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ALDI ANNOUNCES IMPORTANT REMINDER FOR CUSTOMERS AHEAD OF SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
14 July, 2026
Aldi is reminding families that free period products are available in store toilets across the UK, as schools and colleges prepare to close for the summer holidays.
The reminder comes as students in England may have reduced access to free period products during the holidays, when many education settings that provide them are closed.
By contrast, Scotland requires free period products to be available year-round through a wider network of public venues, including libraries, community hubs and council buildings, as well as places of study.
Aldi-commissioned research found that almost a quarter (24%) of secondary school-aged girls have struggled to afford or access period products. Nearly half (49%) said they had resorted to unsafe alternatives such as toilet roll or tissue, while 29% had worn products for longer than recommended.
More than a quarter (26%) said they had missed school activities as a result.
Over the past year, Aldi has provided more than 1.4 million free period products, with customers and colleagues able to take what they need from in-store toilets, no questions asked.
The initiative launched in March 2025 to help make essential items such as tampons and pads more accessible to those who need them.
Julie Ashfield, Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, said: “Access to period products should be a basic right, not a privilege. Period poverty remains a very real issue for many people across the UK, which is why we’ve made free period products available in all our store toilets for customers and colleagues.
“As schools and colleges close for the holidays, some students may lose access to the free products they rely on. We want people to know they can visit their local Aldi and take what they need, no questions asked. We’d also encourage other retailers to help make free period products more widely available, particularly during the school holidays.”
Tina Leslie MBE, Founder of Freedom4Girls, said: “Period poverty remains a huge issue in the UK, and we’re encouraged to see Aldi’s continued commitment to tackling it. We want to see more public places, including other retailers, step up and follow Aldi’s lead to help more people in need.”
The in-store provision forms part of Aldi’s wider commitment to supporting communities and improving access to everyday essentials. Aldi has also donated one million period products to people experiencing period poverty through partnerships with charities including Freedom4Girls.
Customers can also donate period products through Aldi’s in-store donation points, with items distributed to food banks and other charitable organisations via its community partner Neighbourly.
ENDS
*Research carried out in April 2026 by OnePoll on a sample of 1,000 women and girls aged 12 and above who have, or have ever had, a period.
For more information, please contact the Aldi Press Office on:
T: 0161 235 0300 or aldi@citypress.co.uk
Business news
ALDI BACKS CHARITY CALL FOR SUPERMARKETS TO MAKE FREE PERIOD PRODUCTS AVAILABLE IN STORE TOILETS
13 August, 2026- New Aldi-commissioned research reveals 67% of shoppers think supermarkets should provide free period products in customer toilets
- Three quarters (75%) say free period products should be as readily available in supermarket toilets as toilet paper and soap
- Aldi is backing charity partner Freedom4Girls’ call for other major UK supermarkets to make free period products available in store toilets where facilities allow.
Aldi is supporting its charity partner, Freedom4Girls, in calling for more supermarkets to make free period products available in store toilets, as new research reveals shoppers support supermarkets providing free access to essential period products.
Tina Leslie MBE, founder of Freedom4Girls and Julie Ashfield, Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, have jointly written to the chief executives of major UK supermarkets, calling on them to make free period products available where store facilities allow.
The Aldi-commissioned survey of 2,000 UK shoppers found that 67% believe supermarkets should provide free pads and tampons in customer toilets, while 67% say they would be more likely to view a supermarket positively if it offered the service.
The research also found that three quarters (75%) of shoppers think period products should be treated as an everyday bathroom essential, just like toilet paper and soap, while 66% say supermarkets have an important role to play in supporting people who may struggle to access or afford them.
It comes after Aldi became the first UK supermarket to offer free period products in all customer and colleague toilets, with customers and colleagues able to take what they need, when they need it – no code word or loyalty scheme needed.
Since launching the initiative in March 2025, Aldi has provided one million free period products through its store toilets, helping to make everyday essentials such as tampons and pads more accessible to everyone who needs them.
Julie Ashfield, Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, said: "Access to period products should be a basic right, not a privilege. That is why we made free period products available in our store toilets for customers and colleagues, with no questions asked.
"The latest research shows shoppers support supermarkets making period products more accessible. Together with Freedom4Girls, we’ve written to the chief executives of other major UK supermarkets, encouraging them to consider introducing free period products where facilities allow.
"This is a simple, practical step that could make a real difference to customers and colleagues across the country. These products are essential, and we believe making them freely available is the right thing to do."
Tina Leslie MBE, Founder of Freedom4Girls, a menstrual equity charity dedicated to tackling period poverty, said: "Period poverty remains a huge issue in the UK, and we’re encouraged to see Aldi continuing to use its platform to push for wider change.
"Providing free period products in supermarket toilets is a practical way to help people access what they need discreetly and with dignity. We would welcome more retailers taking similar action to help tackle stigma, affordability and access."
The findings also suggest that free period products in supermarket toilets would help tackle a range of barriers, with 69% of shoppers saying the provision would help people who unexpectedly come on their period while away from home, 58% saying it would help those who cannot afford products when they need them, and 48% saying it would reduce embarrassment around asking for or buying period products.
When asked where free period products should be made available, 56% of shoppers selected supermarket customer toilets, ahead of shopping centres, transport hubs and leisure centres.
62% also said they would expect large supermarkets to provide free period products in customer toilets, while just over half (51%) said they would be more likely to shop with a retailer that made period products freely available in-store.
Among those who have or have ever had a period, 53% said they had been caught short without period products while shopping or away from home, while 93% said they had used toilet roll, tissue or another alternative because they did not have a product available.
Aldi’s in-store provision forms part of its wider commitment to supporting communities and improving access to everyday essentials. The supermarket has also donated one million period products to people experiencing period poverty through partnerships with charities including Freedom4Girls.
Customers can also donate period products through Aldi’s in-store donation points, with items distributed to food banks and charitable organisations via its community partner Neighbourly.
ENDS
*Research carried out in July 2026 by OnePoll among a sample of 2,000 UK shoppers.
