Good and bad buys from Aldi and Lidl

mcculloch29

I had a lovely surprise when I put up my half-price on sale Aldi Specialbuy oval mirror. (£4.99 reduced from £9.99).
It has a mock distressed vintage frame, they also had square ones of the same design. There is a solid steel loop for hanging, a 'prop' for standing to use on a dressing table and a lovely wide satiny ribbon for hanging. This meant I didn't have to reposition an existing picture hook some 9" lower to use the mirror. Fantastic buy.

charlotteatt1

Mm the oreos sound amazing! Their prosecco is one of the best I've had! It's only about £4 so amazing value and doesn't taste cheap at all!

System

For large bags of herbs and spices, go to a shop called Tiger which a mad shop that sell things from toothbrush holders to pen caddies to kitchen timers

http://www.tigerstores.co.uk/store_locator.html

They sell large bags of spices for £1

TravellingAbuela

Oh no, the sardines and mackerel in tomato sauce have disappeared yet again from my local Aldi! Hope not missing as long as last time!

supermassive

I didn't expect to be leapt on in quite such an aldi-tastic way, but ok. I guess my Aldi is the exception to the rule. We have 2 here, one at either end of the town, and, yes, they stock fresh fruit and vegetables... but that section is very very small. There's a few 'housewives favourites' as I'd call them... stuff you'd put on a sunday dinner (4 types of potato...?) and they sell watermelon, apples and oranges.

The rest of the place is stuffed to the rafters with junk food. Yes, I know and I'm not "assuming" and I have been in them regularly, because I used to be flat broke for a year, and tight as anything before then. I just wish they'd focus less on the amount of brand alternatives they offer and perhaps a bit more on real food.

As for a vast range of meats/fish etc... not in Grimsby! Minced beef or a spatchcock peri peri chicken is about what they stretch to if you're not looking for a goose stuffed in an elk stuffed in a killer whale and flash frozen.

Although most people around here make up 50% of their shopping with 'snacks' so I guess they're playing to their market.

mcculloch29

The biggest Aldi in the UK is due to open in Louth, Lincolnshire later this year so you may find a better selection there.
It is quite possible that your Aldis are different. My sister raves about Iceland in Cardiff, but every shop I've been in up here has had a horrendous selection of junk foods and nothing that I would like to eat. I buy Iceland seconds from XSell at Heron Foods.

Aldi now leads the way in having the most positive brand image amongst the general public; Lidl is second. Details of the relevant YouGov survey here:
http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/1329163/aldi-lidl-steal-top-spot-yougovs-brandindex/

maman

mcculloch29 wrote: »

The ready to use chopped garlic and chopped chillis are brilliant. I think the range is called something like 'Too Lazy"

I'm still using up the branded Lazy Garlic and Lazy Chillis that they had on special months ago (£1). Are you saying they do an own brand look alike?

supermassive wrote: »

I
Although most people around here make up 50% of their shopping with 'snacks' so I guess they're playing to their market.

I hadn't though of that, assumed they were all the same. Poor you. Hope the new, big one is better.:)

mcculloch29

maman wrote: »

I'm still using up the branded Lazy Garlic and Lazy Chillis that they had on special months ago (£1). Are you saying they do an own brand look alike?

No, the Lazy Garlic and Lazy Chilli is the same one from months ago, very economical. Periodically they also do chilli, garlic and ginger in tubes, but these are not as nice, imo.
Today I put some chopped garlic cloves in chilli oil into my broth, these are also a Specialbuy regular.

A._Badger

supermassive wrote: »

Although most people around here make up 50% of their shopping with 'snacks' so I guess they're playing to their market.

So Aldi sells what its customers want to buy but you disapprove of their tastes.

I can't think why they're doing so well,.

System

Re supermarkets stocking junk food. All do it. For example the Asda near me has loads of students. Loads of ready meals, Pot Noodles. Their hot drinks section is half the size of a similar sized Asda in a more respectable area. Less ready meals.

Students and council housing affects what supermarkets stock the most