I am a new subscriber so am late to this post but...I loved it! And I have never shopped at Aldi! I don't think I've ever had any near me, more's the pity. It sounds like the perfect place for me (I have an embarrassingly well-honed grocery routine that I think would suit its rhythms perfectly). Alas, it will be tears on my pillow tonight for what I can only dream of. :-) Maybe someday!
Every time I go to Aldi, I feel like I end up having to go somewhere else to get half of what’s on my list (not even name brand), and it makes me more sad to visit multiple stores than to spend a little more money (in this season of life, at least!) and visit one.
Thanks so much for this info! An Aldi has opened up here, albeit a fair drive away and I didn’t know enough about it to know if it is worth the drive or what exactly it sold. Now I’m definitely going to check it out. Had also heard there was a very specific cart protocol and now I can go in, with quarter in hand, without worrying about screwing up things for everyone else!
Aldi is in 🇩🇪 divided into two branches, being founded by two brothers, Karl & Theo ALBRECHT, splitting in 1961. All being built on a small grocery store from their father, founded in 1913 in the city of Essen.
It’s Aldi North and Aldi South, with some differences in presentation and choices.
By the way- the cart management is the same in all supermarkets, whether discount or high-end.
The checkout is always fast, and nobody ever packs your shopping you bring your own bags…
Sorry to rain on your parade-
I never ever shop at Aldi.
Their HR is horrendous, the teams are under unbelievable pressure, not being paid well enough Aldi is „ famous“ for their price dumping when negotiating with their manufacturers.
Aldi is still leading the discount market- but Lidl is following closely and might become leader soon.
Lidl offers 30% branded items- that’s why they are hugely successful. So, here the customers
My one time going to Aldi was when visiting my grandparents in Germany long long ago. But you inspired my to look it up and there are some not too far from me.
I LOVE ALDI!!! They’re building a new one literally a minute and a half from our apartment and I’m rather inclined to dance a jig at the grand opening 😂 There’s another one about 30 minutes from where we live, which is difficult to do with a high-energy toddler, but I always save money when I go there. SOON, my life will be so much easier (and cheaper).
I don't always shop at Aldi, but when I do I buy more 'ooh I've never seen that' snacks than I should. I usually get cheese because I have a child who has expensive cheese tastes...the kind of cheese that sells for $8 per tiny block at the big store, but that I can get for around $4 at Aldi.
I love Aldi! I love how it is simple, there are rules (as you articulate so well!), the choices are limited but the options are all pretty good, and then there’s the random aisle of fun things in the middle.
(I got one of those Aldi branded quarter holders for my keys, otherwise I’d never have a quarter on me)
Aldi is THE BEST. I live in a university town, which somehow translates to them continuously overstocking the meat section, so about half the time I get 50% off meat b/c it's about to expire. BUT, it's always "use by" OR "freeze by"...so my freezer stays well stocked. Then I don't feel so bad about enjoying the middle aisles.
I am! I like to go right when the store opens because the produce tends to sell out as the day goes on. Also, I usually buy meat at Costco, but Aldi will sometimes have nearing-expiration stuff half off, so I definitely cruise over to check on that first.
At our store there’s usually only one lane staffed by a person and a bunch of self checkouts, but they don’t trust us to scan bags so we have to ask the one cashier for them. Obviously, this is enough motivation to bring my own bags or find an empty box on the shelves instead.
Items we love: French onion dip, cookies and cream ice cream, Italian sweet cream coffee creamer, cinnamon brown sugar toaster pastries, frozen waffles, deli pickles.
The conventional frozen vegetables are okay but the organic ones are still cheaper than name brand in a grocery store and better quality.
In the aisle of shame, look for the red tags that say clearance. The seasonal food especially - they want it gone and the price reflects that.
I've long been an Aldi shopper, tho it originally was my late husband.
I generally go w/ my oldest child Chase (22 years old) and my autistic son D now (19 years old), so I take my son to the middle aisle while the oldest goes and gets our staples. I can distract D with the "weird stuff" and sometimes he wants something, which is just fine. Usually, he doesn't.
I always have a quarter in the van, but usually people leave one in the cart... we send the cart back, and retrieve the quarter. For the next time.
We get standard staples, but also there are "special" things we like getting at Aldi, like summer sausage.
I live in a good grocery store desert, so I happily drive an hour to an Aldi and I have a system so airtight - the bags, the packing, loading into the car, I don’t mind doing the shopping so much. I always treat myself to fun cheese or chocolate and there’s an ice cream store across the street so I indulge in a shake for the drive home. My kids who moved to the city have an Aldi within walking distance - can you imagine the luxury!?
I am a new subscriber so am late to this post but...I loved it! And I have never shopped at Aldi! I don't think I've ever had any near me, more's the pity. It sounds like the perfect place for me (I have an embarrassingly well-honed grocery routine that I think would suit its rhythms perfectly). Alas, it will be tears on my pillow tonight for what I can only dream of. :-) Maybe someday!
I love seeing someone read a post months later!!!
Every time I go to Aldi, I feel like I end up having to go somewhere else to get half of what’s on my list (not even name brand), and it makes me more sad to visit multiple stores than to spend a little more money (in this season of life, at least!) and visit one.
Thanks so much for this info! An Aldi has opened up here, albeit a fair drive away and I didn’t know enough about it to know if it is worth the drive or what exactly it sold. Now I’m definitely going to check it out. Had also heard there was a very specific cart protocol and now I can go in, with quarter in hand, without worrying about screwing up things for everyone else!
prefer Lidl.
Dear all,
Germany calling in!
Aldi is in 🇩🇪 divided into two branches, being founded by two brothers, Karl & Theo ALBRECHT, splitting in 1961. All being built on a small grocery store from their father, founded in 1913 in the city of Essen.
It’s Aldi North and Aldi South, with some differences in presentation and choices.
By the way- the cart management is the same in all supermarkets, whether discount or high-end.
The checkout is always fast, and nobody ever packs your shopping you bring your own bags…
Sorry to rain on your parade-
I never ever shop at Aldi.
Their HR is horrendous, the teams are under unbelievable pressure, not being paid well enough Aldi is „ famous“ for their price dumping when negotiating with their manufacturers.
Aldi is still leading the discount market- but Lidl is following closely and might become leader soon.
Lidl offers 30% branded items- that’s why they are hugely successful. So, here the customers
The Aisle of Shame! I love the Aisle of Shame!
Seriously, like half our kitchen supplies are from there. And a knockoff Roomba.
My one time going to Aldi was when visiting my grandparents in Germany long long ago. But you inspired my to look it up and there are some not too far from me.
I do want a raspberry Jaffa cake. In my country, Aldi enters their products into taste tests and routinely win.
I LOVE ALDI!!! They’re building a new one literally a minute and a half from our apartment and I’m rather inclined to dance a jig at the grand opening 😂 There’s another one about 30 minutes from where we live, which is difficult to do with a high-energy toddler, but I always save money when I go there. SOON, my life will be so much easier (and cheaper).
I don't always shop at Aldi, but when I do I buy more 'ooh I've never seen that' snacks than I should. I usually get cheese because I have a child who has expensive cheese tastes...the kind of cheese that sells for $8 per tiny block at the big store, but that I can get for around $4 at Aldi.
I love Aldi! I love how it is simple, there are rules (as you articulate so well!), the choices are limited but the options are all pretty good, and then there’s the random aisle of fun things in the middle.
(I got one of those Aldi branded quarter holders for my keys, otherwise I’d never have a quarter on me)
Aldi is THE BEST. I live in a university town, which somehow translates to them continuously overstocking the meat section, so about half the time I get 50% off meat b/c it's about to expire. BUT, it's always "use by" OR "freeze by"...so my freezer stays well stocked. Then I don't feel so bad about enjoying the middle aisles.
I am! I like to go right when the store opens because the produce tends to sell out as the day goes on. Also, I usually buy meat at Costco, but Aldi will sometimes have nearing-expiration stuff half off, so I definitely cruise over to check on that first.
At our store there’s usually only one lane staffed by a person and a bunch of self checkouts, but they don’t trust us to scan bags so we have to ask the one cashier for them. Obviously, this is enough motivation to bring my own bags or find an empty box on the shelves instead.
Items we love: French onion dip, cookies and cream ice cream, Italian sweet cream coffee creamer, cinnamon brown sugar toaster pastries, frozen waffles, deli pickles.
The conventional frozen vegetables are okay but the organic ones are still cheaper than name brand in a grocery store and better quality.
In the aisle of shame, look for the red tags that say clearance. The seasonal food especially - they want it gone and the price reflects that.
I've long been an Aldi shopper, tho it originally was my late husband.
I generally go w/ my oldest child Chase (22 years old) and my autistic son D now (19 years old), so I take my son to the middle aisle while the oldest goes and gets our staples. I can distract D with the "weird stuff" and sometimes he wants something, which is just fine. Usually, he doesn't.
I always have a quarter in the van, but usually people leave one in the cart... we send the cart back, and retrieve the quarter. For the next time.
We get standard staples, but also there are "special" things we like getting at Aldi, like summer sausage.
I love buying holiday goodies there
I live in a good grocery store desert, so I happily drive an hour to an Aldi and I have a system so airtight - the bags, the packing, loading into the car, I don’t mind doing the shopping so much. I always treat myself to fun cheese or chocolate and there’s an ice cream store across the street so I indulge in a shake for the drive home. My kids who moved to the city have an Aldi within walking distance - can you imagine the luxury!?
This is hilarious! That middle aisle is so tempting!