Aldi has backed the 'no questions asked' idea for free period products in supermarket toilets, urging rival chains to follow its lead. The budget supermarket says it has already distributed a million free pads and tampons in its store toilets since launching the initiative in March 2025.
Scheme details and public support
The scheme allows shoppers and staff to take pads and tampons without a code word, loyalty scheme, or awkward request at the till. Aldi and its charity partner Freedom4Girls have written to the bosses of major supermarkets, asking them to offer the same where facilities allow.
New research commissioned by Aldi suggests strong public backing. In a poll of 2,000 UK shoppers, 67% said supermarkets should provide free pads and tampons in customer toilets, and the same percentage said they would view a supermarket more positively if it did. Three-quarters (75%) said period products should be treated like everyday bathroom essentials, such as toilet paper and soap. Two-thirds (66%) said supermarkets have an important role in helping people who struggle to access or afford them.
Impact and industry response
Aldi says the scheme is designed to help anyone caught out while away from home, arguing the simple change could remove stigma as well as cost barriers. The survey found 69% think free products in supermarket toilets would help people who unexpectedly start their period while out, and 58% said it would help those who cannot afford products when they need 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." She added: "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."
Freedom4Girls founder Tina Leslie MBE said the charity wants the move to go further across the industry, describing supermarket toilets as a discreet place for people to get what they need without fuss. She 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."
Polling and further donations
The polling also suggests shoppers think supermarket loos should be top of the list for free provision: 56% picked customer toilets ahead of places like shopping centres, transport hubs and leisure centres. Nearly two-thirds (62%) said they would expect big supermarkets to provide free period products in customer toilets, and 51% said they would be more likely to shop with a retailer offering them.
Aldi says its loo rollout sits alongside other donations aimed at tackling period poverty. The supermarket says it has also donated one million period products through partnerships, including Freedom4Girls, and shoppers can donate items via in-store donation points, with goods distributed through its community partner Neighbourly.
