Opinions on Aldi??

[BlondeAlligator]

We just got a brand new Aldi in our town & I've never tried it before. Can anyone offer opinions on the store, the shopping experience & the quality of the merchandise? Good as well as bad reviews, please...

Thanks!!

 

[Plantlady]

I love it. I save about 50% over if I shopped at any other grocery store in town. They also have VERY good chocolate.

I think the consensus on these boards are you either love it or hate it. So, give it a shot, and see what you think!

 

[tiferetsix]

We've had an Aldis for a couple of years.

Why I like Aldi's

1. Is VERY quick to shop around. Ours is 3 aisles. Can get round very very quickly. And checkout is USUALLY really quick too. Thanks in part, I'm sure to their check out procedure (your groceries get scanned and go into the cart ahead of you. You then have to bag in a different area. Your cart becomes the recieving cart for the person behind you)

2. Lots of their own label products are very good.

3. Is very very cheap.

Why I don't use Aldis more often than I do.

1. Is very limited offerings. Most products are Aldis own labels only. Exception is when they have a special purchase. My kids will only eat brand name cereal (and I like my fancy cheeses!!)

2. I ALWAYS forget to take my plastic bags back and have to rebuy them each time.

3. Fruit and veg selection VERY limited (but seems to be better quality now than it was a couple of years ago.

As a note : Aldis only takes cash and debit card.

Just recently tried their cold coffee (in little bottles like the Starbucks ones) was surprisingly good (and 99c rather than $2.xx for Starbucks)
Also the diet Red Thunder is almost as good as sugar free Red Bull.

I love it for the time I save (20 minutes in and out versus about an hour at my regular store)

jane
Aug 05 Contemporary, Aug 06 SSR, Aug 07 OKW, Aug 08 VB and OKW

 

[musclemouse]

I love it, too! I was hesitant at first because I had got used to the popular named brand foods. I decided to just try it! Omg why did I wait so long. The food is really really good! My family says the same thing. I'm talking about my young boys and husband. We save so much money there also.

 

[Justthe8ofus]

I never buy name brands unless it's BOGO or I have a good coupon so I would go for that. We have no Aldis in central fl though.

 

[blbh23]

I go to a really nice deli by work and they always have the BEST produce. My friend asked once where they got it and they said ALDI. I was shocked Since then I go there a lot more!

 

[cndij]

I read somewhere recently that they are coming to central Fl this fall, so maybe you will have one soon.

I never buy name brands unless it's BOGO or I have a good coupon so I would go for that. We have no Aldis in central fl though.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

You will see a lot of products with the Kirkwood name on them and Costco's also carries Kirkwood food products. I have not had any problems with Adli's. They usually have good deals.

 

[Mauldita]

I have noticed alot of their products (that you would not suspect) have high fructose corn syrup in them. Such as fruit bars and apple sauce. But i still find them to be a great bargain!

 

[Piecey]

I buy almost ALL my produce there. The bell peppers dont always last as long as if I bought them from a market (start to get soft) but the price makes up for it. We always buy carrots, cucumbers, onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes there. Always!

Also, they're Sweet Onion fresh salsa is AWESOME~

 

[Minnie M6]

I love ALDI and go once a week to get my produce and several other things. Their milk and egg prices are always better than WalMart or Kroger. I was at WalMart this morning picking up a few items and decided to check out the price on red peppers because I want to make tortellini chowder- they were $1.98 APIECE! At ALDI you can get the stoplight pack (red, green, and yellow) for that price.

 

[kidsicet]

I admit at first I was a little turned-off about Aldi's. I live in the middle of the city, and there are a lot of interesting people who shop at the Aldi store near me. My main goal is to save some money but I also don't want to compromise in quality and taste.

In my opinion, the produce could be better. I've been there and have seen the moldy strawberries, and the peppers that are soft and on the verge of spoiling. Also, the bananas are always very green. The last time I went, though, I must have gotten there at the right time, because the strawberries were very fresh, so I bought 2 containers. The fresh mushrooms, potatoes and baby carrots are all very good.

I was afraid of the meat at first - I was thinking it had to be old or of lesser quality, but it is actually very good.

I am hooked on Aldi. I still do go to our regular store, but I buy about 75% of our groceries at Aldi. Give it a try!

 

[grumpy28]

I guess I am in the minority, but I went to one in another town (we don't have one in my town), and I was completely turned off by it. It was dirty and squishy, and none of the "fresh stuff" looked fresh. I need a clean store to shop in. Hopefully your Aldis is better. Good luck!

 

[crisi]

Aldi's seem to vary a lot in cleanliness and things like quality of produce. I used to go to one occationally that was dirty and in an uncomfortable neighborhood. About the only thing I'd get there was lettuce and carrots for the guinea pigs - but the reason I'd stop was it was on my way and the prices on that were fantastic. There is one out in the burbs a different direction I pass - and that one is clean and fairly pleasant.

I don't shop there, we buy most of our food local/organic and or whole now - so Aldi's isn't carrying what I'm buying.

 

[spima3]

I think the consensus on these boards are you either love it or hate it. So, give it a shot, and see what you think!

Well, I don't hate it, but don't love it either. The one near us is a 25 min drive and the selection isn't very big, and their prices don't seem to be any less than what I pay for a local chain's store brands, which I know we all like.
Basically, it doesn't pay for me to make a special trip.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

I never buy name brands unless it's BOGO or I have a good coupon so I would go for that. We have no Aldis in central fl though.

My friend told me that we are getting one here in the Melbourne area soon I'm psyched!

ETA - I just found this Central FL store list on a hiring link:

Central Florida Store Locations
Altamonte Springs • Brandon • Clearwater • Daytona Beach • Lady Lake • Lakeland • Largo • Merritt Island • Ocala • Ocoee • Orlando • Oviedo • Pinellas Park • Plant City • Sanford • St. Cloud • St. Petersburg •Tampa • Titusville • Winter Park

 

[jezebella]

I never buy name brands unless it's BOGO or I have a good coupon so I would go for that. We have no Aldis in central fl though.

They just opened up a Sav-a-lot in Winter Garden which is almost the same as Aldi. I went there last weekend and saved soooo much money! It has the same checkout as Aldi, so don't forget your bags.

 

[BlondeAlligator]

Wow...thanks everyone! Since ours is in the burbs & brand new, I'm hoping the cleanliness won't be a problem...but 2 times in recent weeks there has been "meat juice" dribbled on the floor ALL OVER the meat dept. at my nice Dominick's, so perhaps it's not so clean either! I've been buying generic on whatever I can at the Dominick's anyhow, so name brands aren't a must.

I'm gonna give it a try this weekend...make my regular shopping list & go there first to see how much I can get off my list. Thanks for all the opinions!

 

[TaraPA]

I guess I am in the minority, but I went to one in another town (we don't have one in my town), and I was completely turned off by it. It was dirty and squishy, and none of the "fresh stuff" looked fresh. I need a clean store to shop in. Hopefully your Aldis is better. Good luck!

Ditto! Ours is awful - dirty, stinky & never had fresh produce when I went. It's also in a run-down area of town. The Aldi brand items I got I just didn't like at all, they were poor quality, but I admit I only tried about 6 different things. I stopped going. But most people love theirs, so hopefully yours will be run better than ours!

 

[myprincessgirlisa]

the ones around me are clean & well kept up

they have GREAT prices on canned goods, chips & some other items...but AS ALWAYS...you need to be aware & an educated shopper cause some stuff isnt any cheaper or taste any better..so if you do your homework & watch prices..aldi will be very beneficial to you