The figures reflect survey data YouGov collected through rolling surveys during a yearlong period that began in September 2025.
YouGov noted that the difference between the value scores people give Costco and Aldi varied markedly during the time covered by its research, adding that the gap became smaller as the survey progressed.
Costco’s score rose in January and moved up again in May and June before tailing off, while Aldi’s score moved up during the final weeks of the period.
