The Unusual Reason One Snack Giant Is Taking Legal Action Against This Fan-Favorite Grocery Chain
The tale of a corporate giant going after a smaller rival is nothing new—and frankly, it's a narrative that's wearing thin. This time around, it's snack giant Mondelez that's suing the beloved grocery chain Aldi, alleging that the grocer's store-brand snack packaging 'blatantly copies' its own.
While Mondelez, the extremely successful maker of Oreo, Triscuit and Chips Ahoy, might seem unlikely to object to similar products on the market, the company is taking a hard stance. The lawsuit filed May 27 claims Aldi's cookie and cracker packaging is 'likely to deceive and confuse' customers, raising broader questions about the boundaries of fair competition in grocery retail.
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At the moment, Aldi has not responded to inquiries from multiple sources regarding the lawsuit. What we do know is that the popular discount supermarket primarily sells its own versions of well-known name-brand products at significantly lower prices.
The lawsuit claims that Aldi's peanut butter creme-filled cookies, chocolate chip cookies and Thin Wheat crackers have packaging similar to Nutter Butter, Chips Ahoy and Wheat Thins—among other similarities.
Mondelez previously contacted Aldi about alleged 'copycat' packaging designs for several products, including Oreo cookies, Teddy Grahams, Belvita biscuits, Triscuit crackers and Tate's Bake Shop cookies. In response, Aldi reportedly 'discontinued' and 'changed certain of these infringing products,' according to Mondelez's statement.'I can go to the store and reasonably assume that I recognize the name, and that's who I'm buying from,' Trademark lawyer Josh Gerben told reporters. Some customers 'think that they might be buying something from the Oreo brand or Wheat Thins, but they're actually getting a substitute.'Per the lawsuit, Mondelez is seeking monetary damages as well as a court order to prevent Aldi from selling similar products. This isn't the first time Aldi has faced legal challenges either. Last December, the grocer found itself in Australian federal court over a copyright infringement dispute involving children's snacks.
With over 2,400 locations across the United States and more than 225 additional stores planned for 2025, it's hard to imagine Aldi wouldn't want to nip this issue in the bud and adjust its strategy moving forward. While many shoppers appreciate the value of Aldi-branded products over big-name brands, no one wants to see the beloved discount retailer get caught up in unnecessary legal troubles.The Unusual Reason One Snack Giant Is Taking Legal Action Against This Fan-Favorite Grocery Chain first appeared on Parade on Jun 12, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
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