Have you noticed how busy Aldi and Lidl are lately!

saxonrosecliff

Our local branch of Aldi is next to B&Q. They have separate, but connected, car parks and these days the Aldi car park is spilling over into the B&Q side as its just not big enough.

Also a couple of weeks ago there was an advert in the paper for job vacancies at, I believe, all the Aldi stores in the local area. The checkout operator at ours is really friendly and told me they were taking on extra staff as they can't stack the shelves quick enough at the moment.

I don't have a car and I find that I can pay bus fare both ways, shop at Aldi and still save money on buying the same or similar items from Tesco (I've compared the prices on my Aldi receipt with the Tesco website and I save at least, sometimes more, £5 a week).

Wood.Justin

saxonrosecliff wrote: »

Our local branch of Aldi is next to B&Q. They have separate, but connected, car parks and these days the Aldi car park is spilling over into the B&Q side as its just not big enough.

Also a couple of weeks ago there was an advert in the paper for job vacancies at, I believe, all the Aldi stores in the local area. The checkout operator at ours is really friendly and told me they were taking on extra staff as they can't stack the shelves quick enough at the moment.

I don't have a car and I find that I can pay bus fare both ways, shop at Aldi and still save money on buying the same or similar items from Tesco (I've compared the prices on my Aldi receipt with the Tesco website and I save at least, sometimes more, £5 a week).

One of our ALDI's has a B&Q next to it too, I thought the car park looked quite busy however that explains why as it was quiet in ALDI!

£5 saved is better than nothing!

bcl999

Well, my Lidl was so busy (not) that it closed and now the nearest one is 7 miles away!

SnowBelle_2

Our Lidl is usually always busy as we have a huge Eastern European population here,and they always use it.
I personally love going there as I can get a trolley full for about £45 comparing to around £70 in Tesco.
My friend has started shopping in our Aldi and she said the car park was full, considering the car park is huge they must be doing well.
I bet sainsbury's which is right opposite are gnashing their teeth!

meritaten

I have done my weekly shop at Aldi for about as long as they have been trading here in south wales (am trying to work out how long that is and its got to be over ten years).
am devastated that the secret is out! but pleased for Aldi - hopefully they will take over from the big four and show them how retailing SHOULD be done!
both my local stores have excellent produce, friendly efficient staff and the QUALITY of the produce is excellent (mind you it isnt on the shelves long enough to get 'past its sell by).
If they can keep up the good quality at a reasonable price (I dont expect 'cheap' AND top quality) - then they have my customer loyalty for life!

nic_santorini

i agree the half price meat sells out every sat and sun within the hour. And it is mince this week, so going to have to set the alarm for this one.

miss_independent

Just got back from Aldi and disappointed to say that today, for the first time, shopping there was anything but stress free. It was packed and very difficult to navigate as the store is so small, there was a queue of trolleys backed up of people waiting to look at meat, then cheese and so on and so forth. It didn't help that there was a lady with three screaming children under the age of 5 who had two trolleys and also brought her mother along for a chat and gentle stroll through the aisles - they kept walking with all the trolleys (and children!) taking up the whole width of the aisle so there was quite a queue building up behind them! The staff were struggling to cope today, they could be overheard talking about it and the woman on the checkout I was at walked off partway through putting my items through without explanation! I think it was just all too much for her. A family member was at a different till and overheard the woman who walked off partway through putting my items through asking if the other shop
assistant was struggling too - maybe it all got a bit much, she had told me off for putting my breakable items (eggs, biscuits, crisps) into an open bag inside the trolley and that's when she walked off. At this stage there was no one behind me and the bag was ready open in the trolley, not causing any time delays but I realise this is against the rules.

I used to always get the same lovely checkout assistant at Aldi every time but more and more I am seeing new faces. I noticed today that they are looking for new staff and the rates of pay are pretty good! More than I've had in some of my teaching jobs! I also struggled to find a space to pack my bags in today, it was a bit of a nightmare. The majority of people shopping in there this morning were pensioners and people with disabilities in wheelchairs or on scooters. In the past, it's usually been Eastern Europeans, Mums on either end of the school run and upper middle class men and women (Jags and BMW's in the carpark, wine, cheese and fancy meats and breads in the trolley).

I think I may alternate now between Aldi and Lidl. Lidl is often deserted when I have been but it is a much more depressing store to shop in!

Edwardia

I tend to go to Lidl mid morning or after lunch but before the after-school-run shoppers, weekdays. OH goes mid-morning on a Saturday and it's busier then. Last time I went to an Aldi on a weekday afternoon it was heaving but Sainsbury's in same town was empty.

Personally I think individual stores are just that. I shop around and also get to go to other towns and a fantastic store in one town can be depressingly awful in another. I like Tesco at Ashford, Hastings and Truro but not in Folkestone, for example.

Barbeduk

Funny isn't it. Our small town has one Aldi but 5 Lidls within easy driving distance. Aldi is always packed, it's only got a small car park and last week (half term) it all felt a bit too stressy. :eek:

On the other hand the lidl I go to is lovely, friendly staff and relaxed customers, never busy, always use the same parking space (sad I know!!!). So that's where I do my weekly shop now, and if they don't stock it I walk round the corner to Morrisons.

Looking forward to the chocolate and mince bargains this weekend!:D

jollymummy

We're Aldi converts, a Home Bargains has opened next door, so most of my shop is done in the two stores. Anything I can't get, I'll buy from Morrisons. I'm saving £25 -30 per week on what I used to spend in T*sco.