Aldi snobbery

samboette

My OH and I used to be Aldi snobs, we wouldn't set foot in one or a Lidl. My colleagues were always raving about the products but I just didn't get the whole Aldi thing.

However, Last year when it was my FIL's birthday my other half and I were responsible for getting the wine for the party and a lot of people we spoke to recommended Aldi's wine, much to my OH's horror I said we should go and buy some to taste. He reluctantly agreed, we own a Range Rover with a private plate and my OH wouldn't park the car with the plate facing the road in case anyone recognised the plate and realised who it belonged to lol.v:rotfl:

Anyway needless to say whilst buying the wine we picked up a few bits as hadn't picked up veg for tea and were quite impressed with the quality of the veg and the wine niceness very nice. Since then we go to Aldi regularly and Tesco or Sainsburys to pick up bits that Aldi don't stock. We love their deli meats and cheeses, seem to stay fresher than what we buy in Tesco's etc.

I'm not keen on Lidls though!

gailey_2

Pre kids 2006 we were loyal shoppers.

tesco-liked big store creatures of habit.
iceland-we both worked as store managers sheer convieniance dident like shopping there that much.

after baby was born

tried local sainsburys quite liked it.

when 1st born was toddler made 5mile trip to nearest aldis in hope of saving money as 5mins from big tesco we usually shopped at . tesco prices were on the rise.

The aldis were ok there were a few savings compared to tesco I admit but found the cashiers attitude little less to be desired was very rushed and non helful compared to local sainsburys find when shopping with kids help like packing bags more than welcome.

was 2007 pre credit crunch was in affluent middleclass area fairly new store non full carpark.
we used to pop in same time as tesco.
Then realised tesco was just costing too much.

morrisions and sainsburys were nearest to our home within 3miles were cheaper and increasing thier basics range so decreased reliance on tesco less and hardly popping into aldis.
Then credit crunch happened.
I quit work .

income decreased.

tesco knocked down superstore built an extra too big.
opened up metro fairly local within 3miles but poor range and price.

Thourght have to try something new.

we have a lidls on retail park.
It shares a carpark with other stores

boots, brantanao, argos extra, peococks, sports direct and large sainsburys so hard to access how busy it is.

But we started shopping there and liked it few more brand names, good quality and some fab deals especially weekend dels but could i do everything there and sve money well NO.

Not everythings cheaper!
neither me or hubby work for iceland before I left everything was round priced to £1-£2 but weight decreased when things bog off price increased working there knew everything.

Hubby now works 30miles away but directly next door to an aldis.
but he gets odd lunch and super six thats about it.
Plus nappies /well pullups lot more priocey there then lidls least £1 more.

Or fave frozen food retailer now farmfoods as god prices plus money off coupons.

we still doing mr m/sa as local and value lines sometimes cheaper

added poundshops and markets even local butchers to trim grocery costs.

My pet hate like others is asda its awful people ramming me trollies, crap service, messy hectic store, not much good service or saving can bear ssda living as non foods quite civilised but not asda foodstores.

our usual tesco turned into extras are too big.
so just try go local and buy lots reduced,

even got hatred of evil tesco latly they so greedy. not at all good value.
even shopped at ewaitrose online last year was cheaper.

bags-well hate paying for bags so use mostly sainsburys bags for life and orla keiley designer tesco jute bags not snobbery just practical.


Keep thinking should try a big shop at aldis again make lidls comparision but its out of our way least 20min drive maybe 6miles to 2places we rarly go too.

We have 2lidls fairly close and a 3rd not too far.
But hubbys a creature of habit we go same one at retail park always nice.
cashiers always chatty, Always someone on shop floor to ask questions.
last year was looking for something specific non foods and rang customer service as you cant ring stores direct and they checked which stores were holding and very helpful.
My lidls does small range of magazines/newspapers.
its also after farmfoods 2nd cheapest place to get milk.
some things are cheaper or better like tinned tomatoes, passaatta.

They not that cheap on eggs.
dont do all the homebaking stuff I need.
I couldent do everything in there.
Like anywhere else I shop my list and shop the offers.

lastly lidls pullups best and cheapest just 3.19 PER PACK.its £1 +more in aldis.

VfM4meplse

duchy wrote: »

I really feel sorry for anyone who drops from a heart attack with either you or the SA around.

Note that the incident was called a "funny turn" - ie something with no retrospective medical diagnosis but highly disruptiveand annoying to other customers all the same. There was nothing actually wrong with the poster that required medical attention. How you train any member of staff to deal with people's funny turns is beyond me, esp as it is also a well-used tactic by shoplifters that operate in teams.

I'm quite capable of recognising a MI which of course is a genuine emergency. I also know that water is not a miracle cure for a "funny turn". The poster was taking the p and she knows it, I would far rather she stayed out of my local Aldi at least.

sunflower_2

wrinkled_english_rose wrote: »

I didn't think Ald! would survive long in our town but there's always someone in the shop regardless of the time I visit. In fact we seem to meet more people we know in Ald! than in our local Morr*son's. We don't have Lid! or poundl*nd or poundstretch*r it would be great to have something like that

sorry - but can i ask why all the *** 's???

LondonDreamer

sunflower wrote: »

sorry - but can i ask why all the *** 's???

It's pretty common on MSE, the usual reason I see given is they won't get search engine traffic that way. Some say it's so staff won't find it and disable the deal (especially misprices) but I'm sure they have their spies around here anyway. Quite a few I've seen posted are from staff anyway!

I'd be happy to shop in A!di (or anywhere else for that matter) but as a previous poster said, they're not really anywhere in West London and are a really awkward journey to get to the nearest one. I look in the catalogues every week and apart from the F&V promotions, don't really see anything that much cheaper than what I already buy. And a lot of it is items I wouldn't buy in the first place, e.g. packet foods such as cereal.

sunflower_2

LondonDreamer wrote: »

It's pretty common on MSE, the usual reason I see given is they won't get search engine traffic that way. Some say it's so staff won't find it and disable the deal (especially misprices) but I'm sure they have their spies around here anyway. Quite a few I've seen posted are from staff anyway!

ah that makes sense - thanks

been wondering for a while now

Angela

I was visiting my local li*l today which happens to be next to f*rmfoods.
Did a quick check of the carpark re car registrations no porches, merceedes etc in fact quite a few pre 01 regs including mine lol, very busy as has been for the last year or so.
Popped into farmfoods MIL wanted some of the toilet roll I have converted her to,mature cheese for me,bacon,sprinkles and chicken thighs, it wasnt till I got to the checkout I realised I had picked an M&S bag out of my boot for my shopping honest it was the biggest and it would hold the toilet rolls.
Moved to lidl next door love there smoked salmon,castor sugar is half the price of tescos,butter is a good price and the unsalted is as good as lurpak,picked up a few of the weekend offers and love there youghurt too.
Finally trip to t*scos for last few bits not available elsewhere.

Islandmaid

We don,t have Aldi (yet) but I adore Lidl especially their fruit and veg, much fresher than their so called posher counterparts, I have used then for about 15 years and never had a problem, yeah so what, they pile it high and sell it cheap.... And.... I love good food and don,t care how its packaged just so long as it tastes good

[Deleted User]

I don't mind Aldi but my local one only ever has one checkout open and there is always a queue of 2 or 3 huge piled high trolleys. Life is too short to wait that long.

trets77

Love Ald! .

The car park of our one always packed with expensive cars. how can you possibly be snobby about parking there?

However ( and this not a dig at Ald!) it is home to my biggest pet peeve at the moment.

It is the people who try and pack after the person has scanned their items. I know they now have signs up telling people what to do, but there is always someone who thinks they are a T*sco or better yet M*rris*ns ( where retired people go to chat and block whole aisles) and can take their own sweet time ( and mine) by packing bags straight away. Today a posh women who had not been before tried it and the checkout guy told what the deal was. Blank look as to why but some stares from me and the rest of the queue got her moving ( and packing in the packing area)

Packing on your own time = quicker checkout time= less staff needed to serve customers = cheap prices for your shopping.

Ald!s best products? Fruit and Veg , baby products, Beer and Cider (don't drink wine) , Washing up and laundry, Cold meats, Biscuits, Spices, Crisps, tinned goods, shampoo and toiletries, Frozen chips, Ice cream, cereals , Coffee and toilet rolls.

Only had one product i was really dissapointed with and that was the Razors . not nice at all and no match for a one of the big brands, no matter how cheap they are. and i wish they would do lamb and pork mince.