ALDI Food Market

[NYCWriter]

Launderess ...

... getting to that complex by foot or public transportation is a pain in the a** when you're NOT carrying anything, let alone leaving the store with bulk goods -- which defeats the purpose of buying in bulk if you can buy only as much as you can comfortably carry in your own two hands for God knows how many blocks, onto the bus, and then onto the subway. And a $30 cab ride back to wherever you live would also defeat the purpose of going there to *save* money.

And most people in Manhattan who would be inclined to try to save money by buying in bulk also don't have the space to store items bought in bulk. Those who DO have the space are living in eight-figure apartments, carry around $5,000 as pocket change, and would think it absurd to make a special trip to East Harlem just to save 38 cents on toilet paper.[this post was last edited: 10/8/2013-04:30]

 

[retromania]

Aldi

We have one out near the interstate which is not really convenient for me. If I am up on that end I will stop in and stock up on a few things.

 

[launderess]

@NYCWritter

Listen Bub,

Am not going to start my day by letting you and the devil take me to the outhouse.

Both Costco and now Aldi have been in that area for awhile now and neither seem short of customers. Since we happen to live closer to the place than you are a bit more inclined to notice persons along the avenues or whatever carrying bags from either shop. Then there are of course the online reviews for either (Costco SP Harlem numbers >100 alone) for whatever you might think that is worth.

Is the place a raving success? No, even Costco admits as much and recently laid off staff. Never the less persons do go, maybe not in numbers *YOU* or even the company wished, but never the less....

That UES wife and mother that was severely injured last year when a group of children threw a shopping cart of Costco's roof onto her was not there for the view.

Oh yes, Costco at least does offer delivery, not sure about Aldi.

Finally not everyone whom purchases bulk goods at Costco or even the K-Mart on Astor place keep the lot for themselves; but split things between themselves and others.

Oh and there is a car service which operates out of that mall: http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-york-city/1172332-car-service-costco-uws.html

http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2010/03/03/the-number-at-noon-470/

 

[NYCWriter]

Seems like ...

... a lot of work, effort, and extra expense to save 38 cents on toilet paper.

 

[tolivac]

There is an Aldi in Greenville,NC-don't use it becuase its in an inconvenient location.Sams Club is just across the street.Its a little easier to get to.Have used Sams club more than Aldi-never been to the store.A neighbor uses Aldi and loves it just as he likes Wal Mart.I don't like Sams Club high membership fees-its ridiculous to pay that just to have the priveledge to buy a pallot load of potty roll,paper towels, or paper napkins.Otherwise its cheaper to go to Wal Mart.

 

[NYCWriter]

Sort of like ...

... paying $175 for a book of COUPONS.

 

[frigilux]

There is an ALDI in Mankato, MN, a city I get to at least once or twice a month. I've often been tempted, but so far have driven by.

Several ALDI shoppers have mentioned some products are quite good, while others are best left on the shelves.

If you have a moment, name a few ALDI-branded products you like and a few you don't recommend. If I'm to give the place a try, I'd rather not go in completely blind.

Thanks!

 

[lavamat_jon]

Aldi here in the UK has been a huge success, unfortunately since I've moved from having one (and a Lidl) on my doorstep, to a fairly remote Cotswold town where the nearest one is 25 miles away, I very rarely go.

 

The nearest to me are Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Waitrose (or the local Co-Op Supermarket if we're desperate), and still miss the quality (not to mention value) of Aldi's products.  Unfortunately in our situation what you would save at Aldi would be negated by the extra fuel costs involved in getting there.

 

I would give my right leg for an Aldi to be built nearby!

 

Jon

 

PS. I'm quite fascinated by the fact that nowhere else in the US has coin-operated trolleys, they are the norm here to the point where you can even get tokens the same size as a £1 coin to put on your keyring.  Only Asda/Tesco here have "free" trolleys, and they tend to be the ones you see wandering from the car parks, let alone put back in the bays where they should be!!  I certainly wouldn't not shop anywhere just because of that reason...

 

[ozzie908]

I would give my right leg for an Aldi to be built nearby!

Oh Jon be careful what you wish for you know these Germans have a knack of building in unlikely places and just think how difficult it will be to shop on one leg !!!

Austin

 

[lavamat_jon]

I won't hold up hopes anytime soon - there are some protesters in Malmesbury that even object to a Waitrose being built!!!

 

It is daft really, they think that it will affect the town's economy, but people (and I bet the same protestors) drive to either Cirencester or Chippenham to do their grocery shopping at supermarkets there, thus funding those town's economy...  surely it makes more sense for the Malmesbury population to spend their money in the town at a supermarket here?  Whatever you do - I have quickly learnt here you don't mess with Cotswold housewives

 

It's not like it's even a legitimate NIMBY case - it will be built on wasteland and right next to a roundabout and the main road.

 

(On a plus side, plans have been approved, and we will have a lovely Waitrose opening up a 5 minute walk from our cottage)

 

Anyway, back to Aldi!

http://www.waitrosemalmesbury.co.uk

 

[tomturbomatic]

Wandering shopping carts

We have a quite popular grocery chain here that has some sort of brake mechanism on one of the rear wheels of the cart. If it is taken out of the parking lot, the wheel locks. It must be some sort of electronic perimeter device. They still have carts left in the parking lot although most of them get returned to the several collection corrals, unlike at COSTCO where the lazy shoppers are so exhausted by loading their haul into their vehicles that the carts wind up all over the parking lot. The 25 cent fee might remedy that, but it would eliminate a job for the minimally employable.

 

[polkanut]

Eugene,

The canned soups, canned vegetables, dairy products, cereals, and most fresh veggies are on par with name brands.  Their baking staples such as white & brown sugars, flour, chocolate chips, gelatin etc are also equal to national brands.  They don't have quite the selection of sugar-free products for those who may be diabetic though.

 

[Ultramatic]

I wonder why Lidl hasn't arrived in the US?

 

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">Visit Lidl a few times while in Spain, but hubby doesn't like it.  I do though. It's very much like Aldi. It's also from Germany. In fact I think they have the same corporate parent. It's the same concept, basically good food at low prices. </span>

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">One thing I don't care for at Aldi  is that much of their frozen food is of inferior quality.   That also goes for their sausages, UNLESS they're from Germany. </span>

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">@ Eugene: This might answer your question on what to buy:</span>

<span style="font-size: medium;">
</span>

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/aldi-101-what-to-buy-at-aldi/

 

[foraloysius]

Lidl and Aldi are not owned by the same company. Actually they are the biggest competitors overhere in Europe. Lidl was found by the Schwarz family. They bought the Lidl name to have a usable name. They didn't want their supermarket get the name "Schwarz Markt" which means Black Market in German.

Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd are two companies owned by Albrecht family members. Aldi is short for Albrecht Discount. Aldi USA is part of Aldi Süd. Aldi has a reputation for how they treat their employees. They pay well, but expect than other employers. This has lead to some extreme situations. Especially Aldi Süd has this reputation, Aldi Nord is slightly better.

Lidl also has a bit of a reputation for their staff policies. But there have not been scandals as big as with Aldi.

 

[retromania]

I shop at Publix. I know my way around that store. I can zip in and zip out. It's a little higher on some things, but I like the store. I have tagged along with friends and followed them around in some big box stores. I was bored out of my mind. Lolll I hate grocery shopping! My friend and co-worker Franksdad loves to grocery shop. He's probably reading this right now shaking his head yes yes... Lolll

 

[lavamat_jon]

Louis - now if Albert Heijn decided to open up over here, I would be in heaven!

 

(To me, whenever I visit Amsterdam that is one of the first places I go to alongside the Rijksmuseum!)

 

Jon

 

[tomturbomatic]

Different brands of brown sugar

certainly taste different. Domino, I think, has a richer taste than Dixie Crystals. The brand of brown sugar that can be bought at COSTCO has a bad aftertaste. Their white sugar is OK though. I think I tried their powder sugar and found that it had a bit of a strange taste also.

I have found that most house brands of things like pudding and gelatin have a different flavor than Jell-O brand. Even Royal tastes different than Jello. I don't buy many other things like this, but these are products whose flavor I remember. When I find a flavor I like, I am not keen on switching to save a few cents on a package.

 

[foraloysius]

Jon

Although I love shopping at other supermarkets, especially abroad, I'm always glad that I can go back to Albert Heijn!

 

[iheartmaytag]

I will have to add I do not like White flour from Aldi. It doesn't seem to be very high in gluten and does not make good bread, at least in my opinion. I usually buy Sugar and flour at Sam's or I especially like the Hudson Cream Flour I get at Dillion's for bread baking.

I buy a lot of the chicken, beef, and vegetable stock. Staple vegetables, corn, Green beans, carrots, peas, beets are on par with national brands. The Sauerkraut is very good, the diced tomatoes and chilies is as good as Rotel. I buy all my chili beans there, I like black beans, kidney, and pinto.

I take my own bags or use boxes I collect in the store.

 

[davey7]

Ah... Fond memories of shopping as a teen at Hofer in Austria (As ALDI is branded there).

 

[jamiel]

Aldi is an interesting store. They seem to respect their customers...and their employees, too (is there any reason for regular supermarket checkers to have to stand to do their job????) Anyway, there are good bargains to be had there...in no particular order; they have good beef jerky; their dairy foods are quite good and reasonable; they have superb frozen pizzas (!)...the "Imported from Italy" are absolutely terrific. The "imported from Germany" are pretty good as well. These are usually on an 'in and out" basis (especially the Italian ones), when they have "Italian Days" about 3x a year (likewise Germany days about 2x a year; Chinese days about 3x a year). Their specialty stuff is quite good (olive oil, specialty cheese trays, olives, etc) and is worth a visit (some of the stuff is recognizably identical to Trader Joe's, but slightly cheaper. They have good everyday prices on bananas, and usually have a good "loss leader" price on a fruit and a vegetable every week (blueberries this year were a really good price for several weeks at a time). I don't buy much meat there; it is all tray packed case-ready. I've had one occasion to take something back (some tea which didn't taste good) and they do definitely the replace and refund without much problem. ONe other time I was overcharged at the checkstand (checker mistook red onions for red potatoes) and the local manager emailed me to get it taken care of. Anyway, Aldi is on the way between work and home and I shop there a fair bit both for everyday needs and for parties/entertaining.

 

[whirlcool]

It sounds like you have one of the larger stores in Detroit. All we have here in Houston are the smaller stores. They are maybe 15,000 sq ft in size.

We don't usually shop at Sam's. This is our retirement house and we downsized severely. It's only 1,500 sq ft and there is no storage at all. Fortunately every bedroom has a walk in closet so we use one of those as a "pantry".

 

[launderess]

a lot of work, effort, and extra expense to save 38 cents on

*Sigh*

For your information Costco has more, much more than bulk groceries.

You can find everything, tires, clothing (including designer), to jewelry, electronics, small appliances, booze, and so forth. It is also one of the few places in that area of town that has a huge fresh fruit and veggie department including organics.

Costco also has a highly rated pharmacy and optical department. Even Consumers Reports rates the latter as a huge "best buy", and their members agree.

 

[frigilux]

A Costco has just opened in Sioux Falls, SD,--which is where my sister lives--and I'm there once every month or two. Had a membership to Costco when it first opened in one of the 'burbs of Minneapolis and loved what I saw, but don't get there often enough anymore to warrant keeping membership current.

I find Costco has things you can't find at Sam's Club, and vice-versa. I'll definitely keep the Sam's Club membership, as well. I shop there (in Mankato, MN) frequently.

The beauty of shopping in Mankato is that you can find Sears, JC Penney, Best Buy, Sam's Club, WalMart, Lowe's, Home Depot, Menard's, Target, Cub Foods, Hy-Vee, Office Max, and Kohl's all within a 2-minute drive of each other. Super convenient. You also avoid the heavy traffic and parking issues of shopping in Minneapolis. That, and it's about an hour closer to where I live than is Mpls.

 

[launderess]

That Is The Thing

Unless you shop often enough, purchasing a Costco membership may not be the best deal. Then there is the fact the places only take AMEX or debit cards (no credit cards), well at least the store in SPH). Considering AMEX historically charges merchants higher swipe fees than credit cards, never quite understood this, but there you are.

 

[bajaespuma]

Call me Minnie the Moocher

If you're like me and you know your prices, you can save a lot at Aldi; our local Aldi is convenient, clean and easy to use. I especially like their shopping cart system which requires a quarter deposit and encourages all the local princesses (who pay thousands to work out at the local spa, but won't exert themselves to return a cart to the store or even a kiosk)to bring them back to the store. Because of its German heritage Aldi is especially good at selling high-quality baked goods, chocolate, pork, cheese and dairy products (cheapest Half & Half in my area) and some unusual frozen foods. Their plastic storage bags are cheap and good quality and their baking ingredients tend to be very inexpensive and also of good quality. For a while I was enjoying packages of Aldi's brand of Fig "Newtons" which were better than Nabisco's current product and half the price. I go maybe once a month if I'm in that neighborhood.

I mooch on to friends' memberships when they go to Costco and BJ's because I buy so little that it's not worth getting a card to either big-box store and it's an excuse to go shopping with friends. My trips usually fetch a pound package of smoked salmon, a 3-lb. bag of good coffee beans if they have a brand that I like such as Peet's or Eight O'clock, those nice Fox-River socks in a 4-pack for no money at all and maybe packages of printer-ink.

 

[launderess]

I Must Have One Of Those Uniforms!

*LOL*

 

[Ultramatic]

 

 

<span style="font-size: medium;">I have memberships to all three. BJ's and Costco I use fairly often because they are near me. Sam's not so much because the closest one is in Secaucus, NJ.  Those, along with Aldi, Fairway Market and to a far lesser extent Pathmark. makeup my shopping circle. </span>

 

[NYCWriter]

In my experience at Aldi ...

... I'm not seeing any of this German "high-quality baked goods, pork, cheese, and dairy products".

At least the Aldis in Pittsburgh don't carry it.

They sell the same chemical-infused crap that all the other stores sell, but slightly stale, and cheaper.

Very little of it is imported from anywhere.[this post was last edited: 10/10/2013-00:17]

 

[mrwash]

May I...

...explain to you:

ALDI in Germany is divided in Aldi South and Aldi North. The country is like divided in the middle. Aldi South is considered as a bit better than Aldi North for different reasons. Nicer stores, better products but overall they are pretty equal.

Now in the US the stores of Trader Joe's belong to Aldi North while ALDI belongs to Aldi South. There is a map where you can see which stores are located where and how many. However it is in German but I think you will understand.

http://www.lebensmittelzeitung.net/business/daten-fakten/charts/show.php?id=215