Aldi?

lalee115

I have seen a lot of people mention shopping at Aldi, and some of my friends' diaries has some Aldi foods in it. So, I'm wondering... what is it that you find so great about Aldi? And, no, I don't mean that in a smarty pants kinda way. I really want to know what you go to Aldi for that you consider must-haves or staples in your food life?

I have an Aldi relatively sorta close to my house but never go there because, well, traffic. Just trying to see if it's a place I gotta get to!

April_KT

Its cheap, Pretty much my only reason to go there.

Michael190lbs

small, inexpensive and fast its just a great store

SmartAlec03211988

1. It's cheap.

It's cheap because you bring your own bags, bag your own food, and you pay a quarter to use the carts. Also, no credit cards.

tinuz

The standards for food quality is higher in Germany then in the Netherlands....so thats for me the reason to go there. oh, and its cheap

pescetarian_love

Inexpensive. I will never shop at another grocery store ever again because of Aldi. You get super high quality foods and produce for half the price.

Katie_Gee19

For me, it's because their prices tend to be cheaper than most grocery chains and big box superstores and the quality is as good, and in some cases...better, than some of the more expensive name brand products. I especially like their imported cheeses. And they have now started carrying organic products. The downside is that some days/times it's a madhouse here and you end up what seems like ages in the checkout queue. But eventually you get to know the best times to go to avoid the rush.

143tobe

I live in Germany where Aldi's come from. I used to shop there because it was cheap, they have good quality products, and the cashier's are lightening quick, but prices are so cheap because they use as small of a staff as possible. It's become so bad that I try not to go there anymore. Even though the cashier's are quick (well in Germany they are) They sometimes have no back-up so if there is a problem at the register, the line gets long quick. I've even seen the 'back up' right there, going in and out of the office, and they didn't care that there was a crazy long line. She just kept walking back and forth until he actually rang for back-up. Even then she was in no hurry to help. I'll still go there for certain staples like Organic milk, and I like to see what they have on clearance. They have a weekly ad where they offer seasonal items. I no longer buy 'name brand' workout clothes because Aldi (the German one does anyway) has really decent sports clothing for a fraction of the price. And if I am able to when it goes on clearance, even better. Bottom line, worth checking out, but if it's anything like the German Aldi, service is non-existent.

jenovatrix

SmartAlec03211988 wrote: »

Also, no credit cards.

Actually, a couple months ago they started accepting credit. I'm finally able to shop there now (I exclusively use credit for the cash back).

Anyway as far as Aldi goes they have these little hummus/cracker lunch kits that are delicious, and lots of random German food if you like trying new things. Never had an issue with produce quality but a lot of it comes prepackaged so you can't just buy one pepper, you have to get three. They have weekly specials of random household goods and those are swapped out every week so if you see something you like you need to get it because it won't be there next time.

I can't speak to the dairy or meat since the only Aldi in the area is close to work, but not home, and it's a 45 minute drive. So needless to say I don't buy any cold products there.

You put your cart at the end of the check lane and they scan and stick your products in the cart but you have to bag them. If you don't bring your own bag you have to buy them, it's like 6c for paper and 10c for plastic. They have a separate bagging area because you are not going to be able to keep up with the cashier, trust me on this one

You pay a quarter to use the cart but you get it back when you return it, there's a weird little lock on the side that will spit it out once it's hooked back up to the other carts.

upoffthemat

Their prices on many items are absolutely awesome. They also do have quality food for their store brands. When they get busy they are slow, you can't get everything you want there because they do have a somewhat limited product line, but for what they offer they can easily save you 10-40% on your grocery bill (of not more.

JenHuedy

Several reasons:

1. They're cheap. They are even cheaper than Costco on milk & eggs. And prices are comparable to Costco on produce, but you don't have to buy 10lbs at a time.
2. They're good. It's mostly their own house brands, but I have found them all to be great quality. And the fresh produce can't be beat.
3. It's a small store, with limited selection. This means I can get in and out FAST.

Our favorite items are, Milk & eggs, egg whites, 100 cal greek yogurts, breakfast cereal, cheese - great variety, spreadable cheese wedges (like laughing cow), almond/cashew milk, snacks & chips, take & bake pizzas (thin crust very reasonable in calories), frozen seafood... and a ton of other things I can't think of right now.

In addition to the staple items, they change things up seasonally. And they are getting more organic products all the time if you're into that sort of thing. On my last trip I spotted some Clif Builder Bar style protein bars that looked good, but I haven't tried.

I think the only thing I wish they had is higher quality lunch meats and maybe more types of frozen veg.

ValerieMartini2Olives

Cheap but excellent quality of food.
Lots of imported foods.
Fresh everything.
Good selection.
Great gluten free selection.

sugom2

They are awesome, consistently less expensive (I save a minimum of $40/month shopping there). Quality products, and if you buy something you didn't like, they have a money back guarantee. They also run really great specials--where else can you get huge chicken thighs for $.45/pound, and boneless rib-eyes for $5.99/pound. I also love how they take credit cards now as I also buy everything I can to obtain mileage points. Just wish they took coupons.

elphie754

SmartAlec03211988 wrote: »

1. It's cheap.

It's cheap because you bring your own bags, bag your own food, and you pay a quarter to use the carts. Also, no credit cards.

this is actually the reason I won't shop there.

lalee115

Whoa, tons of great responses! Thanks everyone for the input. I have shopped at Aldi before, but it's been a while because, while it is technically geographically close, the location is a pretty huge hassle to get to and from due to traffic at just about any time of the day, especially since they aren't open very late. Here, at least.

Gonna go on pay day, though!

Dnarules

I do not shop there, but there are a few people on my floor at work who love to go there for the bags of salad (I think part of it is a price thing). They bring a bag to work, and that is lunch. I took an immediate dislike to it when I first went, but maybe I should try again because I hear so much about it.

caradack1985

A lot of people I know shop there and say the fruit and veg selection is better than any other UK supermarket. Which tbf is not saying much!

AmandaHugginkiss

Cheap. Small stores. Good chocolate. Excellent meat prices.

benjaminhk

There are two main reasons I shop at Aldi:

1. The prices are great compared to most grocery stores.
2. The store is small yet I am able to buy about 90% of my groceries there. This means I get the shopping done much quicker than if I went to a full-size grocery store.

A bonus reason is that checking out also seems to go much quicker than other stores. I think Aldi must have good hiring practices and/or training.

rebel_26

Pricing as others said. I heard their produce and meats are good.. the ones here in SC just look nasty to me...I call them salmonella city lol.

slieber

Aldi opened in my area and I did a comparison run between it and the grocery store I like to shop at. I found almost no difference in the prices between them. A perk for my fave store is that I get fuel discounts for dollars spent there, in addition to the good deals. I'll recheck at Aldi, but for our area, at least, it doesn't seem that great a savings.

MrsMowwychu

When I lived in Pennsylvania I always shopped at Aldi. The prices were a lot less expensive than the big chain grocery stores nearby although there wasn't much variety. Now that I live in Texas and shop at HEB where the variety is endless and the prices are still a lot lower than I paid in PA for food I don't think I could ever go back to shopping at Aldi.

ValerieMartini2Olives

Aldi does take credit now. They started it about 6 months ago or so.

elphie754

ValerieMartini2Olives wrote: »

Aldi does take credit now. They started it about 6 months ago or so.

Even if the one by me does take credit now, I still refuse to shop there. The outside of the store looks like it hasn't been maintained in years. The inside, at least when I went the one time, was disgusting and looked like a breeding ground for bacteria. When I asked about the cleanliness to the manager, he was rude and said if I wasn't happy, don't shop there. Not a way to run a business at all. While not taking credit may have been a huge reason I refused to shop there, there are other reasons as well.

dfwmom35

Honeycrisp Apples and organic produce. They are less than half the price at Aldi's. I find quality issues with the non-perishables..produce would be it for us.

SoDamnHungry

Cheap cheap cheap. I like their yogurt and they often have decent prices on produce.

lalee115

rebel_26 wrote: »

the ones here in SC just look nasty to me...I call them salmonella city lol.

Uh oh, we live in the same town... lol... Suddenly, I'm suspicious of Aldi.

lalee115

slieber wrote: »

A perk for my fave store is that I get fuel discounts for dollars spent there, in addition to the good deals.

I mostly shop at BiLo for that very reason. And it's conveniently located.

Gallowmere1984

I didn't even know that there was an Aldi in my area, until I drove by one while working the other day. Funny enough, it's only about ten minutes from my apartment, just in the "rich white people" area that I never go through. Definitely going to check it out next time I need groceries though.

MiloBloom83

Aldi gets 95% of my food dollars. Quality food at low prices. And i work right next door to a Jewel.

Heartisalonelyhunter

I love Aldi. You can't beat 80 cents for a loaf of bread or a dozen eggs for 69 cents. Aldi and Trader Joes are owned by the same people, so a lot of time you will find the same stuff as TJ's for half the price.