There's one in the next town.
From what i've heard, they're very, very basic stores where things are displayed in open cartons, very basic foods, you bring your own bags and bag yourself...and yes, I saw a deposit for carts...but it is in a neighborhood where you can see supermarket carts in front of people's houses, and I assumed it was done to prevent stealing.

Have been to one, that is close to my DS's house.
Saw some great buys!

Their idea of putting a quarter in the lock to release the cart is a great concept. Keeps the carts from being left everywhere in the parking lot. When you return it, to the right spot, the quarter pops out.

You also have to bag your own groceries and buy your own bag. Which is reusable.

Thanks Monica for your reply. Seems like from what I can tell, that the cost to get a cart would NEVER cover the cost to replace a cart if someone stole it!

Odd business practice..don'tcha think? What does it cost for a cart? 25-50 cents? And I imagine you get it back when done shopping...NO? If someone wants a cart that bad, that measly change isn't going to affect them one bit!!

Yes deamn, you are right. You deposit a quarter to get a cart and then when you return the cart to the line of carts you insert a clip that connects the carts together and you get your quarter back. This way the carts are not left out in the parking lot to get all banged up or stolen and they also don't have the expense of having to pay someone to bring the carts back in from the parking lot.
I do most of my shopping at Aldi's their prices are a lot cheaper that most other stores.
Hope that explains it for you.

Have a great day.
Kittywhiskers

I don't mind having to put a quarter in to get a cart. I get it back when I'm done unloading groceries and take cart back to the corral. There are often times when I go to other stores where carts are taking up parking spaces, left to drift into your car, none inside when I go in because someone hasn't rounded them up lately, etc. Also, what I've noticed in the Aldi where I shop is none of the carts are in need of major repairs.

Shirley

There is a great thread at Money Saving Tips...about the stores and what all is really liked and a few items that are disliked.

Aldi Shoppers

I love the cart concept, since there are not carts littering the parking lot. Shoppers can also pick up boxes throughout the store for carrying their groceries home. Most of the 'stock' is stocked in boxes on shelves or pallets, so management likes it when customers make the boxes 'gone' as they get emptied. It serves a double purpose...helping the shopper, and the stock people and the store not having to dispose of or recycle them themselves.

I love Aldis and often stop there when I am in a town that has one. There are 4 different ones that are 1/2 to an hour away, so I don't make a special trip to go, but rather just stop when I am in those towns on other business or visiting.

Sue

Whenever we go to Aldi's, if someone has a cart out by their car, we just offer them the quarter and take it away into the store. We get our quarter back when we return the cart to the corral. We see others doing the same thing, especially to help out the elderly.

Aldi's is great for saving money, we go for the produce mostly, and occasionally for canned goods. Used to get our balsamic vinegar there until they stopped carrying it. Got a huge bottle from Sam's and I hate it, it's bland and sweet.

I am so excited that we are getting an Aldi's here in the fall. My DS & DIL used to shop at Aldi's while he was in law school. He took me there when I was visiting and I fell in love with the store. Now, I'm getting one about 7 miles from my house! I can't wait for it to open.

I shop at Aldi's all the time. In fact, just yesterday, I bought strawberries for $1.35 and at the big grocery store across the street, the same size strawberry was selling for $3.50....
Their prices have also gone up, but they're still alot cheaper than any other grocery store around and that includes Walmart....
Love our Aldi

Our Aldi is spotlessly clean all the time. I love to go there and really save a lot of money. I also go to Walmart and another local grocery store every time I do a large bi-weekly grocery run. I do compare prices and know where to go to get what I need at the best prices. I have noticed that our Aldi store is getting busier all the time thanks to the outrageous increase in grocery prices everywhere.

The cart thing is a great idea. I always return my cart and just leave the quarter in it for the next person who comes along. Just doing my bit toward a little good karma!

The concept of cart deposit is generally used in Europe. No bangt up cars, blocked parking lots and finding no carts at the store. They've done it for years. Since Aldi is a European chain, they brought the idea with them.

I really like to shop at Aldi's but our closest one is 50 mi. so only get to shop there if I'm in that town for another reason. Wish there was one closer and I would shop there more often.

And if someone figures taking the cart all the way back to the corral to retrieve a quarter isn't worth the effort, someone else will!

I love shopping at Aldi too and yes it is basic shopping - out of cardboard boxes etc - but if that makes the prices cheaper, I'm all for it. Here we have to put a $2 coin in the slot to get a trolley and in the past it has been a real pain if I didn't have one, but at the store recently I was able to purchase a special Aldi disc made especially to use in the trolleys. It is the same size as the $2 coin - has a whole in it so it can attach to a dog clip (which comes with the disc) - and I have this hooked onto my handbag. It cost 99c but I think it is a great idea. I have yet to see a trolley abandoned in the carpark and for $2 people will make the effort to return them to the trolley bays.

I live in a very small, but centralized rural area and need to travel in several directions to various markets...FL if about 6 miles from my house, but...Food Lion can be expensive if your buying more than bread and milk! so...since I travel 20 or so miles to work and have two ALDI markets within 6 miles or so of work....one in TN and the other in GA...I have the best of both worlds...expecially if I can make it to the GA store....since food tax in GA is only about 3%.

I love the shopping cart concept, the wide isles, a super clean store, the produce is always fresh, lots of fresh bread to choose from ($.89 a loaf compared to FL @ $2 upward) and oooooooh....their Seq Queen Frozen Butterfly shrimp is to die for...one box = one great dinner for three @ $2.99!

Did anyone else mention....they do not take personal checks...debit cards only (in my neighborhood anyway).

Love that ALDI..check out their homepage!

Here is a link that might be useful: ALDI homepage.

I have only been to our Aldi's once. They take cash only and I never carry much cash. I write checks for everything.

I love them too, I can't wait to get the circular each week! LOL!! We aren't regulars but we do stop in every couple of months. The fresh produce is always good and I have bought several of the frozen items as well.

I have never heard of Aldi. I checked out their website and did a store search for Texas and it came up 0.

I love Aldi's I shopped at the one in Ohio all the time saved great money.
The closest one here is in Tulsa and that is to far for me to shop at soooo I just shop locally unless I am in Tulsa...stacy

I've been shopping aldi in ohio for at least 15 years, the first one was in Brunswick (southwest suburb) and they slowly came north closer to me(southeast suburb). never had a problem with any of the food, sometime they have buys of name brand (barilla frozen, sara lee, stouffers) but otherwise their "brands" are good...I sometimes just give a cart, tell the person do it for someone else...

Metropolitan airports have baggage cart returns like that. Helps to motivate people to return carts to the right place. Some don't bother, but other locals will gather several carts and return them for the pocket change. It adds up if you return several.