Aldi

[Mike H.]

They don't have much selection for groceries. It's okay for some basic items.
The only reason I go there now is to buy cheap wine when I can't get to Trader Joe's or Costco.

 

[SixStringSlinger]

I like them for basic produce, chicken and fish. Some other odds and ends if I'm already there.

I do wish the one I go to would sort out its register lines. The lines go into the aisles and the open registers are so far apart that lines form in different aisles, but its's not clear what line goes where. There's even signage that says "no need to make a line, just jump in wherever's open". But that's dangerous when there are two aisles full of people ready to pay.

 

[CCK1]

These stores are SO German, or at least as German as they think us Americans will tolerate

 

[HaWE]

Thinking of Aldi ..... Aldi was very popular when we were teenagers.They sold all kind of alcohol at a very low price ... cheap wine "Lambrusco" (2 Liter Bottles...) and some VERY cheap brands of beer ... like "Carlsquell"
or a strange belgian beer (I forgot the name) ...
so when we had a party going on or we went to a festival this was a great place to buy all you needed
For example they also sold cheap motor-oil in that days.Food was also very cheap.Aldi always had the cheapest products.Not always "premium-quality" but many people went to Aldi because they could save a lot of money.
In that days in our region in north germany that was a new kind of supermarket.
Over the years their range of products has always and highly increased.

 

[HaWE]

I'm a now and again user. Their prices are good but the shelf life of their fruit and veg isn't great and being 25 miles from the nearest supermarket, that's not helpful.
One of my favourite farm shops shut a couple of years ago and the owner told me that the arrival of Aldi and its German counterpart Lidl sounded the death knell. The farm shop just couldn't compete anymore.
Rumour has it that Aldi and Lidl were run by two brothers who fell out but I've recently found out that to be untrue.
I think the Aldi/Lidl story was an apocryphal story based on the true story of Adi and Rudi Dassler, which is a fascinating story.
Dassler Brothers Feud.

Aldi was found by a family called "Albrecht".The Dassler-brothers founded "Adidas" and after that "Puma",producing sport products

 

[Ronzo]

ALDI just opened 1/2 mile from us. Not going back.

No bags except their $14 USD sack? I’ll walk in there with plastic bags from Publix. Let them try to throw me out.

 

[tap4154]

I didn't even know about Aldi. I just Googled and see that there's a few of them in the area. However they're not very close to me, and I have a Trader Joe's within close walking distance, so...

Plus Trader Joe's doesn't charge you a quarter to use their carts, and has plenty of checkers to get you out fast.

 

[The Angle]

What I loved about Aldi (when I lived in Wisconsin) was that there was no choice. If you wanted canned corn, there was one variety to choose from. Paper plates? One choice. Half & half? One choice. No need to waste time comparing prices between what are essentially identical items in all but packaging.

 

[OldPup]

@tubedude @superjam144 i cant tell if you guys are aware they have a cafeteria and sell food to prepare at home as well. They were or are sort of known for their Swedish meatballs. Some or all of those were being made with horse meat.

Since you two were dropping comedy gold instead of answering my question, I confirmed all on my very own that Aldi indeed had its own horse meat scandal. I’m glad that’s cleared up.

 

[JL_LI]

My wife and I are the antithesis of the Aldi shopper. We regularly make the rounds of specialty food stores. The closest to a supermarket is Whole Foods. I buy fruits and produce and dairy products. We buy prime meats there too. Whole Foods had a reputation for being expensive but they’re actually competitive with other specialty food stores. We buy non food items mostly in Target. It’s clean, well stocked, and bright compared with Walmart. There’s a Lidl nearby but we do better for German foods at a number of local Polish markets.

There are other specialty food stores we frequent. There’s a Russian market in Sheepshead Bay that features prepared Georgian foods. There are farmer’s markets spring through fall. We also have an international food bazaar near us. When I was a kid, there was A&P and Bohack. I can’t imagine going back to two choices

 

[tubedude]

@tubedude @superjam144 i cant tell if you guys are aware they have a cafeteria and sell food to prepare at home as well. They were or are sort of known for their Swedish meatballs. Some or all of those were being made with horse meat.

Since you two were dropping comedy gold instead of answering my question, I confirmed all on my very own that Aldi indeed had its own horse meat scandal. I’m glad that’s cleared up.

I had no idea a furniture store sold meat. I guess that's fair, as my Lidl sells furniture. And lawn toys, grills, and whatever BigLots is out of apparently.

 

[Whatizitman]

Aldi is a mixed bag. But a fun one. Always less crowded and chaotic than a supermarket. The Isle of Shame sometimes has some cool stuff. But their stuff is really hit and miss. Pretty good snack stuff. Horrible beers. OK coffee. Great chocolate things.

Most of the meats are good. Most of their fish is no go. Just bad. Except for their fresh coho salmon. Just the two of us at home now. I cook up one of these with a little butter, garlic, salt, pepper, etc... Makes for a happy marriage.

 

[OldPup]

I had no idea a furniture store sold meat. I guess that's fair, as my Lidl sells furniture. And lawn toys, grills, and whatever BigLots is out of apparently.

They sold frozen meatballs. I think the same ones sold in the Ikea cafeteria. They also sell hot dogs and pizza by the slice. Soft serve, Swedish fish, some kind of cinnamon bun or something... I think they may have Swedish chocolate and that kind of stuff. That pizza though - it's bad but also somehow good. It tastes good, but you know it's not remotely filled with ingredients you can pronounce. Maybe it's got leftover sawdust from their furniture.

Back when, the Germans would keep an eye on the circular that announced what appliance, electronics, or home good or whatever was going to be sold at insanely low that week at Aldi. They sold a bit of everything over time. I don't know if that still happens or not. I'd like to live again in a place where I couldn't read the headlines!

 

[tubedude]

A cafeteria too! Damn.

I remember in the early seventies the USDA let markets sell horse. I tried it. It had a slightly sweet taste that was disagreeable.

 

[kookaburra]

The first Adi's I went to was in Green Bay, WI, and I wasn't impressed. Extremely spotty inventory.

The second one was in Erina, NSW. Excellent inventory.

The third was in Madison, WI. Somewhere between the first two. We did get some excellent deals on wine at this one.

So, as Engine Swap alludes to earlier, I guess it depends.

 

[superjam144]

@tubedude @superjam144 i cant tell if you guys are aware they have a cafeteria and sell food to prepare at home as well. They were or are sort of known for their Swedish meatballs. Some or all of those were being made with horse meat.

Since you two were dropping comedy gold instead of answering my question, I confirmed all on my very own that Aldi indeed had its own horse meat scandal. I’m glad that’s cleared up.

My bad man. Thought you were being sarcastic. I forgot about those meatballs.

Geez sorry though Seriously. Sometimes I swear I have mild Asperger's. I can't tell when people are joking sometimes. Gets me into trouble once on a while....

 

[Mjark]

This is of course dorky. I think I’m a foodie and I really like Aldi stores. The pricing is great. They have a great organic meat and vegetables. Three small and you can get through one without walking 3 miles. I’m eating some black pepper thin sliced salami and some mozzarella cheese right now and it’s delicious and it came from Aldie. They have a Greek yogurt that is basically Chonani but it’s generic and it costs less. They have good cheese and dairy. The stores are always clean and tidy. They have decent granola and berries. I think they have a lot of buying power because there’s so many of them and they’re organized. I guess I’m really enjoying my black pepper salami and mozzarella cheese because I had to make a comment. Any fans?

We have one here now. The quality of the food is ok. In fact we just had some filets I bought there tonight.

I thought the produce section is a little small. The no frills concept is a little different and the isles of random junky merchandise don’t really seem to fit.

 

[OldPup]

My bad man. Thought you were being sarcastic. I forgot about those meatballs.

Geez sorry though Seriously. Sometimes I swear I have mild Asperger's. I can't tell when people are joking sometimes. Gets me into trouble once on a while....

I think it can be difficult for everyday people to convey tone when writing. I should apologize because it has been a crap few days and I am definitely too cantankerous for polite internet forums. You're fine. Sorry bro.

 

[JohnnyCrash]

I get lost in big supermarkets so the Aldi model suits me fine.

Nobody expects…The Clash!

 

[Lonn]

All the North Shore Idiots go to Trader Joe’s, so Aldi is a good alternative.

There are only two Trader Joe’s in the state of Indiana and one is right by my house, along with an Aldi. We start at Aldi and finish at Trader Joe’s and get what we need between those two stores.