I forgot to add that I went on Monday. I had two of their big "green" cloth bags totally loaded and they hold a LOT and 4 regular paper grocery bags full and it was 80.00...

Yes, I shop there once a week. My usual purchases are eggs, milk, oatmeal, and fresh produce (apples, bananas, berries, onions, avocado, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, asparagus, etc.) For some reason they carry my favorite Greek yogurt Fage 0%, at a great price, so I always get that too. I got a huge bag of all these things today for about $25.00. I eat very few processed foods so I don't buy them here as I also don't buy them elsewhere. I also have found their tissues, garbage bags, and other paper goods excellent. All in all I really like Aldi. The two stores in my area are super clean, friendly, and have quality goods.

Have to admit, they're all over the place here, and I've always avoided them like the plague. Well, that's not entirely true--I went into one, once, many years ago. It was filthy, smelled like rotting produce, the produce itself looked like something I'd have tossed on the compost pile a week ago, and as you've noted, had pretty much only no-name brands. I was so disgusted, that I walked out without buying a single thing, and never went back.

Fast forward about 8 years--I have moved to a different area, and yes, there are a number of Aldi's in the area. Still didn't bother to go to them until a bunch of foodie friends I know recommended them and said the local ones were clean and the products good. So I've been a couple of times (to a couple of diffferent ones). They're clean, the produce looks lovely. I'm still 'feeling my way' and only buy a few things each time I go--just to try--but everything I've had was fine. Even bought maple syrup--at a really good price--and it was fine.

None of those here, but I wish they were. When I lived in Missouri, I shopped at Aldi's because they have some unusual items around the holidays. Like you, my grocery bill was usually half of what it was when I shopped at Price Chopper or HyVee. I didn't buy meat at Aldi's, but got most of my other items there.

Their produce is wonderful here. Everything looks fresh! I bought fresh mushrooms not too long ago and they were great!

Enjoy their hazelnut coffee creamer, butter.

I grew up with Aldi stores, in Germany. I LOVE their dark chocolate with hazelnuts. Most times, that is the only thing I go in for... LOL, and then, if they have it, I have been known to buy as many as 20 bars, to make it worth it. :)

I also buy sugar, flour, milk and paper goods. Sometimes, their specials are really good.

Moni

Here is a link that might be useful: Aldi in the US

My Aldi's isn't IN my area, closest one is 45 minutes away. I go there once a month.....been doing it for a very long time. I like their Fit n Active products. Moni was the one that had me looking for the hazelnut candy bars. She didn't steer me wrong. Unfortunately, they have them in stock only sporadically.

Shirley

There are 2 Aldi's near me - both about a 10 minute drive - and I've never been inside. Every now and then I'll drive past and make to note to stop some day - but obviously I haven't yet.

Rotten Produce, messy displays and many of the "no-name" grocery shelves look like they were used as footballs.

But, they are dirt cheap.

The few around here are in low income areas.

Ones here certainly aren't in low income areas.

All very well kept, clean, and customer friendly!

The one by use is very clean and so simple to run in and grab your stuff and go. I go there a lot more these days so I can take my dog with me and she doesn't have to stay in the car but for a few minutes. I hate having to pay with only cash though. That's a big turn off but I deal with it. I've found that pretty much everything that I've tried is just as good if not better than the brand name stuff.

There are 2 here that seem...okay. Not really close to me, so I don't go there often. Kind of in the lower income areas. I wouldn't say really clean, but the people are friendly. I have bought produce, milk, some packaged items and soup. I don't remember any problems, so I guess I'd try it again. My mom enjoys their brands (cereal esp) and the prices are good.

There's a lot of Aldi (its name is singular btw) stores around here and I used to go there a lot. Now it's more of a chore to go there but I still like that they have a lot of the basics and they're at good prices. Like *any* store there's good days and bad, good managers and bad, and much has to be laid upon the customers for messing up the stores. Their business model runs stores on minimal staff. 1-2 people on staff is quite normal for a lot of times of the day. When piggish people get turned loose and wreck the place, there's not a lot of time to clean it up and still check people out.

Their cart policy is interesting and proves what people will do for a quarter. I've had times where I've pulled in and there's carts out there so I grab it and go in. Sometimes it's a chore to walk back with the cart so there's been times I've let others have it. Sometimes people around here give the quarter to the person and takes the cart in the lot.

Overall I've had very good experiences there. I've bought food to flash drives there. I had a bad flash drive and there was no trouble getting it refunded or replaced - my choice.

I like their heavy duty paper plates and plastic flatware. I've bought grapes there often and they've always been good where the other stores were terrible. They have sausage patties that are great. I've bought eggs, milk, salad, produce, fresh meat, u-bakes, and much more. I'm not impressed by their canned goods, I can usually do better elsewhere. Often their cans are smaller size for the money it's not a good deal. Prices vary of course. I've also bought lawn chairs and stuff like that. I haven't bought any of the cast iron cookware yet but that should be coming in again soon. Seems to me May and October are when they bring it in and most people rave about it. Seasonings, flour, sugar, etc are usually decent priced. I also used to buy bottled water there but I can now get the spring water cheaper at Menards and I'm usually there more often. I also buy their bottled tea. My sister likes their ketchup better than any of the name brands.

Frankly there's not much I would not buy there if they have it and I needed it. I like Aldi. As said you can get in and out quickly. I don't need 20 different brands of peanut butter or sizes either.

Aldi also has an interesting background. Something as simple as selling cigarettes broke up the Albrecht brothers partnership but they still worked together in certain ways after the breakup.

I noticed one going in not far from us, have never been in one anywhere. I will be happy to try it out.
So they don't take credit cards or checks only cash? That will make it more difficult since I don't think about getting cash.

The one here is clean and well kept. It has the best produce of any grocery store in town. I go just for the produce. The only thing I ever bought I didn't care for was salad dressings.

They don't take coupons, either. But on the other hand eliminating those options, plus no bagging (there is a counter where you bag your purchases) makes checkout amazingly quick no matter how many are in line.

It's a really convenient, well run chain around here in good neighborhoods. The two closest to us are each a block from a Wegmans and are always busy.

I don't buy many processed foods, but especially like their produce, whole wheat pasta and bread, MW pop corn, eggs & dairy/cheese, frozen fruits & veggies. Oh, and canned tomato products, and mushrooms and mush soup for cooking.

There's one less than a mile from me. I've bought ice cream there and some produce. I mostly shop Wegman's and Giant but maybe I'll hit Aldi once in awhile. Bare bones..

I usually put everything I buy on a credit card: I therefore rarely carry cash. At first I found this inconvenient because Aldi doesn't take credit cards and I didn't want the hassle of stopping at an ATM before shopping there. But I found out I could use my bank (ATM) debit card at Aldi (duh!). The purchase comes directly out of my checking account and is as convenient as a credit card if not more!

Yes you can use the debit card BUT remember your bank probably changes you a fee. I know it's only a dollar or two but I'm going there to save not to spend extra on banking fees. But if I buy a lot I will grit my teeth and pay the banking fee and use the ATM card.

I wish they'd take checks.. that is my biggest gripe since I don't usually carry a lot of cash.

We have a new one near us and the few times I've been in there it was exceptionally clean. The fruit there looks better than what it looks like at the other grocery stores and the prices are always very good. I like some of the salad dressings, especially the Italian varieties with actual garlic cloves. The "break apart and bake" cookies are really good... I always buy them when we are having a party and someone will always comment on how good they are and ask for the recipe. lol

I've always been happy with the things I've bought there.. if they took checks I'd shop there much more often. I believe they are owned by the same company that owns Trader Joe's.

Aldi's is the parent company of Trader Joe's.

I like the concept. The local one is clean. The produce is good,but limited. I've tried some of the chips and candy and didn't like it. IMO,it tastes stale, but I may possibly just be brand loyal to my favorite brands. I like the trail mix particularly the individual ones that come out for school lunches and one type of granola bar. I've tried the frozen Asian food and it works good when I need a quick frozen meal. The spaghetti sauce is ok. I like the roast beef in a can because it makes a good stew base when I want some quick. My kids prefer the salt and pepper in the grinders. I go there if I want to stock up on a few items, but I don't have the time or patience to go there on a regular basis.

I have 2 stores close to me and they are the best....Sunday morning, after Mass and breakfast is our favorite time to shop...I buy almost everything at Aldi's and haven't found anything we don't like....When you can get bananas for 29 -39 cents a pound why would you buy the same banana elsewhere for 59+ cents a pound....Both stores are very clean, have great personal and it's just a good place to shop...They don't have a deli but they do have luncheon meats in containers...I've gotten just about anything and everything there, including meat, fresh and frozen and couldn't be more pleased....The idea of the buggys is a neat one, I think...And, you know you meet the nicest people in the parking lot, ready to give you that buggy without the quarter and then saying, pass it along.....I think you get the idea, I love our Aldi's.........

Love Aldi. Shop there often for their produce, best deals in town by far. Their honey wheat pretzels are addicting, so I don't buy them anymore. They come in a huge container and I can't stop eating them until they are gone.

There is an Aldi here but it isn't close to my house. I have not been in it and don't care to. I don't buy enough groceries to make it worth my while to drive further. At Christmas, when groups are collecting for the needy they often suggest Aldi gift cards.

No, my bank doesn't charge a fee for debit purchases. I wouldn't use the debit card if it did.

The nearest Aldi is 50 mi. from home and I do shop there anytime I'm in the area but don't make a special trip to do so. It's always clean and neat and love the prices. I make sure I have enough cash with me when I plan on going.

If there was one closer I would shop there often. There's only two grocery stores in the town where I shop, Town and Country and Wal Mart supercenter.

i shop aldi for green beans for the dogs frozen chicken breast for the dogs and frozen shrimp for the cat I rarely buy anything for us there

I have a question. Does Aldi have handicap carts--the kind you ride around in? Harry wants to go, but he has to have a drivable cart to get around. We have two in town, which isn't very close, but I'd like to try it.

patti43... They do not have the handicap carts at the Aldi I go to. Don't know about others.. sorry

I haven't seen an Aldi have the handicapped carts and their business model wouldn't allow for that major of an expense. I would like to see them have them but I'm pretty sure it'll never happen. You might contact them with a request and see if they might consider one of the wheelchair baskets.

Charging a fee to use a debit card? Uh, to use an ATM maybe, but there's the transaction fee to the store so I've never seen where there's a charge to the consumer. That's why I don't understand why they don't take credit cards. They pay either way. Also, the Aldi stores I've been in all have ATMs in them. They do take debit cards, but not *all* debit cards. I found that out the first time I tried to use it. Then my sister told me they accepted hers a couple years later and they then accepted from my bank. So check it to be sure otherwise you might have to use the ATM and possibly incur a fee.

Contrary to rumors, Aldi operating in the US is NOT the parent company of Trader Joe's nor are they owned by the same company that owns Trader Joe's. There IS a bit of a sibling relationship however. What is now Aldi started out as a one store location by the Albrecht brothers' mother. Karl and Theo took over Albrecht's and it expanded. They grew to a huge operation and the two brothers got into an argument over whether to sell cigarettes or not and it split them apart so they split into two companies. Later they renamed the companies Aldi which is short for Albrecht-Diskount. They became Aldi Süd and Aldi Nord.
Karl Albrecht owned Aldi Süd (South) {{gwi:1698183}}
and brother Theo got Aldi Nord (North)

Theo later bought Joe Columbe's "Trader Joe's" stores so that is the relationship. Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd have been financially and legally separate since 1966. They're different companies, however they still work together and occasionally you'll see some of the overlap like sharing logos on house brands when negotiating with contractors.

It's a complex but very interesting history. A mega-operation split up over a simple thing like cigarettes.

FWIW I was reading some articles on Aldi recently and their claims were that Aldi is testing different things at different stores. For instance, some stores are accepting Discovercard, some sell alcohol, etc. The claims, though not confirmed or denied by Aldi or the manufacturers are that General Mills makes its cereal, Mission supplies its tortillas, Sara Lee makes their bread, Borden is its dairy supplier and Dr Pepper makes its soda. The reports are also saying that they buy a lot of their produce locally which would explain why this area has a lot of good produce in the stores especially comparing to the big box places that get it from parts unknown.

I also get eggs there, milk, bagged salads, oil, and more. I need to make a trip there again fairly soon.

There is one in a nearby town. I haven't been in there. I am sort of turned off by the horsemeat scandal they had in Britain a couple of months ago. I don't buy prepared food like lasagna, which contained horse meat, usually, and probably never will now. The idea turns my stomach, so I will stick with the stores I currently use, until they do something to nauseate me too.

Believe me when I tell you...my bank charges me a fee when I use my VISA debit card at ALDI! I ain't makin' the sh** up! I'm sure that not all banks are the same but mine absofrackinglutely charges me! If I use my debit card at a "normal" grocery store that accepts credit cards...then all I have to do is to use it as I would a credit card when the machine asks me "credit" or "debit" I will choose the option "credit". It will not charge a fee...BUT and here's the BIG BUT...ALDI does not have that option because there is no choice so therefore A FEE! Most likely it would cost me more to drive to the bank and get cash than the fee the bank charges me to use my Visa Debit Card at ALDI...HA!

I decided to give Aldi a try again today after reading all the positive posts. I made a stop at the bank beforehand to make sure I had plenty of cash. I had a list, but could only find half of the items... my Aldi's had no salsa, no green onions, no red onion, no zucchini, no canned green chiles, no shredded cheese (couldn't find it anyhow.. they did have a lot of sliced cheeses and some cubed cheese), no DietRite soda and no 'chili cheese Fritos' (didn't think they carried those last 2 items, but was hoping for a close substitute). So when I got done with Aldi's I had to make a stop at my regular grocery store. Not something I want to do on a weekly basis.

After today I think Aldi is okay if you want to stock up on a few things... but not if you have a list and need particular things for a recipe.

ArkansasGirl, you need to either talk to your bank or find a new one. Other than withdrawing cash from an ATM, you should never be charged a fee for using your debit card in any store. You should also be receiving interest for any balance you maintain in checking and saving accounts. My local bank only give .25% so I keep a small about there and the bulk is in a bank out of state, 50 miles away where the interest if 2.5%.

Your bank has your money to play with and loan out to others. You should never pay them to get your money. Never!

Surprised to hear you couldn't find salsa! It is on my regular purchase list at Aldi and always well stocked with the chips. There are two types, and I really like it! In fact it is my favorite salsa.
It is true that Aldi doesn't carry everything, so I nearly always also have to go elsewhere for a few items. For example I only eat organic meat and milk and get those elsewhere. But the savings at Aldi on many items make two stops well worth it to me.

We just came home from there! I get almost all my produce there. I love thier enameled cast iron cook ware. I have had no problem with thier Crofton brand appliances. I LOVE thier blue wrapper chocolate bar: it's Swiss chocolate! I get most of my baking supplies there, including eggs and milk. If you have a slicer, sometimes you can get a whole Black Forest ham, 3-4# for $9.99, and we slice it ourselves. Sure beats deli prices and tastes as good or better. I have bought thier frozen veggies, not bad. I do not like thier canned veggies (but I don't like canned veggies anyway) or thier canned soups or broth-too salty.

Tonight we bought a half gallon of 2% milk, a dozen eggs, bananas, apples, strawberries, 2 cans of mushrooms, corn flakes, 5# of yellow potatoes & a pineapple. $18 and change. We did, however, forget to buy bread! They had plenty, but Mom distracted me when she called and asked us to get a few bananas!

arkansas_girl, and I only say this because I care, they have decaffeinated brands now that taste just as good as regular! :)

lydia1959, While they don't carry Fritos® *brand*, they do carry corn chips, their generic/store brand is Clancy's. And no they don't carry Diet Rite® brand cola, again, they have their own diet cola. They have very few brand name items however quite regularly have Oscar Meyer® bacon, Miracle Whip® salad dressing and a few other name brands at times but the whole point of the store is that about 95% of the products are generic/store brands. One rep said they will get a brand name if they can't get the quality or price they want or they just won't carry it. They guarantee the items so if you don't like it, they'll refund your money and replace the item on most items. Since you want brand name items, discount stores like these are not for you. I've found some of their products to be better than brand names, most are equal to and a few are not as good IMO. But I'm not a brand-loyal person on too many things so I find Aldi and the comparable type stores to be great. Keep in mind the average Aldi carries about 1400 SKUs so they're obviously not going to have as big an assortment of major things. They also go for items they get the right price and the right quality so produce can be hit and miss. Aldi is a store you shop first then go to another store to pick up the things like zucchini. Onions will vary. Sometimes they'll have red but sometimes they'll have white or yellow. Again, it varies. If you want a *guarantee* they'll have a particular type, then it's not for you. But then, no store can guarantee it! LOL (I see more out of stocks and perpetual OOSs at Malwart than any other store.)

I'm surprised about the salsa. Around here they always have it and it's usually in the aisle as you come into the store, by the chips. Casa Mamita is their brand name, however if you're going to look for a variety of "heat" and a variety of flavor, don't expect it. Generally they carry one of each types. Green onions are hit and miss. Generally I think it's because they spoil quite quickly so I seldom see them there. Shredded cheese is in the cooler, most stores it's against the back wall with salads, sausage, milk, eggs, sour cream, etc. You need to get used to what they *have*, and know they will *not* have 50,000 to 80,00 SKUs as a large grocery store nor 100,000+ SKUs like a super center to cover all needs. (In fact, that's one of their advertising bits You don't have to search through aisles of camping gear to find your ketchup.) Nor will a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods for that matter. People that shop these stores realize they're not going to get *everything* in one stop. They're specialty stores. Whole Foods for "natural" stuff, TJ's for yuppy stuff and Aldi for low priced staples.

I'm not surprised you didn't find green onions, red onion, zucchini and canned green chiles. They do carry a substitute "Rotel" tomato and chilis though. And of course your brand names are pretty much a given, though they do carry diet cola and corn chips, though not the flavor you were looking for. Frankly you could simplify your trip for those two things by picking them up when you get gas and you're not really doing an additional store. Most gas stations carry Diet Rite and Fritos. I'm very surprised you didn't find salsa and shredded cheese. I take it you didn't ask someone about it?

I started making a list of things they have that I would buy. I check my Aldi List before going there, then do an Aldi trip. Although I pretty much do the same for any other store. I keep a price log so I know which stores have better prices on certain things.

Keep in mind, Aldi is about a 10,000 square foot store with about 1400 SKUs as mentioned. They cannot physically carry the variety an 80,000 sq ft common grocery store would nor a 130,000-150,000 sq ft "super store". Their model is to carry bargain basics and some special things. An air conditioner for $60, cast iron pans for $30 and under, flash drives cheap, lawn chairs, and more. But they won't have it all the time. I consider it garage sale shopping in that you never know for sure what you can get, just like I experience at Malwart for that matter! LOL All stores run out. Not all stores carry "everything". They can't. No one store is for everyone, that's why there's so many.

And as I mentioned earlier, rumor has it that Aldi gets its pop/soda from Dr Pepper Snapple Group, who make Diet Rite. Can't verify this yet, but wouldn't surprise me.

BTW, while they don't carry a 100' aisle of various breads, they carry white, wheat, a few buns, and they also have a 12 grain bread that I really like and it's about $1.69. Considering the comparable bread at any other store is $3-$4 there's times I'll make a stop just for a few things that they have that I like better or save me lot. I don't like having to stop at multiple stores to get what I want, but unfortunately these days it's nearly a requirement. I can't get decent produce at a Walmart here, they just don't have it in stock or the quality is SO poor I wouldn't feed it to farm animals. (They don't get anything locally.) Cub and Rainbow are hit and miss. When Aldi has produce, I've had 95% good luck with the quality and of course the prices are substantially less.

I got used to the Aldi concept long before Aldi came into this area. We had a store called Save-A-Lot owned by Nash Finch and it basically was the same concept. No frills, bag your own, store brand mostly and closeouts/special purchases. Again, not the place to buy everything but a great place to save money. I was saddened to see them close but I understand when they saw Aldi moving in, they gave up and closed the doors.

Seriously cynic...are you kidding me? Have you read YOUR posts lately? Isn't that kind of like "the pot calling the kettle black"? You are arguing with me about whether or not my bank charges a fee to use the debit card. I happen to balance my check book each month and there it is, each time I use my debit card at ALDI...A transaction fee! I realized that you are the smartest man on earth and all but you don't balance my checkbook each month. Like my Mom used to say "you'd argue with a sign post".

This post was edited by arkansas_girl on Mon, May 13, 13 at 9:52

LOL arkansas_girl. Easy girl. I merely said "I've never seen where there's a charge to the consumer", which I haven't. Only you would throw a tantrum over that and call it arguing. This rivals your tantrum over ketchup, entertaining though that was. Relax. Or not. You seem to relish shouting and screaming, so enjoy. We'll clear the floor and you can pound your fists and kick your feet if you like, so have at it. HA!

^^ lmao! a ketchup tantrum, seriously? i need to hang around here more often when there's crap on tv. :-)

Two grocery chains we don't have but would like are Aldis and Wegmans. I've been in both and like them a lot. OTOH, my town recently got a Farmers Market on Sundays, so I have access to great produce.

I'd like to see some more traditional sized grocery stores in the area rather than everything having to be a "supercenter" I don't need to buy paint, fan belts and sleeping bags when I want to get some ribs.

the_catalyst, it gets interesting at times. Stop by and watch the drama unfold! :)

. Like my Mom used to say "you'd argue with a sign post".

tee hee