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

maisie_cat

My experience with Lidl might be different because we are far west and the shop itself was possibly justified by the tourist season. The only thing I've not been able to get is deluxe crisps and as they are a luxury it's not a big deal.
The freezers are lower, but much of the ultra processed stuff and bags of ice are the sort of thing you'd buy on holiday and there aren't so many tourists yet. There has been oil consistently although not so many of the giant bottles of frying oil, certainly plenty for customers who do not own a chip shop.

Brie

is it just the sunflower oil that's been low?  I've not seen a problem with rape seed anywhere nor olive oil - obviously not using that to fry chips!

And frankly I think any issues with getting sunflower oil is just a manufactured issue - this seasons crop of sunflowers from the Ukraine (assuming there will be a crop) wouldn't be ready to harvest for a couple of months yet so why the shortage unless someone's stockpiling.  but it doesn't have an indefinite shelf life so needs to get sold sooner rather than later in any case.  Possibily just held back to maximise profits?

rhcp

I haven't seen any of the sunflower or vegetable oil for ages, but there were some of the more expensive oils available.

rhcp

Sods law, go in to Aldi today and lots of oil.  Interestingly, they have also put in loads of self service tills.  I wonder if Lidl will follow suit.

General_Grant

rhcp said:

Sods law, go in to Aldi today and lots of oil.  Interestingly, they have also put in loads of self service tills.  I wonder if Lidl will follow suit.

In my local (town centre) Lidl, self-serve tills are the norm.  There are a couple of tills which can be staffed but very rarely are they opened - only when the queue for the self-serve is doubling back on itself or otherwise causing problems for people wanting to walk round.

What is bad with that Lidl is the often out-of-date SELs or prices being distant from the actual goods.  For some time there has been a label saying "new" 150g baking powder.  This is above 170g tubs of baking powder.  The 150g is 2 shelves further down and is a pack of 10 x 15g (the 150g appears nowhere, you see 10g through the plastic outer and can count that there are 10 sachets).

Brie

General_Grant said:

What is bad with that Lidl is the often out-of-date SELs or prices being distant from the actual goods.  For some time there has been a label saying "new" 150g baking powder.  This is above 170g tubs of baking powder.  The 150g is 2 shelves further down and is a pack of 10 x 15g (the 150g appears nowhere, you see 10g through the plastic outer and can count that there are 10 sachets).

so are you claiming that they are not labelling goods correctly?  or not actually giving the prices for what they are selling?

depends on what you mean by "out of date".  Past best before?  Or something that shouldn't be eaten after X?  If the first is coffee I wouldn't be worried.  If the second was fish I would be.

General_Grant

Brie said:

General_Grant said:

What is bad with that Lidl is the often out-of-date SELs or prices being distant from the actual goods.  For some time there has been a label saying "new" 150g baking powder.  This is above 170g tubs of baking powder.  The 150g is 2 shelves further down and is a pack of 10 x 15g (the 150g appears nowhere, you see 10g through the plastic outer and can count that there are 10 sachets).

so are you claiming that they are not labelling goods correctly?  or not actually giving the prices for what they are selling?

depends on what you mean by "out of date".  Past best before?  Or something that shouldn't be eaten after X?  If the first is coffee I wouldn't be worried.  If the second was fish I would be.

I was writing about the SELs (shelf edge labels) being out-of-date (ie wrong), not the products.

Then the "or" was about placing the relevant products away from the label but a similar, and in this case more expensive, item directly under the label.

grumbler

I think, those who remember Aldi's blackcurrant jam will be pleased to know that it's back after missing for several years and is as good as it used to be.

67p/454g

robrymond

Quite alarming how quickly the prices at Aldi are rising. I saw Spaghetti hoops which have been 13p for as long as I can remember are now 16p.

And don't get me started on 1kg of chicken breasts at £5.99. think they started the year at £3.85.

Vegastare

Has anyone had Lidl profiteroles....my Mum in law has a habit of buying them and giving them to her son - then sending the ones left along to son's other half who can honestly say they are the worst ones I have ever tasted....last weeks went in the bin and shock horror more arrived yesterday.
Being gracious I accept with a smile and bin them when hubby goes to work Monday.
They are covered in a type of chocolate gunge and not sure what the cream is, but as the use by date is several weeks in advance.

And me the dessert gannet - but not more me.