Do you shop at Aldi?

[EZEtoGRU]

I live in small town/rural Michigan.  The two small towns close by each have a family-owned grocery store where we do most of our shopping.  I also get to a Costco in the Detroit area 1-2 times per month for bulk items.  Well, there is now an Aldi being built in a town about 25 minutes from the house.  For those of you that shop at Aldi, I am curious about the following:

*  What is the main advantage of Aldi versus other grocery stores?  Is it mostly the prices?

*  Does Aldi carry items you don't see at other stores?

*  Does Aldi carry any store-brand items?  Is the quality good?  

*  Any Germany-sourced items that are really good?

*  Do you use Aldi as your main grocery store?

*  Any items you highly recommend from Aldi?  Any items you strongly suggest we not get at Aldi?

 

I really know very little about Aldi.  Since there is one opening up fairly close by, I would consider doing some shopping there if the price/quality value proposition is compelling.

Thanks!

[samhexum]

14 minutes ago, EZEtoGRU said:

What is the main advantage of Aldi versus other grocery stores? 

How can you go wrong in a store where, if you rearrange the letters in its name, you get laid?

[dbar123]

We don’t have Aldi here in my neighborhood but we do have Trader Joe’s which is Aldi owned

[+ poolboy48220]

I absolutely love ALDI.  Yes, advantage is mostly the price, but one extra perk is that the checkout people always seem pleasant. 

I'm addicted to their Winking Owl wine - certainly not the best wine I've ever had, but at $2.99/bottle it's a steal; compares favorably with $15-$2 wines.

I've found their produce and their milk doesn't last as long as from other stores.  

I use it as my main grocery store but mostly for staples; they don't carry slightly esoteric items (bread flour, for example). 

They have knockoff Girl Scout cookies and their peanut butter patties are excellent.  They use a chocolate rather than a vanilla cookie inside.

[Mr.E]

12 hours ago, dbar123 said:

We don’t have Aldi here in my neighborhood but we do have Trader Joe’s which is Aldi owned

Not quite. Aldi v TJs. They are owned by separate companies that have “Aldi” in their names but they were once a single company.

[+ Charlie]

I have been in the Aldi in Palm Springs a couple of time, but there is something about the odor of the store that I find unpleasant (it smells like rotting vegetables).

[Guest]

I don't know about most stores, and I'd never heard of this chain before, so out of curiosity I checked out my nearest one, in Burbank, regarding reviews. There seems to be a lot of complaints about poor quality meat and produce, poor selection, running out of items, surly employees, and needing a quarter to be able to use shopping carts. One commented that it was like shopping at the dollar stores, but with higher prices. Apparently for their meat, they put leaner cuts in the front, and hidden behind the leaner cuts are fattier cuts. Trader Joe's also has limited selections, but at least the quality of the goods seems better. 

Edited August 25, 2023 by Unicorn

[rvwnsd]

19 hours ago, EZEtoGRU said:

I live in small town/rural Michigan.  The two small towns close by each have a family-owned grocery store where we do most of our shopping.  I also get to a Costco in the Detroit area 1-2times per month for bulk items.  Well, there is now an Aldi being built in a town about 25 minutes from the house.  For those of you that shop at Aldi, I am curious about the following:

I grew up shopping at Aldi (their first store was in Iowa and in 1977 they invaded Chicago. My parents were somewhere between flat-broke and moderate income) The stores have evolved over the years from selling very basic items to selling basics and not-so-basic items. I shop the Aldis in Phoenix a couple of times per month and love them.

19 hours ago, EZEtoGRU said:

*  What is the main advantage of Aldi versus other grocery stores?  Is it mostly the prices?

They have three main advantages:

• Price
• Specialty merchandise
• Ease of getting in and out. (They have small, but efficiently organized, stores)

19 hours ago, EZEtoGRU said:

*  Does Aldi carry items you don't see at other stores?

*  Does Aldi carry any store-brand items?  Is the quality good?  

 

Almost all of their products are store-brand. I find the quality to be excellent. There have been a few items I didn't care for (shredded cheese, pickles, and bread) and they refunded my money without question. (They have a "twice-as-nice" guarantee - replacement and refund) They sell limited-time items called "Aldi Finds." I've really enjoyed their milk chocolate truffles, which I first bought last year and then couldn't find until this year. I stocked up.  Also, my dad bought of their "Crofton" (store brand) stainless steel saucepans back in 2009 and didn't take very good care of it. I snagged it when we cleaned out his house and cleaned it up. It heats faster and more evenly than my Calphalon stainless steel.

19 hours ago, EZEtoGRU said:

*  Any Germany-sourced items that are really good?

Yes. Their "Deutsche Kuche" brand has German-inspired and German-made products. I've liked every product I've tried. Some of the items are seasonal or are one-time "Aldi Finds," so if you find something you like it's a good idea to stock up.

19 hours ago, EZEtoGRU said:

*  Do you use Aldi as your main grocery store?

No, I don't, for a few reasons:

1. They don't have a store close to where I live. The closest one is in Tempe, AZ. I shop there when I shop at the local Target and PetSmart and stock up on things I really like.
2. Their selection of fresh produce and meat is variable. Sometimes, they have leaner cuts of meat and other times they don't. They do, however, have a great selection of conventional, "natural," and organic chicken.
3. A lot of their merchandise is processed and packaged. I eat very little processed food.
4. They don't sell everything I buy.

19 hours ago, EZEtoGRU said:

*  Any items you highly recommend from Aldi? 

 

A few standouts:

1. Their fresh salmon is outstanding. It's similar to the salmon Trader Joe's sells but is priced about $1/pound less than TJ's
2. Park Street Deli classic hummus is the best pre-made hummus I've ever had.
3. Appleton Farms Prosciutto is also very good. Not the best I've had, but in the top 5. They are also in the $4 - $5 range at the Phoenix-area stores.
4. Specially Selected Cold Smoked Salmon is great. Again, not the absolute best, but in the top 5. For the price, it can't be beat
5. Organic Cage-Free Eggs are a steal. During the height of the avian flu-induced egg shortage they didn't raise the prices sky-high. I want to say they were $4.99 a dozen, which is what TJ's and Whole Foods charge when there isn't a shortage.
6. Their spices are well-priced.

20 hours ago, EZEtoGRU said:

Any items you strongly suggest we not get at Aldi?

Yes:

1. Bread: haven't found any I liked.
2. Frozen shrimp: It's not that I didn't like it, but they add more salt to their cooked shrimp than the one Costco sells. However, they are on-par with most store- and name-brands.
3. Chicken Italian Sausage: Just didn't like it.
4. Steak: Tried the filet and strip, thinking they were the same as the ones at TJ's. (package was similar) Was tough and gristly. They refunded my money and replaced the steaks. Replacement was just as bad.

20 hours ago, EZEtoGRU said:

I really know very little about Aldi.  Since there is one opening up fairly close by, I would consider doing some shopping there if the price/quality value proposition is compelling.

Thanks!

To me, it is worth the drive once in a while. If they were closer to me, I'd shop there more often. I can walk to a Safeway and a Fry's (Kroger) when the temperature is below 80, so Aldi is an excursion. I will say that their meat is variable. Sometimes they have great meat at a good price and others not so much. 

There's a Reddit forum (or "subreddit") about Aldi. It's worth checking out.

35 minutes ago, Unicorn said:

I don't know about most stores, and I'd never heard of this chain before, so out of curiosity I checked out my nearest one, in Burbank, regarding reviews. There seems to be a lot of complaints about poor quality meat and produce, poor selection, running out of items, surly employees, and needing a quarter to be able to use shopping carts. One commented that it was like shopping at the dollar stores, but with higher prices. Apparently for their meat, they put leaner cuts in the front, and hidden behind the leaner cuts are fattier cuts. Trader Joe's also has limited selections, but at least the quality of the goods seems better. 

Aldi has been in the US since 1976 but expanded to SoCal in the last five or so years. Putting the quarter to get the cart is an Aldi thing that they've done since they opened. It is a deposit, not a fee. Unlike California Redemption Value, where you have to take the containers to a crappy recycling center that might or might not be open to get your money back, you receive the quarter back when you return the cart. It saves the employees from having to chase carts in the parking lot and ensures there are always available carts, which is not always the case at grocery stores. If you don't have a quarter, they will give you one. 

I've heard the same feedback about their meat and produce in Southern California. Last time I was in Palm Springs I stopped in and it was like a completely different chain than in Arizona. Probably poor management.

The dollar store comment is just unfounded. Their own brands are not the same junk as most of the dollar store brands. The bad produce in SoCal is an exception, but that's not a chain-wide phenomenon. If the reviewers who think Aldi is an expensive dollar store shared their feedback with Aldi management, there might be a change.

[jeezifonly]

I have Ralph’s, Trader Joe’s, and Smart & Final all closer to me than ALDI. I will stop in after checking out the Home Goods next to it, and occasionally find something worth buying, but it’s never the name at the top of a running list like TRADERS, CVS, COSTCO, etc

[+ tassojunior]

Aldi is by far the largest grocer in the world and the chain that drove Wal Mart out of Europe with it's lower prices. It used to be on every other corner in Europe. But Lidl has been replacing it in Europe for the past couple decades and now is open in the US also. Lidl's US headquarters is next to DC National airport. (they have a "Lidl Express" in the building ). A few Lidls opened around DC the past few years, including one in Columbia Heights, DC with free parking a month ago.. I started going to as well as the Trader Joes a block from my house. (Aldis here are all in poorer suburban areas). Lidls are much bigger and cleaner and more modern than Aldis in the US. But they're similar German grocery stores with similar low prices and fierce competitors.. Both have a big selection of German imports, mostly candy and bakery. Lidl has a big fresh German bakery in every store. Imported Austrian Sacher Tortes, French stuffed escargots, and Greek fresh squid etc show up around the store. Aldi expanded rapidly in the US to working class suburbs and stalled because of it's small "basic" stores. Lidl is seen as the more American-looking store that will capture the US market with similar prices and products. The "10%" upper class order their groceries now and the working class just can't afford the inflation we've had in food but they don't want to give up big modern stores to deal with Aldi. 

The selection at Trader Joe's, Lidl and Aldi is very similar. TJs sells more high-end US products under their name. Lidl and Aldi sell similar EU-made products under their name. Lidls are twice as big as TJ or Aldi. TJs have too many employees (they block the aisles) and their prices have recently soared because of that. 

Some comparisons with my Trader Joe's prices:

Avocados: TJ today: $2.49 each for medium. Lidl: 72 cents each for extra jumbo, 50 cents for large.

Cheap bread: TJ's $2.29 loaf for small cheapest white. Lidl- Always 50 cents a loaf for extra large white bread.

Cheddar Cheese spread with flavors: TJs: 4.99 , Lidl: $2.49

Gallon 1% Skim Milk: TJ's 3.99 ; Lidl  2.22

18oz peanut butter: TJs  3.29; Lidl 1.50 (on sale). 

Lidl and Aldi have a few national brands but, like TJ's are mostly store brands at half the price of TJ's brands. 

There have been stories about how the biggest gainer from our runaway grocery inflation has been Aldi. I go up to Lidl once a week for both it's variety and savings while getting half as much stuff at TJs. Both Lidl and Aldi are full of working class people but American Aldis look a little run-down too. 

My Czech friends are always elated to find a Lidl or Aldi close to anywhere we stay, including the French Riviera and Piccadilly Square. 

 

 

Edited August 26, 2023 by tassojunior

[EZEtoGRU]

10 hours ago, poolboy48220 said:

I absolutely love ALDI.  Yes, advantage is mostly the price, but one extra perk is that the checkout people always seem pleasant. 

I'm addicted to their Winking Owl wine - certainly not the best wine I've ever had, but at $2.99/bottle it's a steal; compares favorably with $15-$2 wines.

I've found their produce and their milk doesn't last as long as from other stores.  

I use it as my main grocery store but mostly for staples; they don't carry slightly esoteric items (bread flour, for example). 

They have knockoff Girl Scout cookies and their peanut butter patties are excellent.  They use a chocolate rather than a vanilla cookie inside.

Thanks for the input.  I will definitely check-out their wine and be careful of their produce.

[EZEtoGRU]

4 hours ago, rvwnsd said:

I grew up shopping at Aldi (their first store was in Iowa and in 1977 they invaded Chicago. My parents were somewhere between flat-broke and moderate income) The stores have evolved over the years from selling very basic items to selling basics and not-so-basic items. I shop the Aldis in Phoenix a couple of times per month and love them.

They have three main advantages:

• Price
• Specialty merchandise
• Ease of getting in and out. (They have small, but efficiently organized, stores)

Almost all of their products are store-brand. I find the quality to be excellent. There have been a few items I didn't care for (shredded cheese, pickles, and bread) and they refunded my money without question. (They have a "twice-as-nice" guarantee - replacement and refund) They sell limited-time items called "Aldi Finds." I've really enjoyed their milk chocolate truffles, which I first bought last year and then couldn't find until this year. I stocked up.  Also, my dad bought of their "Crofton" (store brand) stainless steel saucepans back in 2009 and didn't take very good care of it. I snagged it when we cleaned out his house and cleaned it up. It heats faster and more evenly than my Calphalon stainless steel.

Yes. Their "Deutsche Kuche" brand has German-inspired and German-made products. I've liked every product I've tried. Some of the items are seasonal or are one-time "Aldi Finds," so if you find something you like it's a good idea to stock up.

No, I don't, for a few reasons:

1. They don't have a store close to where I live. The closest one is in Tempe, AZ. I shop there when I shop at the local Target and PetSmart and stock up on things I really like.
2. Their selection of fresh produce and meat is variable. Sometimes, they have leaner cuts of meat and other times they don't. They do, however, have a great selection of conventional, "natural," and organic chicken.
3. A lot of their merchandise is processed and packaged. I eat very little processed food.
4. They don't sell everything I buy.

A few standouts:

1. Their fresh salmon is outstanding. It's similar to the salmon Trader Joe's sells but is priced about $1/pound less than TJ's
2. Park Street Deli classic hummus is the best pre-made hummus I've ever had.
3. Appleton Farms Prosciutto is also very good. Not the best I've had, but in the top 5. They are also in the $4 - $5 range at the Phoenix-area stores.
4. Specially Selected Cold Smoked Salmon is great. Again, not the absolute best, but in the top 5. For the price, it can't be beat
5. Organic Cage-Free Eggs are a steal. During the height of the avian flu-induced egg shortage they didn't raise the prices sky-high. I want to say they were $4.99 a dozen, which is what TJ's and Whole Foods charge when there isn't a shortage.
6. Their spices are well-priced.

Yes:

1. Bread: haven't found any I liked.
2. Frozen shrimp: It's not that I didn't like it, but they add more salt to their cooked shrimp than the one Costco sells. However, they are on-par with most store- and name-brands.
3. Chicken Italian Sausage: Just didn't like it.
4. Steak: Tried the filet and strip, thinking they were the same as the ones at TJ's. (package was similar) Was tough and gristly. They refunded my money and replaced the steaks. Replacement was just as bad.

To me, it is worth the drive once in a while. If they were closer to me, I'd shop there more often. I can walk to a Safeway and a Fry's (Kroger) when the temperature is below 80, so Aldi is an excursion. I will say that their meat is variable. Sometimes they have great meat at a good price and others not so much. 

There's a Reddit forum (or "subreddit") about Aldi. It's worth checking out.

Aldi has been in the US since 1976 but expanded to SoCal in the last five or so years. Putting the quarter to get the cart is an Aldi thing that they've done since they opened. It is a deposit, not a fee. Unlike California Redemption Value, where you have to take the containers to a crappy recycling center that might or might not be open to get your money back, you receive the quarter back when you return the cart. It saves the employees from having to chase carts in the parking lot and ensures there are always available carts, which is not always the case at grocery stores. If you don't have a quarter, they will give you one. 

I've heard the same feedback about their meat and produce in Southern California. Last time I was in Palm Springs I stopped in and it was like a completely different chain than in Arizona. Probably poor management.

The dollar store comment is just unfounded. Their own brands are not the same junk as most of the dollar store brands. The bad produce in SoCal is an exception, but that's not a chain-wide phenomenon. If the reviewers who think Aldi is an expensive dollar store shared their feedback with Aldi management, there might be a change.

Wow.  Thanks for the very thorough input.  The questionable produce and meat at ALDI seems to be a common theme.  I'm reasonably happy with the produce I get at our local grocery store so I'll likely stick with that.  Meat is a different story.  I'm not very happy with meat I get anywhere anymore.  Maybe ALDI won't be a solution for the meat problem either.  Bread is another problem.  After you spend time in Europe and eat the bread there, bread in the US just doesn't measure up.  So hard to find decent white bread around here.

I'll definitely check out some of the items you have recommended.  I'm looking forward to checking out the store when it opens...I'm assuming in the next 60 days.  Oh...and I'll remember to to take a quarter!  Thanks again!!

[Pd1_jap]

22 hours ago, dbar123 said:

We don’t have Aldi here in my neighborhood but we do have Trader Joe’s which is Aldi owned

Fun story. Aldis in Germany is owned by the brother of the guy who owns Aldi's in America. For clarity Aldis in Germany owns trader Joe's. But Aldi's in America is owned by the brother of the guy who owns trader Joe's. 

Similar situation with Adidas and Puma. What is with German brothers?

[BuffaloKyle]

14 minutes ago, EZEtoGRU said:

Oh...and I'll remember to to take a quarter!  Thanks again!!

The reason behind the quarter is because they don't staff the store as much as regular grocery stores which is also why their prices are lower. They don't have cart attendants so they want to make sure the customers bring the carts back themselves. They do pay their employees more though. The starting wage for employees here at Aldis by me just went up again to $18.50 an hour. Regular grocery stores usually start out at $15 or $16 here.

Edited August 26, 2023 by BuffaloKyle

[ICTJOCK]

I consider myself a victim when it comes to an ALDI...lol       We have one about 6 miles from my home.   I've never been in there as my perception says it is a place more expensive than a typical grocery store.     Perception may not be reality.     I should take the time and get my butt in there and check it out.   Even if more expensive,  there are things that can override the perceptions and make it worth it for me to go in there.

[Pd1_jap]

43 minutes ago, ICTJOCK said:

I consider myself a victim when it comes to an ALDI...lol       We have one about 6 miles from my home.   I've never been in there as my perception says it is a place more expensive than a typical grocery store.     Perception may not be reality.     I should take the time and get my butt in there and check it out.   Even if more expensive,  there are things that can override the perceptions and make it worth it for me to go in there.

Lol, exactly the opposite. It's so cheap 

[+ tassojunior]

At Aldi or Lidl the one certainty is avocados are dirt cheap compared to everyone else. IDK what the hangup is with avocados. Right now by me Trader Joe's is 2.49 and Lidl is 50 cents for the same size. Aldi is priced like Lidl. .

[+ tassojunior]

Aldi just bought 400 Winn-Dixies in Florida to convert to Aldi's. They should be larger better stores than most Aldis. Lidl only came to the US a year ago and has 180 stores in the Mid -Atlantic/Northeast

Aldi to Buy 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket Stores - The New York Times

WWW.NYTIMES.COM

---

The German supermarket chain said that it would convert some of the Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores acquired in the deal, which is expected to close in early 2024.

 

Edited August 26, 2023 by tassojunior

[+ poolboy48220]

13 hours ago, EZEtoGRU said:

Thanks for the input.  I will definitely check-out their wine and be careful of their produce.

The produce (and milk) isn't bad when you get it, it just seems to go bad more quickly. I'll buy it there if I plan to eat it in the next day or so. 

[+ Charlie]

I seem to remember a few other European grocery chains that entered the US market with a big bang (British ones especially), but decided they had made an economic mistake and pulled out completely after a couple of years. I wonder if Aldi and Lidl will do the same.

[+ tassojunior]

57 minutes ago, Charlie said:

I seem to remember a few other European grocery chains that entered the US market with a big bang (British ones especially), but decided they had made an economic mistake and pulled out completely after a couple of years. I wonder if Aldi and Lidl will do the same.

I think Aldi stalled a little after the first 2,300 stores in the US because only poor areas would support their small cluttered warehouse look that Europeans are used to. But with runaway food inflation, their sales have jumped and that's why they're buying 400 Winn Dixie stores in Florida. The Aldi-killer is Lidl which has taken over Europe now from Aldi but has only 170 US stores so far. Billa from Hungary is also killing Aldi in central Europe including Austria. Tesco has always had the UK market.  In the US Lidl has bigger very clean supermarket-type stores. They all have the same EU packaged foods and much cheaper produce than the US stores, and barely so-so meats. Lidl has the lowest prices by far too. Wherever a Lidl opens, the close by Aldi usually closes in Europe and that was true here in College Park, MD too. People here think they're the same company but in fact they are fierce competitors. 

[Guest]

6 hours ago, poolboy48220 said:

The produce (and milk) isn't bad when you get it, it just seems to go bad more quickly. I'll buy it there if I plan to eat it in the next day or so. 

I don't understand why anyone would be interested in getting perishables which are about to go bad. Yeah, I guess any grocery store can buy their produce/dairy for a cheap price if the food's about to go bad, but my grocery store also sells these goods at a deep discount if it's near the "best by" date. Does one really want to go to the grocery store every day or so? Not for me. 

[Njguy2]

The Aldi shop nearest to me was built in the last year or so.  The only things I've purchased are fruit (berries) and some vegetables, and their brioche hamburger buns.  Maybe I've been lucky when in the store or more discerning when selecting, but the produce is rather nice and cheaper than the other NJ supermarkets.  Haven't touched their meat or frozen items.

[+ tassojunior]

Wouldn't defend their meats but I do think their produce is much better than many grocery stores. Being small they buy in small lots and often local while the big chains ship produce cross country in huge lots. Their 50 cent avocados are fresher than TJ's 2.50 ones that sat in a CA warehouse before being shipped to the east coast. (And avocados age faster than a 29 yr old RM escort.)

Edited August 26, 2023 by tassojunior

[Lookin]

On 8/25/2023 at 6:26 AM, poolboy48220 said:

I've found their produce and their milk doesn't last as long as from other stores.

 

On 8/25/2023 at 4:53 PM, EZEtoGRU said:

The questionable produce and meat at ALDI seems to be a common theme.

 

5 hours ago, tassojunior said:

Wouldn't defend their meats but I do think their produce is much better than many grocery stores. Being small they buy in small lots and often local while the big chains ship produce cross country in huge lots.

Many years ago, a friend moved to Germany to marry his partner.  He asked the lady at the corner grocery for a box of plums that were stacked behind her.  The box she gave him contained a couple plums that were past their prime.  He asked her if he could pick his own box.  Nein!, she told him, Somebody has to eat them. 😁

Personally, I'd rather have plums that are slightly overripe than the purple billiard balls at my local Safeway.  I understand that some fruit is bred to look good even after going through a large complex distribution system.  Flavor, texture and perhaps nutrition take a back seat to eye appeal at the point of sale.  I wonder if US customers are less interested in how something tastes.  That was all that mattered where I grew up, near a major farming community..

I really appreciate all the contributors to this thread!  And I'm sure hoping for an Aldi or Lidl to open near where I live.  😋