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American Experiences at Aldi

There are many Aldi stores now in America. Do you like to shop there? What are your very interesting experiences? What is the reputation of Aldi in America? What do your American friends and relatives think of Aldi?

Do you always return your cart and are a good citizen? I hope you do.

by Anonymousreply 138June 12, 2021 10:34 PM

Aldi in the US is owned by Aldi Sud and bears little resemblance to Aldi in Germany.

by Anonymousreply 1June 8, 2021 1:43 PM

Oh a thread for POOR persons. I hope I don't get some disease reading about how they bring, their tacky plastic bags and their quarters to shop at a store where they can't be arsed to unbox the items properly

by Anonymousreply 2June 8, 2021 1:43 PM

Consuela! CONSUELA!

This question's for you, mamacita.

by Anonymousreply 3June 8, 2021 1:45 PM

In Germany, everybody goes to Aldi - even rich people. All the Krauts love affordable groceries.

by Anonymousreply 4June 8, 2021 1:53 PM

I think they're moving away from cheap food for poor people, and that's a mistake, IMO. Some of the regular stores have the same price for their store brand as Aldi (butter, for instance). And when Aldi does have something interesting that tastes good, you'll find it once and never see it again. I think they need to get away from selling clothes and household items and get back to cheap food and improving the taste of their cheap food. I don't go there as much anymore. Unless I can save a lot of money, or something I can't get elsewhere, it's not worth the hassle of 2 (at the most) cashiers and a checkout line that goes to the back of the store. Aldi is hit and miss at best these days.

by Anonymousreply 5June 8, 2021 1:57 PM

[quote] All the Krauts love affordable groceries.

Another reason you are ABSOLUTELY not German, GGG. Neither German nor Gay nor a Guy.

German people do not refer to themselves as Krauts.

by Anonymousreply 6June 8, 2021 2:01 PM

Don't be so sour R6.

by Anonymousreply 7June 8, 2021 2:04 PM

R7GGG is the one who claims to be a Sour Kraut

by Anonymousreply 8June 8, 2021 2:12 PM

Consuelo

by Anonymousreply 9June 8, 2021 2:17 PM

I was told how awesome Aldi is. So I went to my local one. I'm not impressed. If you're looking for snacks, it's great. Don't see the reason to go otherwise.

by Anonymousreply 10June 8, 2021 2:18 PM

Good pistachio nuts. But most other stuff there is substandard.

But the long lines and paying to use a cart are the real turn offs.

by Anonymousreply 11June 8, 2021 2:18 PM

I like the paying for a cart thing. If other stores did this, their lazy ass customers would return carts and not strand them all over the parking lot.

by Anonymousreply 12June 8, 2021 2:33 PM

🎶 “ALDI….LAAAAAAAA!”

by Anonymousreply 13June 8, 2021 2:36 PM

You're not "paying to use the cart" since you get your money back when you return it.

by Anonymousreply 14June 8, 2021 2:37 PM

I've been a regular Aldi shopper since they started opening stores in CA a few years ago. Love the prices, love the speedy checkout. They have a decent selection of most things, and GREAT specials on produce, eggs, meat (I've picked up some great steaks and lamb in the past few weeks), not to mention unbeatable regular prices. I used them with Instacart during the lockdown. I'm one of those people who could afford to shop anywhere, but I love finding bargains.

That said, I'd love to see what Lidl is like, but they're not in my area.

by Anonymousreply 15June 8, 2021 2:41 PM

[quote]Aldi in the US is owned by Aldi Sud and bears little resemblance to Aldi in Germany.

Both Aldi Nord (which owns Trader Joe's) and Aldi Sud operate in Germany.

by Anonymousreply 16June 8, 2021 2:42 PM

I noticed their off brand yogurt is now the same price as brand name (FAGE) at other markets. More expensive for Roma tomato, asparagus and just yesterday, avocado. Small @.89 each at Aldi, 2 for .99 @ Kroeger and Stater.

by Anonymousreply 17June 8, 2021 2:44 PM

I love R15. Please marry me :-)

by Anonymousreply 18June 8, 2021 2:44 PM

They have cookies and candies at Christmas that are good and I make a point of stocking up on, also various items during "German Week".

Otherwise, I don't find it to be any better of a deal than shopping for brand names on sale elsewhere.

This red bag chicken of theirs is very popular and has it's own SM . Supposedly a Chik Fil A knockoff. I haven't tried it yet.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 19June 8, 2021 2:49 PM

^^^ "its" not it's.

Ugh.

by Anonymousreply 20June 8, 2021 2:52 PM

I like Aldi and the folks who work there are great. That said, I now shop at Lidl because it is close to my house and I like their rewards program.

by Anonymousreply 21June 8, 2021 2:52 PM

A lot of the food is shitty and it smells like a dumpster because of all the almost-rotten produce. No thanks.

by Anonymousreply 22June 8, 2021 3:05 PM

Their buttermilk white bread is wonderful. Their house brand hotcake mix is superior. I like many of there deli-case products. I'm a sour kraut addict and there trout is very good, not the best, but very good. Their bottled sauces are very good and make cooking so much easier.There chunky soups are excellent. Their juices leave a lot to be desired. There canned meats are very good too. I believe their meats and poultry are organic. One would would have to lay their own eggs to get the any cheaper. Yes, I like Aldi.

by Anonymousreply 23June 8, 2021 3:29 PM

My first experience with Aldis was years and years ago and not positive. It was in questionable part of town, but I was young and had heard they were inexpensive. The store was poorly lit, dirty, and the cashier sitting behind the counter was unpleasant. I didn't return. Quite awhile later they began to build newer stores in the burbs and put out ads. I was surprised by how much it had changed from my first visit. It was clean, well stocked, and the food choices seemed better. Now I don't mind going there, but cannot convince the guy I live with to go. It still has a bit of a reputation as being that dirty, cheap food place where the unwashed masses shop. Since Meijer. Kroger, Costco, Trader Joes, and Dorothy Lane Market are all pretty close, I still don't shop often at Aldis, but it's nice to see they are establishing themselves as a decent place to shop.

by Anonymousreply 24June 8, 2021 3:41 PM

Germangayguy is not German

by Anonymousreply 25June 8, 2021 3:44 PM

Connie Francis sang a song about it

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 26June 8, 2021 3:44 PM

Aldi’s in Minnesota sucks.

by Anonymousreply 27June 8, 2021 3:45 PM

R25 Who the fuck cares?

Does everyone need their own personal troll on here?

by Anonymousreply 28June 8, 2021 3:50 PM

I find their food to be inferior than other places. Their cheese was awful but the chocolates are a good buy. A lot of people like them.

by Anonymousreply 29June 8, 2021 3:51 PM

Today, there are actually two different companies: Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud, or North and South. In the 1960s, Theo and Karl Albrecht couldn't agree on whether or not they were going to allow their stores to sell cigarettes. They came up with a pretty shocking solution, and instead of compromising, they divided the company in half.

There's a line that runs across Germany — known as the "Aldi equator" — and Theo took the north while Karl took the south. You can tell the difference by looking at the logo: Nord's logo is a basic blue and white, Sud's logo is orange and blue. It's the southern Aldi that's a bit fancier, and when it came time to expand to the rest of the world, those countries were divided up, too. Stores in areas like the UK, Ireland, and Australia are all Aldi Sud, while you're shopping at Aldi Nord if you go into France or Poland.

There's only one country where Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud share pieces of the grocery store pie, and that's in the US.

You wouldn't know it, though, and that's because Aldi Sud — with its blue and orange logo — does business as Aldi, and Aldi Nord goes by another name: Trader Joe's. What? Shocking, we know! But take a closer look, and it'll make sense.

Trader Joe's is an Americanized version of Aldi. Gone are some of the elements you're more likely to see in a European grocery store, like putting some cash down to rent a cart (yes, you get it back), employees that don't bag your groceries for you, and a reliance on reusable bags. But some elements remain, especially private labeling and a definite lack of advertising. Now it all makes sense, doesn't it?

by Anonymousreply 30June 8, 2021 3:54 PM

R6, right. And most gay men and lesbians do not refer to themselves as "queer".

by Anonymousreply 31June 8, 2021 3:55 PM

Have shopped at Aldi for years. Love it. Produce is almost always great in my area. Everything is just really good quality. I rarely am disappointed with their store brand stuff, whereas buying store brand at WalMart can be a real hit-or-miss. Favorites:

-The Aldi Chicken Salad, either original or cranberry walnut.

-Benton's Maple Leaf Cookies. At Aldi these are seasonal, but Trader Joe's carries them year-round under their store brand.

-Nuts are pretty good. I like their raw or roasted almonds.

- All the interesting sides and desserts they carry. Their Deutsche Kutsche brand is nice. Makes shopping for shoppers a breeze if you already have a main course. I've gotten some great oven-ready sides. Bakes, mini-casseroles, etc. Always something new. I bought this tart for a dinner with a couple friends & they loved it.

by Anonymousreply 32June 8, 2021 3:56 PM

[quote]Lidl is like, but they're not in my area

Lidl is weird. They've got a good produce section and an in store bakery for bread, pastries and donuts (no cakes). They seem to have a lot less product than Aldi and the one near me has things out of stock all the time. They bring in packaged international foods on a rotating basis for a week at a time (French, Spanish, Italian, Greek etc.). Similar to Aldi they have a big section of random stuff down the center of the store. They don't seem as attuned to the US market yet with some of their offerings (Frozen shrimp with the heads on, which Americans don't want to buy, etc.). But the prices are good and the store seems to be doing well.

by Anonymousreply 33June 8, 2021 3:56 PM

"Makes shopping for *sides* a breeze"

Also forgot the tart link:

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 34June 8, 2021 3:58 PM

r32

That tart looks delicious, I'll have to look for it.

This Deutsche Kuche Donauwelle Cherry Cake is also very good and available during German Week.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 35June 8, 2021 4:10 PM

My only complaint about Aldi is that each store has a different layout.

I have 3 stores within equal distance, and I love my chosen store. The layout makes sense, the management and team members are socially engaging, everything is stocked, and I don't have to walk across a football field to return the cart.

Oh, yeah, the food is good, and the prices are fantastic.

by Anonymousreply 36June 8, 2021 4:10 PM

R19 wtf, chicken breast with RIB MEAT? Wtf is that abomination!?

They have Aldi in the UK and it's very popular, a lot of people I know and work with go there as their main shop - I must admit I'm a bit of a food snob and I mainly patronise Waitrose (the 'high end' UK supermarket).

by Anonymousreply 37June 8, 2021 4:20 PM

I've only been to one, once.

I picked up some packaged goods near the entrance, but I was really there for the produce.

When I got to the produce I was shocked at how bad it all looked, so I put the packaged goods back and left.

by Anonymousreply 38June 8, 2021 4:25 PM

R37 OMG, UKGuy, what do you love to buy at Waitrose?

by Anonymousreply 39June 8, 2021 4:26 PM

The heavily waxed produce makes them a no for me.

by Anonymousreply 40June 8, 2021 4:37 PM

[quote]I love [R15]. Please marry me :-)

I love you too, sweetie, but I'm sure I'm too old and fat (those Aldi snacks, you know) for you.

by Anonymousreply 41June 8, 2021 4:39 PM

Aldi's fast? The checkout here in Florida is longer than any other grocery store I have ever been to.

by Anonymousreply 42June 8, 2021 4:41 PM

I like Adli but their produce sucks...it needs to be used the day you buy it or its rots within a day or two.

R42 Im in Fl and they are speed demons at ours. I think they are clocked on how fast they scan

by Anonymousreply 43June 8, 2021 4:43 PM

Aldi requires their manufacturers to print barcodes on all sides of their products for quicker scanning.

by Anonymousreply 44June 8, 2021 4:47 PM

R41 I don't mind if you're old and fat. You type rich and I'd let you fuck me while wearing blindfolds!

by Anonymousreply 45June 8, 2021 4:56 PM

Scanning is not what slows them down. It is the long lines and the waits while people bag their groceries.

Like most discount stores they do not hire enough cashiers.

by Anonymousreply 46June 8, 2021 5:09 PM

r46 People bag there groceries on separate counters away from the checkout lines.

The checkout process is faster at Aldi than at any other store I've ever been to. And it would be even faster if customers were more efficient about getting their stuff on the belt and getting their payment ready.

by Anonymousreply 47June 8, 2021 5:49 PM

there=their

by Anonymousreply 48June 8, 2021 5:49 PM

My favorite are the goose-stepping bag boys.

by Anonymousreply 49June 8, 2021 5:57 PM

r49 Like the ones at Trader Joe's, R49?

by Anonymousreply 50June 8, 2021 5:59 PM

R47, I have been to Aldis. Many times, until I gave up.

Those counters are across an aisle so most people just bag at the register. The few who use the counters have to go back and forth carrying their products from the register to the table, so it takes about the same amount of time.

Maybe the checkers are fast, but after standing in line for ten minutes to get to the register, you do not really care.

Nice try at blaming the customers though. I am sure they could cut the wait time to get to the register down to 7 minutes if the customers behaved more professionally.

by Anonymousreply 51June 8, 2021 5:59 PM

r51 I've never seen anyone at Aldi bag groceries at the checkout. At least in the newer stores in California, it's a physical impossibility, as the cashier, just puts the items directly into a cart after they're scanned.

by Anonymousreply 52June 8, 2021 6:02 PM

I love ALDI and have been shopping there for years. Why am I going to spend double on groceries at a mid-tier grocery? It would be 4x as much at whole foods. Aldi has everything I need and now a good selection of organic items. Doing the bagging myself doesn't bother me at all. The only bummer is in my state no liquor sold in groceries, I'd like to try the rose I keep reading about online.

by Anonymousreply 53June 8, 2021 6:04 PM

I love Aldi, especially since Whole Foods has turned into a branch of the white entitlement syndrome.

by Anonymousreply 54June 8, 2021 6:20 PM

R54 Lol, how come? Can you name any examples?

by Anonymousreply 55June 8, 2021 6:34 PM

Wasn't there a point in time where both Aldi Sud and Trader Joe's were owned by the same corporate parent?

by Anonymousreply 56June 8, 2021 8:58 PM

[quote]—Aldi doesn't have "bag boys" anyway.

Mine does.

by Anonymousreply 57June 8, 2021 9:34 PM

It's Aldi.

We've had this thread a hundred times and y'all are welcome to have it a hundred more. It's fucking Aldi. I mean, it cannot possess the variety of the heavens. It's Get Your Shit, Put It In A Bag and Get the Fuck Out. Not sure how many "experiences" one can have.

by Anonymousreply 58June 9, 2021 12:56 AM

Aldi is my grocery store of choice if the food bank is closed.

by Anonymousreply 59June 9, 2021 2:33 AM

r56 Aldi Nord owns TJ's. Aldi Sud owns all of the Aldi stores in the US. TJ's never had anything to do with Aldi Sud.

by Anonymousreply 60June 9, 2021 2:35 AM

Aldi in the U.S. is shit. I've only been in two U.S. stores and both had the charm of a food bank from the Reagan years; and odd selections: heavy on frozen things, brands that I suspect are unknown in their country of origin, fresh produce that was far from fresh looking, bulk packaging, too much non-grocery junk and too few groceries fro sale. The stores were dark and warehouse like, no effort at visual merchandising, just "there it is - or isn't."

Aldi in Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal is okay. The stores are modern and clean (though not so much in Brussels), they feel like actual grocery stores instead of discount groceries offering whatever they have on offer that week. They have frequently changing stock but feature wine specials, a tiny but prominently placed selection of household goods and clothes, a fairly comprehensive selection, though much richer in somethings than others. I go there once in a while when passing by and need the right sort of things that they have. It's mostly food brands that you don't see in other shops, but the quality is usually good if not always great. I will buy some meats and fruits and prepackaged foods sourced from my own country, and they make a reasonable effort to have some choices from my country in most things. It's neither super cheap nor luxurious in price and selection; and for me not a first choice for basics or luxury items, but an okay place to go for some things if the store is close at hand.

by Anonymousreply 61June 9, 2021 7:30 AM

R39 I get most of my shopping for the week online through Ocado, but if I need a few extra bits or making a special meal then I'll go to Waitrose. It's not even so much that the food is better - they just tend to have slightly unusual things that you don't see in other supermarkets, plus the overall environment is much nicer - far fewer screaming kids and blithely obstructive old people.

by Anonymousreply 62June 9, 2021 9:12 AM

R42 - I'm in FL also. The checker whizzes through scanning, but the lines can be long. Customers don't bag their groceries at the checkout counter, but are directed to a shelf along the wall where they do that cashier has placed all of the items on bag shopping cart. TJ doesn't have bag boys; the clerk does it (very skillfully, too).

I became addicted to a vegetarian, gluten free frozen "turnover" that seems to have been discontinued. My mom loves their lemon dunkers (a soft biscotti, if you will). For $3 their Winking Owl wine is okay. The goat cheese with blueberry topping was one of the stranger items I've tried.

The chain Grocery Outlet is similar to me.

by Anonymousreply 63June 9, 2021 10:12 AM

R35, Aldi stores in Australia are all set out the same... saves time. I think it's all good stuff, reasonably priced and very quick checkout. Great meat, fruit and veg. They pay above the average wage too!!

by Anonymousreply 64June 9, 2021 10:28 AM

Know what's fun? I like to get high, bring a roll of quarters to Aldi and push all the carts to the far corners of the parking lot and then watch all the old ladies run around grabbing carts for free quarters... What a hoot, you'd think they won the lottery

by Anonymousreply 65June 9, 2021 10:52 AM

The new Aldi on Fairmount on Philadelphia is great. Only the bread selection is poor but that’s Philly to you.

by Anonymousreply 66June 9, 2021 10:59 AM

"that’s Philly to you"

Not *to* me it isn't ;-)

by Anonymousreply 67June 9, 2021 11:07 AM

Aldi brand chocolates are pretty good. It’s not a great store to shop for specific stuff, like cupcake sprinkles or Harissa.

by Anonymousreply 68June 9, 2021 11:11 AM

They had the best sugar free coffee creamer, and cheaper than the name brands. Went last month for my monthly supply and the label was changed, same brand name but a whole different look. OK . But to me it's a different product, not as creamy, not as rich and definitely a washed out French Vanilla taste now. So maybe it's just me but after two bottles now, there is no reason for me to go. Very disappointed,

by Anonymousreply 69June 9, 2021 11:20 AM

[quote] Only the bread selection is poor but that’s Philly to you.

Living in Filthadelphia has many drawbacks.

by Anonymousreply 70June 9, 2021 12:49 PM

Like all discount stores, selection is limited. So even the most devoted Aldi customer also has to shop at another market. This and the long lines are the biggest reason why most people I know who go to Aldis only go once a month or maybe 2 or 3 times a year.

You could go to Aldis to get the discount corn chips and biscotti....or pay a little more to buy similar products at your main supermarket.

by Anonymousreply 71June 9, 2021 1:19 PM

r63 Grocery Outlet is nothing like Aldi --it's more like the Big Lots of supermarkets. Lots of discontinued and close-to-expiration date stuff. They don' t have store brands -- Aldi's products are about 90% store brands.

by Anonymousreply 72June 9, 2021 1:32 PM

Has anyone tried the zero carb bread or as I like to call it...balsa wood.

by Anonymousreply 73June 9, 2021 1:45 PM

Yeah, Grocery Outlet is pretty terrible. Went for the first time recently. Like Big Lots it's more of a find whatever you find there....no counting on any brands being available.

by Anonymousreply 74June 9, 2021 1:53 PM

Grocery Outlet used to be fun to go to because the had real oddball stuff. Like random store brand products from chains on the other side of the country, Pringles cans all written in Arabic, discontinued food products that flopped due to being inedible, a big bin of various past expiration spice bottles that Safeway had apparently tossed out. They had some interesting wines in their NorCal stores that wineries were trying to offload for cheap.

by Anonymousreply 75June 9, 2021 2:07 PM

I bought Snickers ice cream bars there.

by Anonymousreply 76June 9, 2021 2:14 PM

Aldi is where the homeless go to have sex.

by Anonymousreply 77June 9, 2021 2:53 PM

Why don't you have your housekeepers do the shopping? Oh yeah I forgot this store is for POOR people. Thank God I went to college.

by Anonymousreply 78June 9, 2021 3:02 PM

No! Stores stink and carry horrible, wizened produce.

by Anonymousreply 79June 9, 2021 3:03 PM

Also the checkers are fat and ugly at my local Aldi. Also lazy.

by Anonymousreply 80June 9, 2021 3:14 PM

The main problem with Trader Joe is the European-sized portions of their frozen foods... a little too much for one person, but WAY too small for two, so you either end up with waste (too much to eat at one meal, but not enough to be worth saving) or feeling like you're at a "pizza party" where there's only enough to get one slice. They need to be about 60% larger. Plus, TJ's frozen food is on the expensive side.

by Anonymousreply 81June 9, 2021 3:15 PM

I think it really does depend on location. The urban stores aren't the greatest, but that's the same for chain pharmacies, walmarts, etc. In the suburbs, especially upper class areas, they are decent. I remember sending a pic of our Walmart to a friend and they couldn't believe how fancy it was (it has pillars like the white house and is as bid as a small mall). The area makes all the difference sometimes.

I wish they'd get away from the aisle if homegoods like another poster said. It breaks the store up weird. They've always had a reputation for paying much better than min wage too. I remember $10 to start and this was 15 yrs ago.

I don't like that they open later and close earlier though. Not a fan of the zigzag layout either, where it messes up flow to back track.

by Anonymousreply 82June 9, 2021 3:19 PM

R80 why "lazy"? They aren't supposed to have full service like other grocery stores, which is how they pay higher wages and use their employees more efficiently. It would be justifiable to call them lazy if the service was supposed to be the same as other places, but they're not.

by Anonymousreply 83June 9, 2021 3:23 PM

I don't know what to say - it's embarrassing.

I had been a devoted Publix shopper since I first shopped for groceries. Then I found out the Publix heiress help fund the 1/6 insurrection. Afterward, I found that Publix was hoarding the Covid vax in FL - meaning they donated money to DeSantis for what in practice amounted to exclusive access to vax for several months. FL didn't distribute it the vax to all areas until after the 60 minutes exposé.

So - because "every act is political" even in grocery shopping, I ordered from Aldis - I wasn't disappointed, but they have a limited selection. Trader Joe's is much better; Whole Foods is more expensive.

There is no comparison to Publix, really. I may go back

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 84June 9, 2021 3:50 PM

[quote]There is no comparison to Publix, really. I may go back

Pussy.

by Anonymousreply 85June 9, 2021 3:56 PM

R84 if you virtue signal any harder, your arm may fall off.

by Anonymousreply 86June 9, 2021 4:02 PM

r84 Don't you have other supermarket options beside Publix? Walmart, Winn-Dixie, Kroget?

by Anonymousreply 87June 9, 2021 4:05 PM

Not really. Walmart doesn't have a deli, and Winn-Dixies are extinct near me. Kroger? I think that's up North.

I live in Publix heaven, BTW. My Publix went mano-a-mano with an Alberston's across the street until Publix chased them out of there. They took Albertson's space and now have TWO Publixes facing each. The selection is enormous.

by Anonymousreply 88June 9, 2021 4:19 PM

Anyone who says "virtue signal" should be publicly buggywhipped.

by Anonymousreply 89June 9, 2021 4:21 PM

r85 - I told you I was embarrassed.

r86 - Your arm is the one that will off if you don't stop wanking.

by Anonymousreply 90June 9, 2021 4:22 PM

There's a mix of Aldi's in the US - the older ones and the newer ones. The newer ones in nicer areas are worth the drive.

I just wished that had certain foods stocked more regularly - it's a real crapshoot when it comes to meat and fish.

Otherwise, I love Aldi and find most of the food just as good as a regular grocery store.

by Anonymousreply 91June 9, 2021 4:26 PM

I hate Aldi and their sub-par food. I want Dr. Pepper not Dr. Becker!

by Anonymousreply 92June 9, 2021 4:30 PM

R70: I love Philly but the bread here really sucks, which is surprising given its Italian and German heritage.

by Anonymousreply 93June 9, 2021 4:35 PM

R90 the last time I heard that one, I laughed so hard I fell off my dinosaur.

by Anonymousreply 94June 9, 2021 4:39 PM

Trader Joe’s refuses to come to my area. An online petition was started, it had its own FB page. Local papers covered it. That was in 2009. Periodically people would write to TJ’s infoenibgvthem a big store sent out of business & Gee, it would be perfect for a TJ’s.

Nope.

I see Lidl is going to open in an old Toys R Us. There’s been an Aldi in the area for years but it is not popular. Too much processed food & snacks.

by Anonymousreply 95June 9, 2021 4:44 PM

[quote]Too much processed food & snacks.

Something you'll find just as much of at Trader Joe's.

by Anonymousreply 96June 9, 2021 10:26 PM

R87, Publix is ubiquitous in Florida. I would say that easily 80% of all grocery stores in Miami are Publix. I pass five of them on the way to the nearest WInn Dixie, three on the way to the nearest Whole Foods, three on the way to the nearest El Presidente , four on the way to Sedeno.

by Anonymousreply 97June 9, 2021 11:50 PM

Here on the Gulf Coast, it's almost entirely Publix as well. I am willing to avoid Chick-fil-A on principle, but have no problem with Publix. Sorry!

by Anonymousreply 98June 10, 2021 12:03 AM

Shopped on my Midwestern small town Aldi as a kid in the 90s with family and thought it was where only poor people shopped (we were poor). The fruity cereals tasted very odd (and somehow off) and the produce always had flies landing on it.

Imagine my shock when I watched Anatomie (German horror film with Franka Potente in the early 2000s on cable and there was an Aldi bag inside of a cupboard in the movie. I had no idea it was a European store.

We have no Aldi stores near me where I live now. Just Trader Joe’s, Safeway, and Raley’s/Nob Hill…and an occasional Grocery Outlet, but I never shop there. I kind of wish we did have an Aldi nearby to see how it’s changed over the decades.

by Anonymousreply 99June 10, 2021 1:33 PM

Aldi is mostly junk food and doesn’t feel that far off from the Dollar Store. If you need to save money, Trader Joe’s is where it’s at. The problem is they’re ALWAYS crowded. Trader Joe’s should be as common as Walmart, they would do a killing if they expanded more.

by Anonymousreply 100June 10, 2021 1:40 PM

Most of what Aldi sells on the USA is poor people food.

by Anonymousreply 101June 10, 2021 1:48 PM

IN the USA

by Anonymousreply 102June 10, 2021 1:48 PM

Agree that Aldi produce dept is a bit weak. Yes, they sell junk food, but their brand for that (Clancy's) isn't bad. Here in Florida, that's a huge plus with lots of seasonal hosting stockups. Am a fan of their huge $2 box of assorted crackers! V8 Juice regular cost is roughly the same as other stores' sale price; although, low sodium bottles can be harder to find.

It is an unabashed discount chain. The goods at their "beautiful" European stores probably cost more than an American supermarket.

by Anonymousreply 103June 10, 2021 1:51 PM

There are no Trader Joe's in Europe so their Aldi's are much more high end than our Aldi's. I've gone to the websites of Aldi's in France and The Netherlands and the product offerings look far like far better quality than the low end SLOP of American Aldi's.

Aldi's now has some new competition in the USA- Lidl which is higher end than Aldi but below a Trader Joe's in terms of quality and sophistication.

by Anonymousreply 104June 10, 2021 1:58 PM

In my experience, Aldi in Germany has quite decent selection of fruit and vegetables and a good assortiment of organic food. The newer stores also look really nice.

by Anonymousreply 105June 10, 2021 1:59 PM

Fuck you, defacto/bump troll. Die in a grease fire.

by Anonymousreply 106June 10, 2021 2:00 PM

R95 Trader Joe’s has extremely stringent rules when scouting a town/city. I live in a town of 30,000 but right next to a town of 125k or so people and Trader Joe’s refuses to open a business in either place because our towns are within a 15-20 minute drive of two Trader Joe’s stores in other cities nearby and they say we don’t meet the population requirements needed to sustain a store. They keep their stores small to reduce overhead since grocery stores operate on the slimmest of margins, and they are extremely picky about where they’ll open to make sure their store doesn’t go under for lack of customers. Thus, Trader Joe’s stores will always be crowded.

by Anonymousreply 107June 10, 2021 2:40 PM

There are also income and education demographics involved.

by Anonymousreply 108June 10, 2021 2:49 PM

Here in Miami, you have to go park in the shopping center next door because the Trader Joe's lot is so tiny.

So you can only buy as much as you can carry.

by Anonymousreply 109June 10, 2021 2:49 PM

I live in a town of 30,000 but right next to a town of 125k or so people and Trader Joe’s refuses to open a business in either place because our towns are within a 15-20 minute drive of two Trader Joe’s stores in other cities nearby and they say we don’t meet the population requirements needed to sustain a store.

The nearest TJ’s from us is an hour and 15 minutes away, making it a 2.5 hour round trip (except the return trip traffic is worse, so it’s 3 hours away), but they will not come anywhere near here. It’s not like we’re in a desert or the middle of the Great Plains. Because it includes the Hamptons, TJ refuses to consider it a year round area.

by Anonymousreply 110June 10, 2021 3:05 PM

Cape Cod is definitely seasonal, and there's a TJ there.

by Anonymousreply 111June 10, 2021 3:09 PM

r99 must live in northern Calif. Since Aldi expanded into southern Calif. a few years ago, I'm sure they'll be making their way northward at some point in the future. They seem to be fairly successful here. Right now, the farthest north they go is Hanford and Arroyo Grande.

by Anonymousreply 112June 10, 2021 4:56 PM

I live less than two miles from Trader Joe's HQ (which, ironically, is around the corner from my local Aldi.) Do you want me to start picketing for you and demanding stores in your locations?

by Anonymousreply 113June 10, 2021 4:57 PM

[quote] Cape Cod is definitely seasonal, and there's a TJ there.

Well they refuse to open in our area. Southampton tried to get TJ into a former car dealership. Riverhead, a town a half hour away, has a huge shopping area used by North Fork & Hamptons plus there are lots of towns filled with condos (Manorville, Eastport) that would use a TJ there and they couldn’t get one either.

They did get a Dollar Store though. But Southampton didn’t

by Anonymousreply 114June 10, 2021 5:52 PM

[quote]Trader Joe’s refuses to come to my area. An online petition was started, it had its own FB page. Local papers covered it. That was in 2009. Periodically people would write to TJ’s infoenibgvthem a big store sent out of business & Gee, it would be perfect for a TJ’s.

What's with all the dramatic language about "Trader Joe's refuses"?

Was there foot stomping involved?

Presumably their site strategists don't interpret the demographic and market data for your town the same way that your neighbors do. A lot of factors go into site selection and market expansion.

by Anonymousreply 115June 10, 2021 7:24 PM

[quote] dramatic language about "Trader Joe's refuses"?

They’ve refused. As in notified the Facebook page & local media outlets that they won’t be opening a shop in the area due to demographics. That’s a refusal. A turndown. It’s a rejection. A veto. It’s been rebuffed. Nixed. Denied. Spurned.

by Anonymousreply 116June 10, 2021 10:20 PM

Must be hidden Poors, you need to look into that!

by Anonymousreply 117June 10, 2021 10:24 PM

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: ALDI on PBS.

by Anonymousreply 118June 10, 2021 10:31 PM

[quote] Does everyone need their own personal troll on here?

Yes. It keeps people like you in check.

by Anonymousreply 119June 10, 2021 10:39 PM

R112 Yep--Bay Area! It looks like Fresno and Clovis have an Aldi--that's a little closer than Hanford. I occasionally visit family in Clovis; maybe I'll drop by Aldi when I'm visiting and see what they have after all these years!

by Anonymousreply 120June 10, 2021 10:54 PM

[quote]Most of what Aldi sells on the USA is poor people food.

So you are one of those fools that thinks a $4.00 apple is better just because it's sold at Whole Foods.

by Anonymousreply 121June 11, 2021 9:18 AM

I’m all for a good bargain but honestly, their prices are not that much cheaper than Walmart or brand items that are on sale at proper grocery stores. And Aldi is almost all generic. Even their produce and dairy isn’t much cheaper (maybe by like 5 cents). Because the layout of the store is such a pain and there is always only like one checkout lane open, it’s not worth it for me. Oh, and do they still make you pay a quarter to use a cart? I always hated that too.

by Anonymousreply 122June 11, 2021 9:36 AM

I have not been there in a while but I forgot the jumbled organization of the space.

Lawn chairs next to bell peppers. Noodles and chocolate on the same shelf--and the rest of the chocolate in another aisle.

by Anonymousreply 123June 11, 2021 12:27 PM

R122 You get it back!! Americans are so dumb 😑🤢

by Anonymousreply 124June 11, 2021 12:53 PM

They have signs saying you need to put in a quarter but give no indication you get it back--so how would anyone know? Why not just say it is a deposit?

And what is the point of asking for a quarter, if they are just going to give it back? If I wanted to steal a shopping cart, 25 cents would not stop me.

And who the fuck carries change around these days?

by Anonymousreply 125June 11, 2021 1:34 PM

Jesus, not gay, not German chick is tedious.

by Anonymousreply 126June 11, 2021 1:39 PM

The quarter-return mechanism is confusing; twice I've had to have other shoppers show me how it works. It's not a theft-deterrent procedure, but to get folks to put the carts back by the entrance rather than an employee chasing them down!

I'm annoyed at no baskets - cart or nothing.

by Anonymousreply 127June 11, 2021 2:12 PM

R127, the one near me has a bunch of cardboard boxes that most shoppers use instead of carts.

by Anonymousreply 128June 11, 2021 2:15 PM

[quote]The quarter-return mechanism is confusing; twice I've had to have other shoppers show me how it works.

You still have a VCR and it's blinking 12:00...12:00... don't you?

by Anonymousreply 129June 11, 2021 4:20 PM

At my store, the cashiers will lend you a quarter if you don't have one.

by Anonymousreply 130June 11, 2021 4:55 PM

[quote]I’m all for a good bargain but honestly, their prices are not that much cheaper than Walmart or brand items that are on sale at proper grocery stores. And Aldi is almost all generic. Even their produce and dairy isn’t much cheaper (maybe by like 5 cents).

While I agree with the "almost all generic" statement (after all, that is their business model--the same as Trader Joe's), their prices on staples like eggs, almond milk, baking supplies, etc. are always MUCH cheaper than mainstream stores and certainly somewhat cheaper than Walmart. And they don't play the gimmicks game with coupons, loyalty cards, and lots of sales.

by Anonymousreply 131June 11, 2021 4:58 PM

So much fake news in this thread.

Aldi has plenty of real food. They also have a lot of snacks. You think Kroger doesn't have a lot of snacks? The difference is that Aldi often has only one or 2 versions of a particular food, not several versions.

I've been to Aldi Nord in France. Occasionally they sell TJ's branded items.

The jumbled organization is because Aldi doesn't have a separate aisle for each category. They have a niche for each category. That niche will be adacent to another niche containing another category. Not difficult at all.

The Aldis here have the instructions for the quarter cart locks printed on the carts themselves.

Aldi is very new in my market - less than 6 months. I'm not sure they're doing real well. There are three, all in upscale neighborhoods. People are snobs here. The stores are nice, but these snobs have run out other small-format chains before, like Fresh & Squeezy. The stores do sell a lot of upscale lifestyle foods like kombucha and keto wraps and take-and-bake gluten-free pizzas, but I don't see people buying a lot of it.

I hadn't been in a couple months, but went last Thursday morning. It's true that stocking is unreliable. You can't trust that they'll have what you expect, or need. They are inscrutable about product availability. You can't call or email about it, and if you ask an employee, the answer is "We stock what comes in on the truck, and we don't usually know what will be on the truck until it's here."

I think they're not doing well here because there are rarely lines for check out. The selection of certain things is poor - there is almost no fish, and even the beef selection is peculiar. They never have chuck roast for some reason. Also, the Aldi Finds shit is not selling - they have gobs of old merchandise that they're trying to clear out at discount.

Produce is weak. Often seems less than fresh. I wanted cabbage for slaw on Thurs, but Aldi's was flabby and had mold on the bottom stems. I bought tomatoes there a couple months ago that spoiled within 3 days.

Like all retailers these days, Aldi is expert at moving its margins around like a shell game. They don't have sales; they just shuffle those margins around. Several things at Aldi cost more than most groceries in my area, especially their mediocre produce.

by Anonymousreply 132June 12, 2021 9:17 PM

R28 I agree. Even if G3 is not for real I appreciate his efforts at adding a little international intrigue and levity to DL.

by Anonymousreply 133June 12, 2021 9:26 PM

But the organization of the niche's is weird, R132. Few stores have separate aisles for each category. But they put things in a logical category. When you see fresh mushrooms, lawn chairs, raisins, noodles, lawn darts, soap--it becomes impossible to guess where any item is.

Someone compared it to a Dollar Store and that is what it is like. Whatever "niche" is empty gets the new item.

by Anonymousreply 134June 12, 2021 9:33 PM

Produce is definitely their weakest area. Layout isn't as chaotic as some mention, as most nonfood stuff is in one area.

Their stock does seem inconsistent, although they seem to maintain offerings of Winking Owl wine easily enough - ha ha!

by Anonymousreply 135June 12, 2021 9:51 PM

Yes! The non-food stuff is with the produce!

by Anonymousreply 136June 12, 2021 10:05 PM

Their version of oven cleaner removes that hardest of baked-on Jew.

by Anonymousreply 137June 12, 2021 10:20 PM

I misread this as American Express at Aldi

by Anonymousreply 138June 12, 2021 10:34 PM
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