The story of Aldi grocery stores

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We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. - Australian Aboriginal proverb

Bazootiehead-in-training

18 May 2019, 02:24 PM

Mikhailoh

I use ours occasionally. I don't find it all that cheap, but it is a nice size and doesn't take all day. The megastores, well, there's your 10,000 steps a day.

18 May 2019, 03:48 PM

QuirtEvans

There's one in Norman. Mary Anna doesn't like it. Amazingly, even though it's on my regular flight path, after Mary Anna told me she didn't like it, I've never been.

18 May 2019, 03:52 PM

Doug

As a retired old F*** with nothing but time on his hands, I don’t do all my shopping one place. At any given time, different stores have the best prices on different items, and I admit it’s sort of a game with me to nit pay more than I have to.

Before I moved, I liked having an Aldi near me. I liked the speed and efficiency, and there are usually at any given time several items that it had the best prices in town for.

If they show up at Nevada, I’ll try them again…

18 May 2019, 06:54 PM

jon-nyc

They have an upscale brand I shop at - Trader Joe’s.

Seriously, I’ve been in one, 15 years ago, in Indiana. They don’t have them near me.

18 May 2019, 10:23 PM

Matt G.

Never found anything at Aldi that sparked joy, so the M. Kondo in me said "Don't bother going back."

19 May 2019, 01:17 AM

RealPlayer

We have a Lidl grocery store that recently opened, supposedly similar to the Aldi concept. Have not been there yet.

19 May 2019, 08:29 AM

wtg

I'm a fan of Aldi Nord/Trader Joe's, too.

Glad you mentioned Lidl, RP. I read about them a couple of years ago and they came back to mind when I saw this article about Aldi. Couldn't remember the name.

Looks like all the stores on the east coast right now. If you check them out, please let us know what you think.

19 May 2019, 09:27 AM

jon-nyc

I've been to Lidl many a time in Germany, have yet to see one here.

19 May 2019, 10:59 AM

ShiroKuro

quote:
Originally posted by Matt G.:
Never found anything at Aldi that sparked joy, so the M. Kondo in me said "Don't bother going back."

That was my first impression of Trader Joe's too. And when a new Aldi opened in our town, Mr. SK and I went and were underwhelmed.

I think the trick is to look more closely at labels, since the items aren't the brands we're used to. After reading the article WTG linked, I told Mr. SK we probably need to give Aldi's another try, if things are that much cheaper it will be worth it to add them to the list of stores we visit.

Mr. SK actually likes to visit more than store, he figures which one has cheaper milk, eggs, coffee etc and buys a few items at each store. Right now, he shops at Publix, Ingles (both regional chains) and Walmart. As much as I hate Walmart, they have the cheapest milk and eggs AFAIK, so adding Aldis to the list shouldn't be too difficult.

We don't have a Trader Joe's anywhere near where we could go regularly, also Costco is too far away as well. I have never been keen to shop at Whole Foods, before we moved down here there was one in our neighborhood but again, none close by now.

19 May 2019, 11:13 AM

wtg

I stopped at Aldi's a few years ago for some product or another that friends were raving about. The store was already out of the hot item, but I stumbled upon some very nice seat cushions for our kitchen chairs for $6 a piece. They've held up very well.

I'm a very loyal TJ's shopper.

19 May 2019, 11:33 AM

Doug

quote:
Originally posted by ShiroKuro:

Mr. SK actually likes to visit more than store, he figures which one has cheaper milk, eggs, coffee etc and buys a few items at each store. Right now, he shops at Publix, Ingles (both regional chains) and Walmart. As much as I hate Walmart, they have the cheapest milk and eggs AFAIK, .

Sounds like Mr. SK shops like I do. For what it’s worth, when I had both stores in town the eggs at Aldi were much cheaper than Walmart.…

19 May 2019, 11:52 AM

RealPlayer

The received wisdom (at least as received by me) was that it doesn't make sense to price-shop among supermarkets because you drive yourself nuts and the bill for the whole grocery cart will be roughly the same anyway. But these new discount grocery chains may change that equation.

19 May 2019, 01:31 PM

Mikhailoh

I go to different stores but not because of price. I go to Aldi for convenience and speed. Fresh Thyme Market or Pipkin's for great produce. Meijer for major weekly shopping, meat and seafood. Lehr's Meats for high end meat and sometimes wine. Whole Foods for the air chilled chicken I like. Costco for paper goods, individually wrapped chicken breasts, butter and $300 in stuff I didn't know I needed when I walked in. Dorothy Lane Market for wines, luxury foods, Jeni's ice creams, wine and certain chicken products no one else carries.

Oh, and Kroger if I absolutely do not have time to go anywhere else. I really wish I could support the home town company, but their prices and service fall very very short.

19 May 2019, 04:34 PM

QuirtEvans

I go to different stores as well. Partly for price (although I worry that the cost savings is eaten up in gasoline), but also because different stores have what I want.

A stupid example ... there is almost zero overlap between the Ben & Jerry's flavors at Crest (the local Oklahoma supermarket), Walmart, and Target. I assume it's deliberate.

Less stupid examples: Crest has the best bread (unless I'm headed to Oklahoma City to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods). Walmart has the best honeycrisp apples (no, really, they do). Target ... has a Starbucks inside.