Aldi has confirmed 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.
Year-Round Availability in Scotland
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.
Aldi's Initiative Since March 2025
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, which has branches in Birmingham, 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.”
Call for Other Retailers to Follow
Ashfield added: “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.”
