Aldi supermarkets

[Steel]

Date: 8/1/2009 8:46:55 AM
Author: lauralu
We have one where I live and I am all about saving money. Even more so now that the hubs is layed off
I have tried shopping there several times as I do know I can save money there.
The times I have been in there it is always dirty and shelves are so unorganized. I can't bring myself to buy food items from a store that looks so disheveled and dirty.
Could be just a manager issue
However, it has been in our area for a number years and I hear the same from a lot of people

I understand what you are saying.

I was not confortable when I started to shop there as all the 'brands' were unfamiliar and the items were not stacked, just with the outer box lids ripped off. Then I noticed Tesco and SuperValu started to do the same thing! They no longer take the items out of the box, just rip off the front and top of the outer packing boxes. I thought to myself - if they can do it and it is ok then I am ok to shop at Adli. So I did.

 

[April20]

The Aldi near me was just built about a year ago. They also built one down the road from my old office- very nice build out. I''ve been in older ones and can say that I get what people are saying when they say they can be kind of icky. The older ones can be, but the newer ones are not really that much different than the Kroger in my area IMO. I think I bought produce once- i can''t remember what it was , but remember it looked decent for once. They really, really don''t do produce well.

I haven''t bought their $3 wine, but being as they are owned by TJ''s does anyone know if it''s the same as TJ''s 3 buck chuck?

 

[bee*]

I don''t do my main shop there but I definitely buy some things there. I usually buy pizzas, cheese, crisps, snacks etc there as they''re much better value. Occasionally I buy fresh fruit and veg there but the shop is a bit out of my way so I normally just go to my local supermarket.

 

[diamondringlover]

When my son moved out and moved to Chicago he was pretty much broke all the time and he went to Aldi''s all the time, he said some of the stuff was yucky some was not, I have not went there yet, my SIL goes there all the time, I just need to breakdown and try it out. My hubby just had surgery and we will be on half his pay for the next 6 weeks, so I am thinking now is a really good time to try it out

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 7/31/2009 11:41:57 PM
Author: Elmorton
I love Aldi - $3 wine and it''s not bad!! But, Aldi has some downfalls: 1) Produce is awful 2) A lot of ''similar to brand name'' items are higher in calories or sodium - be careful.


I''ve been told that Aldi is owned by the same folks as Trader Joe''s, and that you can often find the same products in different packaging. But I''ve never been to a TJ''s, so I can''t speak on that

ETA: I don''t get why everyone is upset about ''paying for the cart'' - you do get your quarter back when you return it! I''d much rather put a quarter in to unchain the cart than get hit by an errant cart in the parking lot. Works for me!

El -- I tried to highlight part of what you wrote but it didn''t work. One thing I found frustrating was that there didn''t seem to be much in the way of healthier foods/brands.

 

[zoebartlett]

Gwen -- the Aldi that I found here had random things as well, things like food processors/choppers, shirts, odds and ends. There''s another one enarby apparently but since I just discovered the chain, I haven''t been. You know, I''m sure I must have been to an Aldi when I was in Europe, I just didn''t realize it.

 

[purrfectpear]

Sounds like the Aldi''s you guys shop at are considerably cleaner than the Aldi''s I''ve seen here in Los Angeles. I''ve only been in two and driven past a few more. They all look filthy and the sort of place you''d bring home cockroaches from

Let''s just say they make Food 4 Less look like a gourmet market in comparison

 

[Delster]

We always do our main shop in Aldi and we feed two people on yummy gorgeous food that rivals M&S but for a fraction of the price. Our weekly shop is in the region of €60.

This past weekend we were the designated food supplies quartermasters for a camping weekend and we fed EIGHT people for THREE days on the grand total of €160. We're talking 100% Irish beef burgers; real pork German sausages (no reformed meat); salads, all the necessaries for pasta dishes and for chilli con carne made from scratch, bread rolls and burger buns, cereal, milk, croissants, cheeses, a full crate of fruit, roast potatoes, both beef and lamb meatballs (again, no reformed meat), soft drinks, juice and cordials, as well as the crisps, chocolate and sweets rubbish. Not one person snuck off for a takeaway at any stage and we actually had food left over. For €20 per person. I loooooove Aldi and will shout the virtues of it from any rooftop!

Now, that being said, I can't stand Lidl, I think their own brand stuff is terrible and I wouldn't go near it. And I won't buy toiletries in Aldi, and we often go to our local butchers for fresh meat as sometimes the good stuff can be hard to track down in Aldi.

Gwen you're so right about all the random special offers - I find I have to put on the blinkers or I get suckered into thinking 'oooh, I've always wanted a garden-shears-flowerpot-transformer-gadget!'

How come everyone is so irked by the charge for the trolleys? Don't you get the quarter back when you return the trolley?

 

[Lynn B]

I live in the middle of nowhere and we have an ALDI and I love it! It's spacious and clean, the food is fresh, and the staff is very helpful. I can't get everything I shop for there, but I can get a lot. And the cart/25 cent thing is no biggie - I just keep some quarters in the car just for that. And yes, you get the quarter back when you return the cart, and there are never any empty carts banging around the parking lot!

Also, my friend's daughter works there and she earns a very good wage PLUS excellent health benefits. I am happy to support that.