It's a discount place.

They have the cart corrals in the parking lot where the carts are chained to each other. I'm sure you've seen them at other supermarkets--they're not unique to Aldi's You insert a quarter, or slug if you have one, into the marked slot on the cart and it releases the chain. When you're done, and hook the cart back up to the next one, your quarter will be returned to you.

Apparently, Aldi's are only as good as the local management. I, too, hear a lot of folks who just love them. I went to one once--it was filthy, the produce looked and SMELLED like garbage. The goods on the shelves were cheap, but were all off brands--with packages designed to look like the name brand products (I really hate that kind of deception). It was poorly organized and a lot of the boxes/packages looked damaged. They don't supply bags. There was nothing in that store that I felt comfortable buying to feed my family. I just can't get past a store that's that dirty.

However, I'd recommend that you at least take a look at yours. Don't bother with a cart the first time--just walk in, take a spin around the aisles to see how the place impresses you. If you like it, you can go from there. I always figure it's worth investigating for myself to see if a new place is something I'd like to patronize. You really should make your own decision, regardless of what replies you get here.

This should answer most of your questions....

Here is a link that might be useful: Aldi's info

All 4 of the Aldi stores I occasionally shop are managed well.

No carts littering the parking lot and spaces.

No check writing so there is no hold up while folks scrounge to find their checkbook after the total is announced. They have great clerks at the checkout and they are very speedy.

Since the shelves are stocked in a warehouse style of the products being put up in their original cases, there are usually numerous boxes of various sizes free for the taking to pack your groceries in. I often pick up a box or two fro heavier canned goods and things.

They sell paper bags and insulated bags for a nominal fee. I bought 3 of their heavy duty plastic bags years ago, and put them back in my vehicle console as soon as I unload my groceries at home. I also keep a small stock of plastic bags in my vehicle to supplement them, or for use for other things.

Aldi carries a Double your Money Back guarantee if you are dissatisfied with any of their products. I got some canned pumpkin that I did not care for and they happily 'more than' doubled my money back guarantee.
Their veggies and fruit always looks as good or better than other places.

Here is a link to an Aldi thread over at The Money Saving Tips Forum. Aldi Shoppers
Some love it and some don't. Some like some products but don't care for others.

I just noticed that pumpkin was on someone's list as an item they like to get at Aldi's. I may give it a try again.

Sue

You can use your debit card at Aldi. We really like their milk.

None in the area, but when we went to Canada some of the stores did not have the free bags, but we just paid the nickel etc but many shoppers brought in their own bags. Loved their bags were so nice and heavy. That was years ago, before the cloth bags were available. Saw many Canadians who had made their own bags. This was at the Green stores, I think that was the name. Loved the store, as at that time carried products we could not get here. Not sure about debit cards.

I went once and didn't know what I was doing. Filled up a basket and went to check out but I carry very little cash and they won't take checks or credit cards. I haven't been back because it requires too much planning for me to get enough cash! (kind of sad, huh? hehe) I usually grocery shop when I can fit it into my day and am never sure in advance if I will have time. It sounds like it's worth the savings, though. I'll have to give it another try sometime.

I never heard of them...guess we don't have them here yet. I'm with bigbaby though...I never have cash on me...just depend on my debit card. I hate to be short at the register from lack of cash!

I hate the shopping cart thing there. I guess I am just not mechanically inclined, but I could never figure out how to work it (in my defense I've only been there 2 or 3 times). I always give someone a quarter and take their cart when they finish loading their car.

My Mom shops there a lot - they have really good ready-to-bake cookies!

Never usually used them in GA but really like the one in Calrksburg, WV. Eric got a little claustrophobic the first time he went in. People are friendly and the prices are nice. We don't buy name brand stuff much anyway so I don't mind the generic stuff. Eric likes the meats and it is hard to impress him with meats! LOL

If you forget bags (we usually do), they will let you have a box to put your stuff in. It is the boxes the food/produce was delivered in.

We shop there often. At first my son-in-law wouldn't shop there, but I notice that it is on his usual route now. As someone said, cash/debit card can be used.

i shop at several different ones if i am in those areas.

as for the "deception" with their items being boxed to look like others, that's what everyone does. heck, just peruse the dollar store aisles - scrubbing bubbles is one that comes to mind.

in any event, every item that is in the aldi stores is tested by a group of employees/tasters, etc.

i purchase what i am comfortable purchasing. other items i'll get at other stores. i have the luxury of so many different grocery stores within a short drive of me that i can spread my shopping out and get the most for my buck.

i was not aware of the refund policy but we haven't complained about anything yet. i don't care for the brand of milk they buy, so i never get it there.

at christmas they had those ferraro roche candies for some ridiculously low price, i didn't realize it was just a one time thing. in the stores the prices are crazy. i also purchased this most delicious chocolate cake and when i went back, realized the freezer stated "special purchase". had i known, i would have stocked my freezer, it was incredible.

i've been in three different aldi's in three completely different areas and each was well stocked and well kept. if i don't have a quarter, i carry one of those pretend things that slid in the cart. i have no problem returning a cart to where it belongs, sure beats having to fight for a parking space when people just leave them wherever.

as for bags, i have been carrying my own bags for all kinds of shopping for the last 25 years, so it doesn't phase me.

maryanne

I like the shopping cart concept. No carts scattered around the parking lot and no dings!

HUGE sigh. . . . . I'm still waiting for Aldi's to come to the Houston area. . . .

I only shop there for green beans for the dogs...they are the cheapest in town and I use a can a day...I find the brands they carry to be inferior for my taste...several of the products they carry are made or products of China and that's my own little personal issue...good luck and I hope you like it!

What's really amazing to me is that the cart concept works and yet at any other super market, people won't walk 25 steps to properly store a cart. I recently saw a young woman give a cart a shove toward and past the front of her truck...of course what happened was it hit the beautiful new truck in front of her. It pissed me off so much that I looked at her and said...I can't believe you just shoved that cart into that new truck... She flipped me off and said, I didn't shove anything...Her husband got out of the truck so I got in my vehicle but I sure don't understand things like that.

I like the shopping cart concept. No carts scattered around the parking lot and no dings!
I especially love the cart concept too and would love to see it implemented everywhere. It seems at other places when customers 'do' happen to get their carts to or near the corral, they very seldom push then hard enough to get them in there right....so the corral will only hold a fraction of how many it would hold if the carts were pushed in properly.

Yep, all those who are too lazy to put their cart away properly would just have to forfeit getting their quarter back....a good thing.

Occasionally when I go in for just a couple of items, I'll grab a box inside (might have to set a few remaining items out of it) and then just carry the box with me to hold my few groceries.

All of the Aldi stores around here have ATMs in them. Although they take debit cards, they wouldn't take mine. There's some technicality on why they don't but it doesn't matter. The only thing that irks me about it is that I only activated the stupid card because I wanted to use it at Aldi. Oh well, the bank wants it now to get cash back.

The cart concept is interesting isn't it? And we greedy folks will do that to get our quarter back. Guess it's the clientele.

I guess I should make a trip there. You definitely need to watch things. It's like a garage sale. Never know for sure what they'll have and they might not have it if you come back in an hour.

We shop there once a month. I'm not sure it's the type of place you could do your weekly shopping in. We go there first, then go to a supermarket to get whatever we couldn't get at Aldi's.

Their prices are especially good if your trying to curtail expenses. It's just that the variety is limited. They may only have 5 different cereals and certainly not the ones the kids see advertised on TV. But I've not found a brand of theirs that I won't use because of taste or texture.

Other than that, it's no different than any other supermarket. Find what you want; put it in your cart; wait online for a cashier; bring your own bags; return your cart to the stacks and get your quarter back. Oh, and watch out for looney toons in the parking lot.

Yep. Same as any other supermarket.