Aldi Grocery Store

[mcever4]

My town is getting an Aldi grocery store. I have heard of Aldi, but don't know much about it. Is it just another regular grocery store like Kroger, Ingles, Publix, etc. or is it a discount store? Can someone let me know a little about it? Do they have store discount cards and store coupons? Thanks in advance for info on this store!

Robin

 

[DZNEE4US]

Aldi's is a different kind of grocery store. The one in my town, in my opinnion, is smaller than the usual grocery store. They do not sell very many name brands. If they do, they aren't discounted very much. It is very no frills. No free shopping bags, you must put in a quater to get a shopping cart (it gets returned when you bring back the cart), and they don't display merchandise other than on palates and brown boxes. However, they do have some great prices on essentials, like milk, bananas and veggies. They usually have long lines, since there is usually only one (at most 2) people working in the building, who also stock the stuff. They don't bag anything for you- you bring your own bags and bag it yourself. I haven't ventured into many of their brand name products. Their dairy items like sour cream, milk, and cottage cheese have been fine, and much lower priced. Bananas are always about 20 cents less a pound than anywhere else, grapes and mushrooms are always reasonable. I only go once in a while, but I always try to try out something new. So far, things are been pretty good. They don't accept coupons, since most of their items aren't name brands. There isn't a shopping discount card like at every other store (maybe that's a good thing- I already have way too many!). I'd give it a shot- but know that it's going to be different!

 

[-Hope-]

I love Aldi! We do most of our shopping there. As the PP stated there aren't many name brands (and those are hit or miss, you can't count on them being there). But their store brand is pretty good and there are very few things we need from the "regular" grocery store (name brand soda and 100% whole wheat bread are about it). Our grocery bills are much lower since I began shopping there a couple of years ago.

I LIKE that I bag my own groceries- I do a better job than most of the teenage clerks at our other store and I group things so the y're easier to put away when I get home. I like that the store is smaller and easy to navigate, I can just grab the ketchup w/o having to decide which ketchup is cheapest/best. It's easy and cheap, both of which make my life easier.

 

[java]

It's way smaller than a regular grocery store- kind of the size of a city store. Ours has 4 "aisles". Things have generally been good. My kids love the chocolate chip muffins in the packages(like little bites)
Shredded cheddar is good (the one they sell near the milk- which is no bargain in our store)
Eggs were $1.20 a dozen last week.
We liked the take and bake pizza. $5!
and we also have liked the chicken bites in the freezer section.

It's not a full week's worth of grocery stop for us. But it's a nice fill-in. Veggies are our are cheap but questionable- I do buy Broccoli there because you can see if it's good or not.

You have to know your prices. And read labels- some of the stuff they sell is pure garbage. But if you go in with the thought that I'll add to the weekly shopping, it's a good stop.

I won't tell you what we call it- but the people that frequent our local store are colorful. I guess that makes me colorful. Something always happens- last week when I was there a woman and her 2 adult sons somehow managed to tip over a full cart of groceries.

Oh yes and I second the lack of selection- it's easier to shop when you have to pick out only one kind of juice. They don't have 7 brands of OJ- it's one type.

 

[SookieStackhouse]

It's pretty cool actually. It is like a discount place, as mentioned before they don't sell many if any name brand things. I have found their stuff to be pretty decent quality, in some cases better than the big stores. They can also be cheaper on stuff too.

It takes some getting used to, you have to have a quarter as a deposit on shopping carts, either bring your own bags, or you have to buy them at the store. I guess it is all part of the adventure.

The only think I do not like is the fact it is usally crowded, many times it is not worth standing in line.

 

[Kat77]

I only like Aldi for staples (milk, eggs, cheese, sugar) and fresh fruit or veggies.

 

[minera]

It's definately a preference store. I didn't like it, but others may. I don't like that everything is still in the cases they were shipped in, don't like the selection, don't like that it doesn't have a deli department, or very much of a meat selection. The fruit and veggies at our local are usually close to the end of their life cycle. I really don't like the way they ring you out and throw your groceries back in the cart for you to go bag yourself.

To many negatives for the small amt. I save making one stop at my regular grocery store I frequent. But just depends on your food habits..

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

It's a german based company. Most of the chocolate is imported from Germany and Advent calendars were $.99. Dorito type chips are $.99 in nacho or ranch flavor. My family likes them. Recently, I bought a melon and a pineapple for $.99 each. Also, when strawberries are in season they can be $.99, the same brand major stores carry. Aldi only accepts cash and debit. The cart thing keeps them out of the parking lot, no nicks on my car.

 

[njmom47]

I have shopped at our local Aldi quite often. For things like chips, graham crackers, bread, cream cheese, juices, some fruits and veggies, frozen waffles, etc, I have no problems buying there. The frozen pizzas, individual chicken cordon bleu and frozen fish are pretty good too. I won't buy the meat though, and won't buy the cold cuts from there either. It is in the opposite direction of my regular grocery store, so I would still have to stop somewhere and buy the other items.

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

I love Aldi! Just started shopping there a few months ago. The things I buy there on a weekly basis are: milk (99cents here in Texas), eggs, soups, spices, peanut butter, snacks (cookies/granola bars), etc. For those things they are much cheaper than the regular grocery store (30%-50% cheaper). I like shopping there because for me it takes less time than chasing coupons to get those kind of prices at the regular stores.

 

[homedad]

I went to one once and didn't like it. Small and no brand names.

 

[melissapealo]

It's certainly a different type of store. There are many things there that we use. A few things that I won't buy there are the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, or sliced cheese. We've tried them both and the sliced was ok for use in sandwiches but I tried making grilled cheese for the kids and it didn't melt right. The sandwiches got thrown out. We use the shredded for mac and cheese and again it didn't melt right. Haven't had problems with anything else there. With things not being name brand it's just a trial and error if you like the products or not.

 

[java]

It's certainly a different type of store. There are many things there that we use. A few things that I won't buy there are the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, or sliced cheese. We've tried them both and the sliced was ok for use in sandwiches but I tried making grilled cheese for the kids and it didn't melt right. The sandwiches got thrown out. We use the shredded for mac and cheese and again it didn't melt right. Haven't had problems with anything else there. With things not being name brand it's just a trial and error if you like the products or not.

On the cheese for some reason there are two different spots they sell cheese, over by the meat and then over by the milk. I've only used the jack cheddar blend by the milk and it melted fine on our nachos.

 

[Crazy4Disney72]

If you get something you don't like, return the unused portion and you will get a full refund! Most things we've tried, we've liked, but the few we haven't, I've returned and been cheerfully given my money back. I love Aldi!

 

[nboicepardee]

Our Aldi has the nicest employees and although the lines can be long, they are so fast that it doesn't take much time. We love the 100% whole wheat bread (only $1.89 a loaf) and the canned diced tomatoes are delicious. We buy eggs, milk, canned tomato products and some fresh produce (it is really hit or miss). i don't buy meat products there.

 

[nboicepardee]

i forgot....cereal is a great price and very good, but we don't buy their cheerios. find that only the name brand tastes good!

 

[#1hoosierfan]

I only go every once in a while. Actually I forget about Aldi being there. I have purchased applesauce, 100 calorie packs, cheese slices, and garbage bags there several times. I have also gotten fresh fruits and veggies a few times.

 

[arihillfarm]

I LOVE Aldi!! Most of their store brands are actually made by the big name brand companies which is more than Wal-Mart can say. A friend of ours works for the regional warehouse and he was telling us that the veggies are from Del Monte, cheese from Kraft, most (but not all) of the cereals are made by the "name-brand" co. etc. Comparing the name brand to Aldi's brand, we can't tell a difference like we can when we buy Wal-Mart's Great Value brand (which compared to Aldi's prices is usually anything BUT a great value, LOL!). The only things we've tried so far that we didn't like are their house brand coffee in the big round container (the donut house coffees and other vacuum sealed 1 lb. packs are great though) and their pre-made ranch dressing (the ranch dressing mix in the packet is really good though).

-Astrid

 

[Schmoodle]

I also LOVE Aldi! I like to buy local, so I get milk from a dairy, meat from a local source, and in summer produce from the farmer's market. Everything else - I get from Aldi. I have been shopping there for a couple of years and tried most all the staples. It is all good quality, only found a couple of things I didn't like. The choceur chocolate is to-die-for, and I get the age regenerating (old lady) face lotion, which I LOVE and I've tried them all - Mary Kay, Olay, I always come back to the $4 Aldi brand, and I get complements on my skin - really. I don't buy a lot of prepared stuff, as I like to cook, and I find I spend about half as much at Aldi as I would at Safeway. The Light and Fit cereal bars (like Nutrigrain) are really good and not too high in sugar. I ran out and bought Nutrigrain brand not long ago and we thought they were awful in comparison. They do have a lot of frozen prepared food but I can't speak to quality. I am ADD, so I also love that the selection is limited. I made up a permanent Aldi shopping list, each week I highlight what I need, and I can be through there and out in 20 minutes - awesome!

 

[Melynny]

We shop exclusively at Aldi. And now that they have baked potato crisps it's even better. Some of our Favorites are the dairy products: eggs, milk, cheeses ( they have awesome imported Havarti!) , sour cream and cottage cheese. We use the pre cooked bacon, ham lunch meats and their bone in pork chops are very good. I also use the face care products and the make up. We use paper towels, paper plates, TP and food storage bags. We really like their Ice cream. DH drinks the diet cola and he loves the premium orange juice ( they do have 2 kinds, one from concentrate and a fresh squeezed).

I also agree, it's so much easier to just pick out the items on your list than trying to figure out the best deal.. it also makes it easier for DH to do the shopping. he knows exactly what to buy, there are no chioces. Shopping at Aldi allows us to really save on our grocery bill and eat well. The only thing that we buy from other stores are my Store Brand diet mountain dew and Kraft American cheese. We are planning to try the Aldi Deluxe American the next time we run out, it's new and about 2/3 the cost of the Kraft Big block.