Good and Bad Buys at Lidl and Aldi stores (***Please don't expire***)

Rosa_Damascena

I think Aldi has realised that Lidl is onto a winner! Which suggests its only a matter of time before it too goes down the loyalty card route. Its a small incentive but enough to have pulled me away from other supermarkets. In the first six month of the year I have apparently saved £44.17! Much of this will have been free bakery goodies c/o the spin of surprises, I also think there were a couple of spend £30 save £5 deals which were worthwhile.

Doc_N

Rosa_Damascena said:

Popped into Aldi last night on my way home. For the naysayers, this is the Aldi instore bakery - as seen at 8.30pm on a Saturday evening:

Very bad news for those who prefer the much cheaper ‘bake at home’ ranges of pastries, breads, rolls etc.. The Lidl range was cut back substantially after the instore bakeries opened because of the much higher margins on the ready baked stuff. 

By the way, the Aldi all butter frozen pains au chocolat are pretty good - better than the Waitrose ones, too.

Rosa_Damascena

Rosa_Damascena said:

I think Aldi has realised that Lidl is onto a winner! Which suggests its only a matter of time before it too goes down the loyalty card route. Its a small incentive but enough to have pulled me away from other supermarkets. In the first six month of the year I have apparently saved £44.17! Much of this will have been free bakery goodies c/o the spin of surprises, I also think there were a couple of spend £30 save £5 deals which were worthwhile.

I also think I got about £11 fresh fruit on the spin of surprises, as well as the bakery / f&v / condiment incentives at £10, £50 and £100 cumulative monthly spends. On reflection I have been well and truly sucked into Lidl loyalty!!!

VoucherMan

Rosa_Damascena said:

I think Aldi has realised that Lidl is onto a winner! 

Maybe it's a regional thing, but around here I find the opposite. Our local Lidl is more or less deserted on the few occasions I go in. (I only used to go in for the reduced offers, but then they started reducing the offers)

And while I've seen the odd good comment about the app, I've seen & heard far more negative stuff about it. Primarily that it's only available as an app, so it excludes those who don't have, or want to use their smartphone there.
At least with other supermarkets you can access their offers with an easily available card. More than once I've been into Lidl, only to find they'd inflated the price of something for those unwilling to use a smartphone. Maybe that's why some of my neighbours have also stopped shopping there.

Brie

VoucherMan said:

At least with other supermarkets you can access their offers with an easily available card. More than once I've been into Lidl, only to find they'd inflated the price of something for those unwilling to use a smartphone. Maybe that's why some of my neighbours have also stopped shopping there.

That's the same reason I've stopped shopping at Sainsbury's.  Lots of extra offers are only available via their app.  Also OH & I have to have separate cards - unlike Tescos.  As for Lidl he knows he just needs to give them my mobile number to get his shopping accruing to my account.  I think that also means that he gets whatever offers I've activated.  

edited to add: I was really surprised that Lidl was completely sold out of mozzarella yesterday.  Maybe everyone is like me and likes a mozza and tomato salad when it's hot.

harz99

@VoucherMan here in County Durham our local Aldi is always busy with a Q forming outside at opening time, the Lidl not so.

On a separate note, I noticed the Original version of Aldi's own brand washing up liquid no longer carries the Good Housekeeping award flash on the label, it seems thinner to me so presumably has been dummed down and no longer qualifies?

maman

harz99 said:

On a separate note, I noticed the Original version of Aldi's own brand washing up liquid no longer carries the Good Housekeeping award flash on the label, it seems thinner to me so presumably has been dummed down and no longer qualifies?

Yes, I'd noticed that and the same applies to their kitchen roll. Fortunately, the washing up liquid still seems quite effective so I'm still buying it. 

tastyhog

Rosa_Damascena said:

I think Aldi has realised that Lidl is onto a winner! Which suggests its only a matter of time before it too goes down the loyalty card route. Its a small incentive but enough to have pulled me away from other supermarkets. In the first six month of the year I have apparently saved £44.17! Much of this will have been free bakery goodies c/o the spin of surprises, I also think there were a couple of spend £30 save £5 deals which were worthwhile.

Talking about apps, Lidl are about to trial scan and go on their app.

They have it already in other countries.
https://www.lidl.nl/c/scan-go/s10032844?srsltid=AfmBOooSDMnBvabPnArwUuHOaFIFMo-3vcjnofxGHAd1vG8j_QDNm_q3

KxMx

I recently used my first Aldi with instore bakery, not terribly impressed, small selection of goods with rows and rows of just one type of item.

I definitely prefer Aldi these days but for in store bakery, Lidl can't be beat. 

harz99

The cooked vacuum packed beetroot have been missing from my local Aldi for two weeks now, another item gone or a temporary shortage?