I love Aldi. If for no other reason than that they are the only place in the state where I can get imported Stroopwaffles, I support them.

criscodisco: Has it changed, or am I imagining something else?

The ones around here aren't like that at all. The store brand they sell are about what you'd expect from a store brand anywhere else, but generally cheaper.

criscodisco: Has it changed, or am I imagining something else?

Apparently Warsaw's Aldi is a hellhole. But yes, it's pretty much that. They chisel every nickle to sell you cheap stuff (some of it garbage). It's great for bulk staples, like 5 lbs of chicken breasts. Well, assuming you're not buying megabulk from Sam's / Costco. If it can be palletized and stuck on the floor or stocked in the dairy / meat / frozen cases, they'll sell it for next to nothing.

We've had an Aldi's here in eastern NC for almost a decade now. It's great for dry goods, some produce, bread, frozen meats, and milk and orange juice. I tend to avoid their meat section, though. I like shopping there not only because of the prices, but because they don't treat their employees like shiat, like the big blue monster up the road.

isn't Aldi just Trader Joe's without marketing?

One of my buddies moved to the area from Vegas and someone told him that. The Aldis around here have tragically low quality food. That is a terrible, terrible prank to play on someone who's a former chef.

criscodisco: Maybe it's a different Aldi, or I'm confusing brands, but I could swear that we had an Aldi in my hometown (Warsaw, IN), and it was always a raging piece of shiat that all the poor people in town went to.

That probably sounds really spoiled and elitist, but that was just what it was known for. In fact, in high school, we used to go there because they had a shopping cart full of expired OTC drugs right by the only checkout lane. We would buy cheap boxes of Dramamine and bottles of Robutussin to get farked up on.

A few months ago someone mentioned shopping at Aldi and I was horrified. I'm in a different state now, but I guess I have always thought of Aldi as the cheap store with really crappy generic food products. Has it changed, or am I imagining something else?

I'd love to find good food cheap, and I know that we have them local.

It all depends on what neighborhood the store is in. If the store is in a middle to low class area it is going to be shiatty looking and have shiatty selection. If it is in a middle to upper class area it is going to stock completely different shiat and be a much nicer store. Hell the stores in the nicer neighborhoods even sell electronics now.

Mentat: dahmers love zombie: I love my Aldi, because I can get off-brand tampons, gummy worms, and a 2000 watt generator all in the same aisle.

Well, there's something I never expected to read on Fark.

Hey, when you gotta get off, you gotta get off.

Greenlight credit should go to The Consumerist because this is basically their headline.

Is it bad that my first thought was of Wal-Mart's disastrous attempt at gaining a foothold in Germany, squelched in no little part by Aldi?

Made it into several textbooks as a chapter on "What not to do".

If you're getting generic stuff (chicken, milk, eggs, rice, etc) where brand really doesn't matter, Aldi rocks.

Last week I got two boxes of fudge brownie mix, a thing of eggs, and a thing of milk for under $4.

And yes, a "thing" is a unit of measure round here.

This is my favorite part:

On a recent Wednesday afternoon, shoppers at the new Queens Aldi seemed a little perplexed by its quirks.
...
An elderly woman with a thick German accent approached an executive, asking why the store did not carry strudel. "It is strudel season!" she insisted.

LMAO.
Cantankerous old people... so much funnier when you're not dealing with them.

exvaxman: I have a great situation. Trader Joe's opens at 8, I get what we like there. Walmart is on the way to Aldi's, so I buy the bulk items there that I know are cheaper, and by that time Aldi's is open and I get their items that I know are cheaper than elsewhere. If needed, I go into the higher end grocery (Sendiks) for the better quality and more expensive items on the way home and come out way ahead on cash. Since they are all right by each other, not much in gas

I shop in the grocery down the street, but there are at least two places in town where they COULD put in an Aldi's, or Trader Joes. Of course, I doubt they'd want to do this in a town of 11k, even if it is the county seat. Nearest WalMart is 20 miles down the road. And I hate WalMart. :(

Portland's probably going to get a downtown Target right on the MAX, and I've only heard of Aldi's because they don't take credit cards. Target wins.

Is this NYT article going to count against my 20 for the month?

I love Trader Joe's. I wish I could get dried beans and a few other different items there, and I don't like how some things, especially in the baking aisle, are only seasonal. But otherwise, I always walk out of there with something yummy to eat.

ongbok: It all depends on what neighborhood the store is in. If the store is in a middle to low class area it is going to be shiatty looking and have shiatty selection. If it is in a middle to upper class area it is going to stock completely different shiat and be a much nicer store. Hell the stores in the nicer neighborhoods even sell electronics now.

I can't bring myself to shop at Aldi. We did that when I was a kid and pretty damn poor. I might try the one in a better neighborhood where I am, though. Maybe I'll at least take a glance around. If I'm not happy with it, the Trader Joe's is right next door.

Morning Coffee: Is this NYT article going to count against my 20 for the month?

Someone can retweet it at you.

If you can build a discount brand in post WWII Germany, you can pretty much survive anywhere.

Their 93/7 beef is almost $1 cheaper than Walmart. Bread is 1/2 as much. Their romaine hearts were crisper and cheaper than Walmart.

They also have the fastest swipers anywhere. No bagging. It's the best of 'Self Checkout' and having someone that gets paid to do it.

Morning Coffee: I love Trader Joe's. I wish I could get dried beans and a few other different items there...I might try the [Aldi] in a better neighborhood where I am, though. Maybe I'll at least take a glance around.

The Aldi in my neighborhood sells dry beans.

I

I went with my Mom to her local Aldi's when I was back in Texas for a visit, and it was actually pretty nice. Overall, it reminded me of shopping at a military commissary overseas - there were a lot of brands I didn't recognize, but the quality was good and the prices were surprisingly low. IIRC, a gallon of milk was about a buck, and it tasted like any other milk I've had.

Aldi's packaged cold cuts are somehow worse quality than the Butterball and Hormel's stuff, and the produce is always poorly handled and beat up, if not simply overripe.

I'll pass.

Oops! That's supposed so say I *heart* Aldi and miss it so much! They don't have them in Puerto Rico but they really should! They'd make a killing!

jaytkay: Morning Coffee: I love Trader Joe's. I wish I could get dried beans and a few other different items there...I might try the [Aldi] in a better neighborhood where I am, though. Maybe I'll at least take a glance around.

The Aldi in my neighborhood sells dry beans.

Thanks! I'll definitely check it out, then.

Morning Coffee: I love Trader Joe's. I wish I could get dried beans and a few other different items there, and I don't like how some things, especially in the baking aisle, are only seasonal. But otherwise, I always walk out of there with something yummy to eat.

I love TJ's for a few things: good, inexpensive dairy and eggs, coffee, and wine.

They also have several other assorted items at much better prices than grocery stores, including hummus (which is ridiculously expensive at the supermarket for some reason), olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Their nuts like cashews and almonds are also cheap, and they carry unfiltered apple juice, which most supermarkets simply don't have. On the downside, I don't like pre-packaged produce, and their meats are absurdly expensive. Don't even bother.

DreamWeaver: If you're getting generic stuff (chicken, milk, eggs, rice, etc) where brand really doesn't matter, Aldi rocks.

Last week I got two boxes of fudge brownie mix, a thing of eggs, and a thing of milk for under $4.

And yes, a "thing" is a unit of measure round here.

*nodding*

I hope they learn something from the customer complaints. Streudel season is funny and all, but if they're in a offering delicious German cookies, they're going to attract German and Swiss grannies who need ingredients.

Never heard of Aldi's.
This appears to be why:
Link (new window)

But I am within 10 minutes of 3 Trader Joe's, so I win.

I was introduced to Aldi back in 1995 while studying in Germany. 3 aisles of basics at dirt cheap prices. I felt (stereotypically) that I was shopping at a German grocery store circa 1950s. Regardless, it worked.

/not a bad business model

Gawdzila: Morning Coffee: I love Trader Joe's. I wish I could get dried beans and a few other different items there, and I don't like how some things, especially in the baking aisle, are only seasonal. But otherwise, I always walk out of there with something yummy to eat.

I love TJ's for a few things: good, inexpensive dairy and eggs, coffee, and wine.

They also have several other assorted items at much better prices than grocery stores, including hummus (which is ridiculously expensive at the supermarket for some reason), olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Their nuts like cashews and almonds are also cheap, and they carry unfiltered apple juice, which most supermarkets simply don't have. On the downside, I don't like pre-packaged produce, and their meats are absurdly expensive. Don't even bother.

But if you are into high quality cheeses....man, they are the best.

I'd never been to an Aldi's until this year. It's been keeping me alive, unemployment checks don't go too far anywhere else. Full sized pizzas for $6, block cheese under $4 a pound, macaroni and cheese 33 cents a box. Even their Italian food is decent.

Just don't forget to bring a quarter.

Sorry. The one time I got impatient and skipped the preview step. I go now to hang my head in shame, with off-brand chocolate-ish cookies I felt no shame actually purchasing at a cheap store, 'cause of the Recession, and all.

I've never heard of it.
Could it be the lack of marketing?

hbk72777: I'd never been to an Aldi's until this year. It's been keeping me alive, unemployment checks don't go too far anywhere else. Full sized pizzas for $6, block cheese under $4 a pound, macaroni and cheese 33 cents a box. Even their Italian food is decent.

Just don't forget to bring a quarter.

True. I find it funny that the thought of losing a twenty-five cent deposit will get otherwise-inconsiderate people to take their carts back to the corral rather than leaving them in the parking spaces. I wonder if it's more psychological than anything else? I suspect it would still work as well if the deposit were only a dime.

Bessame: But if you are into high quality cheeses....man, they are the best.

Trader Joe's sells decent cheese cheaper than the big chains sell Kraft. And really good cheese at half the price of Whole Foods.

I love my local Aldi. I turned the other half onto them nearly four years ago, and we've been shopping there since.

We do our shopping every two weeks. Get almost all of our grocery shopping there (minus meat and occasionally produce) for a family of three for around $115 for two weeks' worth of food (we'd be spending near $200 for the exact same stuff if we shopped at Redners or Giant).

My latest favorite, which they actually have all year long, is their gourmet jellybeans. I swear to God, they *ARE* Jelly Belly jellybeans without the actual Jelly Belly label. They also have a variety of other Aldi-brand candies that are spot-on for the ones they're supposed to imitate.

The only thing I've gotten there that I don't like is their brand of Fruity Pebbles. Too much lemon flavor or something. But everything else is really hard to tell the difference between their brand and the brand name.

Produce at our Aldi is generally pretty good. We got a pineapple for $0.99 on Monday. Usually get bags of potatoes for under $3, onions are cheap, carrots and celery dirt cheap. You can get bags of apples for under $3, too (which is hella cheaper than the other local stores).

If you go on the right day (still not sure exactly when that is - we've only seen it once), you can get loaves of 12 grain bread and whole wheat bread for a quarter.

Meat's kinda hit or miss. Some days, it looks ok, and as long as you freeze it or use it right away, you'll be ok. Other days, I shy far away from it. Prices seem to fluctuate a lot, too.

All-in-all, the store is pretty awesome.

Why to shop at Aldi...

1-Excellent chocolate.
2-Professional staff, (just don't dick around, get your stuff on the counter and have your money ready, and don't expect a high school kid to smile at you and ask paper or plastic.)
3-Usually fresh produce, except when it isn't.
4-Can get in and out in a short time with a basket full of items, don't let the line fool you.
5-They often have decent cheap liquor so no second trips (your state may vary).
6-Need a computer, bedsheets, exercise equipment, a random pot or pan, a generator, or furniture on clearance, they might just have it.

All the Aldi stores around here are in sketchy 'hoods. Well to be fair, the entire city is one giant sketchy 'hood. That being said, I do like them. Great prices and clean stores. Last time I was in there they had one section of WTF items like camouflage hunting boots and elaborate lawn ornaments, the kind of thing that might sell better out in the 'burbs but those uptight 'burbans won't venture into these areas. Their loss I guess and more savings for me.

UNC_Samurai: We've had an Aldi's here in eastern NC for almost a decade now. It's great for dry goods, some produce, bread, frozen meats, and milk and orange juice. I tend to avoid their meat section, though. I like shopping there not only because of the prices, but because they don't treat their employees like shiat, like the big blue monster up the road.

A-HEM...



It's Aldi, not Aldi's. Aldi is an acronym for Albrecht Discount, There is no farking person named Aldi who owns the farking store or buisness, thus no need for the possesive "'s"

/one of those things that drives me up a wall.

I shop Aldi all the time and love it! There's one not too far away from my house that's alright. I get canned fruit, milk, eggs, and cereal there all the time. My wife (who just loves cereal) actually prefers their store brands over the name brands regardless of price. Also, the most important thing to mention here on Fark, their bacon is my absolute favorite out of any of the stuff that comes prepackaged. They have a few different kinds but the most expensive (still cheaper that most places) is honestly some of the best bacon I've ever had.

I also bought an electric toothbrush there a while back for a third of the name brands at Wal-mart and only paid about a third of their prices too. Thing lasted for years!

Gawdzila: Morning Coffee: I love Trader Joe's. I wish I could get dried beans and a few other different items there, and I don't like how some things, especially in the baking aisle, are only seasonal. But otherwise, I always walk out of there with something yummy to eat.

I love TJ's for a few things: good, inexpensive dairy and eggs, coffee, and wine.

They also have several other assorted items at much better prices than grocery stores, including hummus (which is ridiculously expensive at the supermarket for some reason), olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Their nuts like cashews and almonds are also cheap, and they carry unfiltered apple juice, which most supermarkets simply don't have. On the downside, I don't like pre-packaged produce, and their meats are absurdly expensive. Don't even bother.

My favorite TJ's item: Chile-spiced dried mango. I've never eaten anything else like it, and I know I'd never find it at a regular grocer.

I tend to avoid Aldi's. I have brands I like, and Aldi doesn't carry them, and seldom for cheaper. One thing that ticked me off too: Sack N Save purposely closed stores because of Aldi, and Aldi here are shopped by "poor" snobs. I prefer Dollar stores and Wal-mart.