Aldi's

[Sparky]

I just discovered Aldi's - read a piece about it in the New York Times - then found one about 25 miles away from me.

Here's part of their philosophy:

"We adhere to stringent quality standards. Every product we sell must match or exceed the leading national brand in taste, appearance, and/or performance. Our premium produce is shipped faster and smarter, so it comes to your table fresher and cheaper. We’re so sure of the quality of what we sell that we back it with our exclusive Double Guarantee. So you can always shop ALDI with confidence. "

Aldi's was started by the same guys who founded Trader Joe's.

You put a quarter in to get your cart, bring your own bags and pack them. I found prices to be about one-half what they are in grocery stores. The quality of the body wash, body lotion, paper products, meats, cheeses and eggs were top shelf. Some of their body lotions said to compare them to Bath and Body Works (expensive stuff). I also got 120 count baby aspirin for $1.49.

Of course, like Trader Joe's, if you find something you really like, you better buy a lot of it - you may never see it again.

ALDI - Home page

 

[frayne]

Been shopping there for years.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Aldi's was started by the same guys who founded Trader Joe's.

I think the people who started Aldi's are in Germany and the corporation bought Trader Joe's a few years ago. I think the Aldi folk incorporated a lot of the things that made TJ's successful, with private labels, etc.

I love Aldi's. Can't find any place that comes even close to beating their prices and they carry about 90 percent of what we need.

 

[al_bundy]

wife and i shop at trader joes sometimes. mostly we do Whole Foods because in the end it's about the same price.

 

[bongo2]

Interesting to hear the good responses. I shopped there 3-4 times, and had to throw away far too much stuff to make the lower prices worthwhile. I found the majority of their stuff so bad that it really made me question the stuff that I couldn't see was bad (as in, what's wrong with the rest). Most of the people I've talked to said the same thing. Perhaps my local Aldi is not up to standards.

 

[dex]

I stopped in one near me - I didn't get it their business model.
It appeared to be a small variety of products and a lot of one off type things - almost like a close out place.

Has anyone compared prices with Walmart?

 

[FinanceDude]

I stopped in one near me - I didn't get it their business model.
It appeared to be a small variety of products and a lot of one off type things - almost like a close out place.

Has anyone compared prices with Walmart?

Yes, Aldi's is lower on most items,but they are not brand name so it is tough to compare. On brand names, Walmart is low on almost everything. I think Aldi's is ok, but I don't like their "off brands" when I can get brand name at Wally World for a little more. There's a BIG difference between Kraft cheese slices and Aldis cheese slices......

 

[Sparky]

I stopped in one near me - I didn't get it their business model.
It appeared to be a small variety of products and a lot of one off type things - almost like a close out place.

Has anyone compared prices with Walmart?

I've found that most stuff is cheaper at Aldi's than WM, again, by almost 50%.

First time I went there, I thought the same thing - no shelves, junky stuff like Pasta Roni (their version of it), instant potatoes, sugary food and fruity drinks that we don't buy anyway.

That is until I visited their website and found their "philosophy". Again, meats, cheeses, eggs ($1.35/dozen), paper products, body wash, that sort of thing - great quality.

 

[Goonie]

You put a quarter in to get your cart, bring your own bags and pack them. I found prices to be about one-half what they are in grocery stores. The quality of the body wash, body lotion, paper products, meats, cheeses and eggs were top shelf.

And when your done shopping, you put your cart back, and get your quarter back!

Been shopping there for years.

Us too! It's small and conveniently located.

I love Aldi's. Can't find any place that comes even close to beating their prices and they carry about 90 percent of what we need.

Everything we've bought there has been good! A gallon of milk is $1.99, compared to the $3 to $4 milk at the other grocery stores in town. We buy some of our meat there, as well as most of our canned goods, dairy products, and produce. Cheapest place in town!

Has anyone compared prices with Walmart?

Don't know how prices compare else where in the country, but most groceries at our Walmart are slightly to much higher than the other grocery stores in town (IGA, Aldi's, and Kroger). There are a couple of frozen food items that we really like, that Walmart carries that the other stores don't...but it ain't worth the hassle & frustration to go there and buy them, so we do without.

Our WM has 16-18 checkout lanes, and it doesn't matter whether there are 5 people in lines to check out, or 50 people in lines....they only ever have 2 or 3 lanes open...regardless of the time of day! What a PITA!!!

 

[samclem]

There's an Aldi's not far from us, I'll have to give it a closer look. I've been in a few times--it looked like the "food" aisle of a Dollar General store. Not much selection, lawn chairs and cheap radios stocked next to a small pile of apples, etc. I don't recall seeing meat, but if they had it, it was prepared and packaged somewhere else because there was certainly no butcher there. Maybe the stuff is fine, but I couldn't see doing my main grocery shopping in the place. I didn't look at the prices--maybe I missed the best part?

 

[OAG]

We have one pretty close and went to it once. Could not figure out the pluses. Store was small and even had to pay for a cart to walk around the store. Strange thing was I had to "buy" the cart from the previous user for $.25 and then get a refund after I put the care back - did they think a quarter was going to protect their cart? Also no bagging, you get a empty box if there are any on the shelf or you go out and put the stuff in your car loose - I did notice other bringing their own bags or containers with them - just seemed strange to me. Prices were not impressive at all - much better at the closer Kroger or Giant-Eagle stores closer to us (example Grade A large Eggs are on sale this week for $.77 a dozen). Check out was a bit confused too in that they had only one person doing it - and she had to BS with each customer for about 5 minutes each - made the line excessively time consuming. We will never go back there again, but then we do not shop Trader Joe's either.

 

[Free To Canoe]

I am definitely a born again Aldi's fan.
I have never been stiffed with a low quality item. Cheaper than Walmart. Costs average half as much as a regular grocery store.
Have you ever tried their kettle fried potato chips?

We shop there first for all we can find. Then buy the rest at Walmart.

Their only drawback is they don't always have what you want.

Free

 

[Martha]

We never get anything good. No Aldis. No Trader Joes. No Costco. Even our Walmart is an old fashioned one without food.

 

[Payin-the-Toll]

I tried them a couple of times. Seems they only have one check out person. Went in one hot summer day, and a couple of people from a group home, rehab place, or whatever were checking out with 7 over-flowing carts, and there was 10-15 people waiting behind them. I left and don't think I've been back since.

 

[Sparky]

We never get anything good. No Aldis. No Trader Joes. No Costco. Even our Walmart is an old fashioned one without food.

I don't know about your area, but our Mayor is active in trying to bring new businesses to our town and surrounding area. Give your mayor/town council some suggestions. In this day and age with the economic downturn, it seems the only businesses really making money are the grocery stores/discount stores. I emailed out mayor about attracting an Aldi's/Trader Joes (don't get me started about Penzey's Spices) and she responded that they were actively courted some new stores.

 

[Goonie]

Strange thing was I had to "buy" the cart from the previous user for $.25 and then get a refund after I put the care back - did they think a quarter was going to protect their cart?

It's one of the only stores of any kind that I've never seen any stray shopping carts out in the parking lot! The only other one is our local IGA....they push your cart of bagged groceries out, load them into your car, and then they take the cart back into the store. Charging 25¢ for cart usage ain't bad, because us frugal folks gladly return the cart to it's proper place in order to retrieve our 25¢!!!

I once mistakenly asked a frail little old lady if she'd like me to return her cart for her. She said I could...but it would cost me a quarter!

And we always keep grocery bags in both cars, plus we have a couple of those recycled shopping bags that we got free at some open-house. Besides, I don't think most stores train their employees how to properly bag groceries.....most just toss stuff into the bag until it's full...they don't care that they put your loaf of bread on the bottom under that 4# roast, and the 2 large cans of Hawaiian Punch! Had we done that when I worked in the grocery store, our manager would have terminated us post-haste...of course our cashiers could make change without the help of a computerized cash register too!

 

[Sparky]

I am definitely a born again Aldi's fan.
I have never been stiffed with a low quality item. Cheaper than Walmart. Free

For example, I bought either Hefty or Glad tall kitchen trash bags at Walmart for an unbelievably low price. When I got them home, I saw that the .MIL rate (thickness) was .69. I basically had to double them to hold our daily household trash.

After that, the local grocery stores for trash bags with a .90 MIL.

I bought Aldi's tall kitchen trash bags (56 for $6.50) - the MIL rate is .95 (higher rate is stronger).

 

[dex]

For example, I bought either Hefty or Glad tall kitchen trash bags at Walmart for an unbelievably low price. When I got them home, I saw that the .MIL rate (thickness) was .69. I basically had to double them to hold our daily household trash.

After that, the local grocery stores for trash bags with a .90 MIL.

I bought Aldi's tall kitchen trash bags (56 for $6.50) - the MIL rate is .95 (higher rate is stronger).

Spending money to throw things away? I use the plastic shopping bags - use a office size waste paper basket - the plastic bags fit around the opening - fill and throw away - repeat as necessary.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Trader Joe's has my favorite soup. Roasted red peppers tomato soup! Stuff is so good with a ham and cheese sandwich. No Aldis close to us though

 

[Sparky]

Trader Joe's has my favorite soup. Roasted red peppers tomato soup! Stuff is so good with a ham and cheese sandwich. No Aldis close to us though

I LOVE Trader Joe's selections on peanut butter, olive oil, organic mayo, rice crackers, kosher meats, I could go on and on...

However, Aldi's has great quality and great prices on soaps and paper products that TJ's just doesn't have.

Trader Joe's is considered an upscale grocery store; Aldi's is not.

When we moved two years ago, I insisted we move near a Trader Joe's. DH thinks TJ's is a cult!

 

[Sparky]

Spending money to throw things away? I use the plastic shopping bags - use a office size waste paper basket - the plastic bags fit around the opening - fill and throw away - repeat as necessary.

Well, I recycle drinking straws, does that exonerate me from my trashbag habit?

 

[Notmuchlonger]

I LOVE Trader Joe's selections on peanut butter, olive oil, organic mayo, rice crackers, kosher meats, I could go on and on...

However, Aldi's has great quality and great prices on soaps and paper products that TJ's just doesn't have.

Trader Joe's is considered an upscale grocery store; Aldi's is not.

When we moved two years ago, I insisted we move near a Trader Joe's. DH thinks TJ's is a cult!

Yeah when I was back in the midwest went to Aldi's. They do have really good prices. We have a place called Food 4 less. But I dont think its up to par with Aldi

 

[Goonie]

Even our Walmart is an old fashioned one without food.

I sure wish we still had our old one like that!!! They built a new & (supposedly) improved "Super Walmart" across the interstate from the old one (which they closed). They have a larger volume of items, but a much lower variety of items than the old one did. When we've been there to get something, we'd hunt and search for it, then IF we could find an employee, we'd asked them.....9 times out of 10 they'd respond with "Yeah, we had that at the old store, but we don't carry it here." or else they'd just stare at us as if we were speaking Swahili or something.

I never really cared for WM to start with, but our "Super Walmart" should be renamed "Super Waste of Time".

 

[NW-Bound]

We never get anything good. No Aldis. No Trader Joes. No Costco. Even our Walmart is an old fashioned one without food.

Really! Surely, you can't be in the boonies like my 2nd home in the AZ high country.

No Aldi here, but I like Trader Joe. Have been shopping Costco less and less, as we eat less and less as we age - isn't that built in to FIRECalc? - and Costco's portions are too big for us now.

Recently we also go to "Fresh n Easy". Smaller portions, plus the store is new so they have specials all the time to get new customers.

 

[Sparky]

Between the thread about SS and this one about Aldi's, I feel a whole lot better about my future!