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Discount fashion find could be hitting more grocery stores near you

A $13 dress from ALDI shared by hundreds of shoppers sparked interest in whether other stores typically associated with food are getting into fashion.

By: John Matarese

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Shoppers go to discount stores like ALDI for lower prices on produce, milk, and eggs. But these days, some savvy shoppers are also picking up some affordable fashion items along the way.

Speaking of fashion, have you seen "the dress?"

No, not Princess Diana's famous black "revenge dress", or JLo's revealing Versace dress she wore to the Grammy Awards. We're talking about the "ALDI sparkle dress," shared by hundreds of devoted ALDI shoppers on social media.

Melinda Rosario wore hers to a holiday party, and then on a cruise. Dolores Ramiriz, who Scripps News found shopping at ALDI for groceries, says she snagged the dress, too.

"For Christmas," Ramiriz said. "I wore it on Christmas."

Stunning dress for under $13

So what's the dress everyone is buzzing about? It's the trendy front-knot dress that ALDI shoppers found right before the holidays for just $12.99.

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Jamie Miles of PassionatePennyPincher.com says the dress was not only affordable, but it was also figure friendly like other ALDI fashion finds, such as cardigans, pajamas and workout gear.

"It was just a fun piece of clothing. It was a glittery dress, and it was the holidays," she said of the unexpected sales hit. "It was wearable by all body types. They are not being exclusive and putting out something that only one body type can wear."

Scripps News wanted to find out is whether this ALDI dress is part of a bigger trend with shoppers finding apparel at discount stores like ALDI or Costco — stores a person normally associates with groceries.

Marketing professor Kelly Goldsmith of Vanderbilt University says it's something the major clothing retailers are watching and paying attention to in this time of high inflation.

"Consumers might be less willing to spendright now on a high-end luxury dress," she said. "It tells them not that necessarily ALDI's posing a fashion threat but that they really are seeing a change in consumer sentiment."

Unfortunately, the ALDI front-knot dress was offered for a limited release, much like other clothing items Dolores Ramiriz and her daughter have found at ALDI recently.

"We got boots and shoes," Ramiriz said.

So if shoppers come across a good deal like "the dress," snag it before it's gone.