How a cheap, brutally efficient grocery chain is upending America's supermarkets

[brooklynite]

CNN

Running a supermarket in America has never been harder.

Profits are razor thin. Online shopping and home delivery are changing the way people buy their food. Dollar stores and drugstores are selling more groceries. Pressures are so intense that regional chains like Southeastern Grocers, the owner of Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo, filed for bankruptcy. Large companies increasingly control the industry, which had long operated as a dispersed network of smaller, local grocers. And even Walmart — the largest player of all — faces new competition from Amazon, which bought Whole Foods in 2017 for almost $14 billion.

But when Walmart’s US CEO Greg Foran invokes words like “fierce,” “good” and “clever” in speaking almost admiringly about one of his competitors, he’s not referring to Amazon. He isn’t pointing to large chains like Kroger or Albertsons, dollar stores like Dollar General or online entrants like FreshDirect and Instacart.

Foran is describing Aldi, the no-frills German discount grocery chain that’s growing aggressively in the United States and reshaping the industry along the way.

New customers may be jolted at first by the experience of shopping at an Aldi, which expects its customers to endure a number of minor inconveniences not typical at other American grocery stores. Shoppers need a quarter to rent a shopping cart. Plastic and paper bags are available only for a fee. And at checkout, cashiers hurry shoppers away, expecting them to bag their own groceries in a separate location away from the cash register.

[SWBTATTReg]

1. I rarely go there...but it's one of the main stores in my area, so reluctantly go there once ...

every two - three months. The prices aren't that great and the biggest drawback? Usually only 1 checkout lane is open. The 25 cents for a cart is returned after you're done w/ the cart and return it from your cart to the cart area so this article is misleading here a bit.

They do have bins of cardboard boxes you can use to pack your groceries in when you get out of the checkout lane ... I leave extra shopping bags in my car too, for when I shop at Aldi's and then get to the car with my groceries, I'll load my groceries into the bags I've left previously in the trunk.

[LisaM]

22. I do most of my shopping by bus or on foot...

This no-bag policy is a huge stress for me.

[cwydro]

46. Carry some lightweight bags.

I lived in Europe for a time, and I became very used to packing my own groceries up and using my own bags.

[LisaM]

71. I do, but then I have to remember to take bags to work...

I mean, it's not impossible, it's just that sometimes when they make these laws, they assume everyone has a car, or uses a car to shop, and not everyone does. And I don't love going to work burdened down like a pack animal because our bus is always crowded and I often don't get a seat, so adding bags to my stuff to carry (purse, lunch, a book) isn't ideal. Just one more thing to worry about.

[jberryhill]

86. So, wait a sec...

I’m trying to understand this.

You do your shopping on foot or by bus. Carrying empty, collapsed shopping bags to work would be burdensome.

But, somehow, carrying filled bags of groceries back from the store is not burdensome?

I mean, if carrying empty bags - which can be quite small if you use the ones that fold or roll up into their own pouch - is a significant inconvenience, then how do you manage to travel with the actual groceries when you’ve bought them? Because there are no circumstances under which empty bags are more difficult to carry than filled ones.

[lunatica]

117. Are you able to get groceries delivered?

You can use an app called Instacart to shop for groceries online. For a yearly fee you can order groceries and have them delivered to you at home. You can choose when to have them delivered, even well into the evening.

I use it for heavy duty shopping and if I want anything between times I can always go to the supermarket myself. I shop Albertsons, but I can shop in half a dozen supermarkets in my area with the app.

I use it because I have tendonitis which makes it physically painful to walk or stand for long periods of time.

[real Cannabis calm]

126. gotcha on that lunatica! AND THEY WON'T GET MY MONEY EITHER!

Imagine, attempting to complete this transaction, using technology, only...

[Retrograde]

79. In my area stores don't provide bags

unless you pay extra for them: it's a law. I've somehow accumulated a number of free promotional bags that I use for groceries. I also have a small foldable nylon bag that stays in my purse for when I'm walking or taking the bus. It's a pain at first, but you can get used to planning ahead. At least my cloth bags are more sturdy than paper or plastic ones.

[Ztolkins]

45. Is this place revolutionary or something in the U.S?

most grocers here in Canada operate this way.

[SoCalNative]

53. Yes

We're used to far more selection than Aldi offers, do not appreciate cart deposits and do not like to bag our own groceries.

[cwydro]

68. Every grocery I've been to in Europe is this way too.

Americans are spoiled lol.

The kvetching and carrying-on here when anyone has to bag their own groceries is hysterical.

[Recursion]

132. Yeah, that's just "a grocery store" in France, too (nt)

[Siwsan]

2. I do the vast majority of my grocery shopping at Aldi's

I can get most of what I need, and quite a bit of what I want, for less than I pay pretty much anywhere else.

One afternoon I got in line behind a woman with an overflowing shopping cart. Anywhere else, I'd have had a long, tiresome wait. At Aldi's, the checker had everything scanned an into another cart, in no time.

The Aldi's I shop at is right across the street from a Super Walmart, and Aldi's never lacks for customers.

[rainin]

27. How's their organic produce and grass fed meat selection?

[Siwsan]

30. They have a pretty nice organic produce selection - veg and fruit

Also a good selection of organic groceries. And they have one of the best prices on grass fed beef I've ever seen.

[Freethinker65]

33. They have some of both actually. And a decent gluten free line. Unrefined organic coconut oil, etc.

Not as many options as a Whole Foods type store for organic and grass fed, but they do have it.

We often get such items close to the sell date donated to our local food pantry. I think because the organic and grass fed stuff has a higher price, many ALDI customers' budgets can not afford them, but as word gets out, that will change.

[Thekaspervote]

34. It's good! I do 90+ percent of my shopping at Aldi

Lots of choices for those wanting organics and meats

[Siwsan]

52. They have a pretty nice organic produce selection - veg and fruit

Also a good selection of organic groceries. And they have one of the best prices on grass fed beef I've ever seen.

[Recursion]

133. It's the same as their "upscale" sibling Trader Joe's

There's also this really amusing dry goods section usually in the center of the store with... well, you never can predict what. Backpacks. Sweaters. Filing cabinets. Slinkies. You seriously never know what's going to be there, and I have no idea what their sourcing system is but it's always fun to be surprised.

[bigbrother05]

3. Lived in Germany 8 of the last 15 years, it's refreshing to get in & out fast

If you're addicted to a particular brand of catsup, go to a typical supermarket.

Aldi has the necessities and good quality, you pay for what you need and little more.

Even in Germany the larger stores abound and succeed, but Aldi is a constant throughout southern Germany. Their sister chain from the north owns Trader Joe.

[katmondoo]

6. I never shop at Trader Joe's

Had several bad experiences with bad food there. No butcher, so where does their meat come from all prepackaged.

[Rambling Man]

12. The same place ALL meat comes from

on trucks from factory farms.

[Codeine]

75. From a butcher.

Just not a butcher in the same building as the store. Most grocery stores carry prepackaged meat from commercial meat cutting operations.

[samnsara]

9. i did not know that!...

...well I LOVE Trader Joes.. the closest one to us is in Seattle. Where else can you get 2 Buck Chuck? They also had a great Tempernillo there for cheap! Something about Pigs flying.

[GoCubsGo]

4. I love Aldi.

They usually have the best produce prices in town, although they don't have a lot of exotic items. It's a great place for staple items. I always bring my own bags, regardless of where I shop, so I couldn't care less if they charge for bags. They sell reusable ones, and they're inexpensive, just like everything else they sell. I just wish we'd get a Lidl in town, too. Same deal, different chain.

[HopeAgain]

20. We shop there too...

and I agree they have better produce than Trader Joe's or Publix and much cheaper. I think they get their produce locally. I keep a quarter in the console and everybody in the family knows not to touch the Aldi cart Quarter. Where I am the staff is actually very friendly and helpful.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. I have to say. Aldi's depresses me.

Prices are great, but the store near me is dark, small and miserable. It seems to be policy of the checkout clerks to shout customers through as soon as possible.

Just not a very pleasant place to shop, in my opinion.

Yes, I know. Publix spoils me.

[Freethinker65]

10. Many Aldis near me in the Chicago area have been, or are being, remodeled.

They are still bring your own bags and pack your own type places, but a great improvement from the bare bones, harshly lit, cash only Aldis of only a few years ago.
We even have one relatively close by with an in store bakery. I have noticed prices can be different at different Aldis, with prices of a gallon of milk or a dozen eggs varying by 20% or more.

I have heard check out clerks are monitored for speed and efficiency, and the starting pay is much better than many retailers in the area. I also believe they provide benefits to employees.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

13. They actually tried remodling ours.

It's still depressing.

Not quite Walmart level depressing, but still depressing enough.

My wife likes to get croissants for cheap there, so I'll end up going once in a while. But never really on my own. Just doesn't appeal to me.

[Blue_true]

87. I tried an Aldi after friends raved about the store chain.

I agree with you. I prefer a well laid out traditional grocery store or a health food store, even though the prices are higher.

[Thekaspervote]

36. We have one of the remodeled upscale stores. Has a fresh market or sprouts feel to it

[Blue_true]

85. Wow, I'm impressed. You can detect a 20% difference in already low prices?

That is really impressive. I am a pretty clueless shopper other than I get what I want, but the price differences , I never notice, likely because I am single and have enough money (both), if I fed a family or a spouse maybe things would be different.

[Freethinker65]

111. It just seems odd to me that whole milk will be $1.88 at one Aldi and almost $2.50 a few miles away

I notice stuff like not. I am not saying I will drive three miles to "save" 50 cents on milk! It's just that I think most other chain grocery stores have more consistent pricing on their products if located in the same general shopping area.

[Blue_true]

112. I was not decrying what you noticed. I think that it is very astute. I don't have remotely

that level of awareness when grocery shopping or even shopping for clothes. Surprisingly, I do have it with shoes, but a pair of shoes May last me 5-15 years, based upon their purpose and frequency of wear (high level dress shoes last the longest because I wear them the least).

[samnsara]

11. i feel that same way about both! Love Publix but could only shop it..

..when I visited family in Tenn..bright open airy clean...Aldis was small dark and dank. Anything at Aldis I can have shipped from Amazon in a day anyway. Publix was a shopping experience ( all those great samples!) Aldis was a place to go when i was being punished.

[Thekaspervote]

57. You do know that Publix gives bigly to the republicans

[Tommy_Carcetti]

61. I know that. Most big corporations do.

As an objective shopping experience, however, they are quite blissful.

And there just aren't any practical alternatives to Publix, either. There are only a few Winn Dixie stores here and there, Fresh Market and Whole Foods which are expensive, Aldi's and Trader Joes which are small, limited and niche, and Walmart.

Publix is far ahead of the curve on all of them.

[forgotmylogin]

70. Well, if you're there to take wedding pictures I agree.

I like that you can get through Aldi quick and fast because it's smaller and wastes no space - you want green beans, you pick up a can of the one type they sell and you're done. I spend half the time I do in a big grocery. A lot of the stores are old, but they are now remodeling them.

I don't think some people understand the concept that you can go to more than one grocery store, and often it is more economical to do so. Aldis is the best place for staples - eggs, milk, butter, baking supplies and oil; frozen, canned and boxed food - especially if you have kids who aren't discerning whether their fruit snacks are $3.99 a box, or $1.59 a box. I personally don't always like their produce, but since I save money at Aldi, I don't feel bad about making a separate produce-run at the expensive fancy store.

The employees at Aldi all know how to run the entire store and that's efficient. Cashiers have always been friendly to me in the brief 30 seconds it takes them to ring up my cart. Aldi products have barcodes on every side so they can do it really fast. I also keep a hard plastic grocery basket with 3 or 4 cloth bags in it in my trunk and the "permanent Aldi quarter" in my driver's side cupholder!

They also have some pretty amazing gourmet selections there. Trader Joe's is essentially a bigger version of the gourmet section of Aldis

[Codeine]

76. The locations I've been to in Southern California

have been uniformly nice, if a bit spartan. Certainly well-lit at least. Their expansion here is very recent so it’s all new buildout.

[GusBob]

129. I fucking hate Publix

Way too expensive

And please dont take this personally, I hate shopping there because stuck up people expect to be spoiled

You dont see too many hard working types there.

[samnsara]

7. there was a small one in Gallatin Tenn when i visited my dtr..

....it wasnt very clean..the fruit and veggies werent the freshest. yep we had to rent a damn 25 cent cart (we usually handed it off free to an incoming customer) but i didnt mind the grocery bag thing. My Washington State county has a ban on them any way i have about a gazillion grocery bags. We didnt go there to save money..only for convenience. It wouldnt be my first 'go to' store of choice.

[Recursion]

134. You get your quarter back when you return the cart (nt)

[corbettkroehler]

8. Aldi U.S. Matches Or Exceeds Quality Of Mainline Competitors For The Products It Carries

at, or well below, prevailing prices - all while paying a much higher starting wage than the big boys. I'd shop there exclusively if it carried all items I need.

[snowybirdie]

14. Enjoy shopping at Aldi

The stores aren't massive with lots of walking. We seniors appreciate that. Can get most staple items and a quick check out. Only thing I don't care for are it's paper products. But it's Winking Owl Wine is excellent and only about $2.50 a bottle!

[appleannie1943]

15. I get most of my produce and many other items at Aldi's

I live on SS so shopping at Aldi's, I can now afford to eat fresh vegetables and fruits instead of canned or frozen. I still get most of my meat and lunchmeat at the store across the road that has been here for years but by looking at the flyers for both stores and buying sale items at both, I can add a few items I never could afford before Aldi's. I don't mind bagging my own groceries and try to use cloth bags and freezer bags no matter where I shop. By bagging my own, I can sort it while bagging it and simply carry it to the right cupboard, freezer or fridge.

[steventh]

16. I love Aldi prices, lower than Lidl and Walmart.

It's no big deal to pop a quarter in the slot to get the shopping cart, do shopping, return the cart to the cart area, get your quarter back. That way Aldi doesn't have hike prices to cover the cost of hiring extra staff to round up carts which were left all over the parking lot.

The low cost gardening tools are mostly great quality. I have a trowel from Aldi that's going strong after 10+ years.

[SoCalNative]

58. Why would they hire extra staff to round up carts?

That's part of what baggers and stock clerks do. Yes, I know they don't have baggers there, so one more strike against them for me.

[Lucky Luciano]

17. Bringing your own bags and packing them is the European way. We are spoiled by the full service!!

[SoCalNative]

59. Yes, and I hated that

when I lived there.

[Lucky Luciano]

73. Agreed. I prefer tge full service! nt

[flyingfysh]

18. I tried a local Aldi

I saw almost no brands that I recognize. I tried getting some boxes of breakfast cereal, and they were fine. I saw a comment somewhere that their cereals are actually manufactured by one of the large brands we all know, but I don't remember which one.

The quarter for the shopping cart gets refunded when you add it to the available cards. Just attach it to the row of cards, and you get the quarter back. This means that the store doesn't have to pay anyone to roam the parking lot rounding up carts.

It's definitely worth going back to.

[Yavin4]

19. It's a German chain. Not a French one.

Of course it's depressing.

[SunSeeker]

26. LOL

[JCMach1]

104. Still waiting for Carrefour to arrive and say bye to Walmart

[Recursion]

135. Just wait til Pickard hits the US

You'll never go to another frozen section again.

[customerserviceguy]

115. You stated it well! n/t

[H2O Man]

21. Recommended.

These are being constructed in even the small hamlets in my region of upstate New York. The food they sell is almost completely the starchy food that is associated with low-income diets in America. I refuse to enter one.

[AirmensMom]

56. Ours has a lot of fresh produce.

Some of it is organic and some is not, but it is of higher quality than what we can get at the other stores.

[xmas74]

119. Not necessarily.

I've shopped there for years. They have decent produce that isn't as waxy as most big box stores. It doesn't have as long a shelf life but I've learned to consider it a good thing.

Staples are a decent price: milk, eggs (though I usually get those from a coworker), flour, oil, etc. I recently bought some quinoa for $2.99. The same amount at a local big box (Country Mart) was over $6.00. I don't buy many canned goods except for tomato sauce, canned plum or romas and canned beans but the price is good on all. I like the ease of cannelloni or garbanzos for salad, pints for refried and love having kidneys in stock when it's cold.

I don't buy all my meat but they do have some decent prices. Seafood goes on sale often, good deals on bacon and grass fed beef, and they offer rack of lamb for a good deal during the holidays. Every couple of months butter drops from around 2.00 a pound to 99 cents and we stock up. Oh, and they have great prices on cheese.

There's plenty of crap but just steer around it and you'll find plenty of good things too. Did I mention coconut oil for under 4.00?

[Kurt V.]

23. you never know what the center aisle sale will be. it could be a power tool or a pup tent. :)

[mcar]

40. I love the center aisle!

Always a surprise.

[Kurt V.]

67. one of these days they'll have a pony there.

[mcar]

82. And there will be people buying it

[Pluvious]

24. I'm telling you another thing you'll see vanish there soon: using credit cards

Here in America we're way behind the adaption curve in using "electronic money" with QR codes and our smart phones.

VISA just KILLS merchants with their percentage fees and settlement delays.

I can send a friend in Europe a $1000 worth of XRP in four seconds, at the cost of $0.0001 - and it's settled and done; posted to the public ledger.

NO middle men (like PayPal), no charge backs, just instantly settled.

Any wonder that Starbucks is partnering with the NYSE's sister company BAKKT - a new start up crypto exchange ?

Whole foods is already working with Gemini exchange for the future.

Changes are coming

[forgotmylogin]

72. I remember Aldi didn't even used to accept debit cards.

Not paying fees were another cost-saving measure, but now they are so ubiquitous they accept debit only. And they charge NO FEE on their end for cash back.

And no coupons, it wastes time, and everything there is already inexpensive.

[Codeine]

102. XRP? nt

[Ms. Toad]

105. Not likely.

They've gone the other way since they started opening around here. It used to be cash only, but now they accept credit cards.

[pdsimdars]

25. Hey, you get your quarter back for the shopping cart. It just ensures you bring it back.

Also, they have good quality stuff for a lot less. The one that comes to mind for me is a dozen eggs for 88 cents. Good eggs My doctor says I can eat all I want just not the yolks. Love Aldis

[SunSeeker]

29. Wow. Wish I had an Aldi's nearby. nt

[jberryhill]

88. Or you can just pass the cart along

At the Aldi’s near me, there is always a magic cart.

The magic cart is one with a quarter in it, that someone passes to you when they come out. Then, when you are done shopping, you are obligated to pass the magic cart to someone else.

[pdsimdars]

89. Yes, that has happened a number of times. It's nice.

[CaptainTruth]

28. I like Aldi, especially with my food allergy.

I'm allergic to soy, & soybean oil is in just about all the big-brand products that contain oil.

A typical grocery might have 100 different breads, & maybe 1-2 I can eat. 100 different crackers, maybe 1-2 I can eat. 100 different salad dressings, maybe 1-2 I can eat.

Aldi always has a good selection of soy-free chips & crackers.

[Politicub]

31. Aldi nerd here. I save so much money on groceries.

It's hard to shop in a regular store after switching to Aldi; things seem so expensive at Kroger or Walmart.

[LisaM]

32. When I think back to what our grocery stores were 20 years ago and what they are now...

I could cry. We used to have an extremely pleasant local chain - QFC - which was later bought by Kroger. They opened some new stores in the Seattle area a while back and they were wonderful, they carried everything, the cashiers were well-paid and I would get to know them, there were plenty of checkout lanes, and they all had great fresh flowers, seating areas where you could get a cup of coffee or read the paper, etc.

Now our local QFC is almost scruffy (it doesn't help that a few years back, Washington state changed its liquor laws and they went from state-owned stores to being in grocery stores). They need an armed guard at times to safeguard the liquor. Produce often runs out. Local brands are vanishing in favor of Kroger brands. The seating areas - indoor and outdoor - are long gone (partly because there is a huge homeless problem in Seattle, I assume, but also so that they can carry liquor). Don't get me wrong, I buy liquor, but it was no problem to get hard liquor at the state store and beer and wine at the grocery.

I haven't even been to Whole Foods since Amazon bought it and I don't intend to, but I do miss it - great people working at the meat counter, a wonderful selection of local brands, again, the fresh flowers, the salad bar and deli items. I don't how much of that Amazon has changed but I hear stories of how they're stressing our former Whole Foods employees with their quotas and so on, and it makes me furious.

Sometimes I look at the empty shelves in the store - and I realize that maybe except for a couple of exceptions for bad weather, or hot dog buns on Memorial Day weekend - I'd never encountered empty shelves at a grocery store. Obviously they were going to be re-stocked in a few days, or I could even go to another store, but it really got me thinking about what people in countries with actual food shortages face. And the empty shelves are a reflection of this cutting back to the bone.

I get that some people have a financial necessity to shop in a store where they save money and I respect that. But I don't mind paying a little more for better, or local, brands, or so that people can earn a good living as a cashier, etc.

I would never order groceries online by choice - I like to cook, and I like good ingredients, and picking them out myself, so this change really hits home with me. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.

[dalton99a]

35. Their Choceur chocolates are cheap and good

[mcar]

37. Love Aldi's

I can get a whole organic chicken for 1.49/lb.

[OneCrazyDiamond]

38. Anyone know if they have union workers? n/t

[Codeine]

90. No. nt

[xmas74]

120. No.

I wish they did but most chains don't anymore.

My kid recently applied for a part time gig and they were starting around $13 an hr-far more than any other grocery stores in the area. They also offered decent benefits. Her only problem was she didn't have the availability they needed because she usually has morning classes.

[Demit]

39. Love Aldi's. It doesn't have everything you need, but you get so much for so much cheaper.

I go there first and what they don't have I just go get at my usual chain. It's worth bagging your own groceries. And who doesn't bring their own bags these days! The one I shop at has cheerful checkout people and friendly helpful staff. So glad I discovered it.

[TomVilmer]

41. Aldi had to change everything to work in Denmark

They tried to be full discount here, with dirty shops and real bad product like only UHT milk - and failed. They are still here, but now with shops, products and pricing like any other supermarket.

[Scalded Nun]

42. Great store (Lidl as well)

Shopped there frequently for decades in Germany. Other smaller grocery stores chains too.

Walmart came in about 15 years ago and tried their shit. They were told point blank they were not allowed to run other stores out of business with their scorched earth pricing. They pulled up stakes a few years later. They have not been missed.

Deposit on shopping carts is everywhere over there.

[George II]

43. We have two in our area. They're great. I've been meaning to post that for anyone.....

....on a tight budget their prices are unbelievable. We go at least once a week (just went there yesterday)

A few examples:

A loaf of bread is $0.89 exactly the same as that sold in our IGA store at $1.89
A gallon of milk is $2.09, minimum of $3.49 everywhere else, and they have a fresher supply
A dozen eggs are $1.09 vs. $2.20
Grape tomatoes $1.29 vs. $2.99
Orange juice $1.99 vs. $2.99 on sale
Squeeze bottle of mustard is $0.89 exactly like the one you'd get at a supermarket at $2.50 or so.

All of their items are probably produced by the same producers that do the big chains, but no name brands.

Sometimes the line looks long, but it goes much faster than one thinks. Their system is great, they scan items and they go right in the shopping cart, then you leave your cart at the cashier for the next customer.

The quarter for the shopping cart saves them the cost of hiring someone to run around the parking lot collecting carts. When you bring it back the line of carts near the entrance you get the quarter back.

[Honeycombe8]

44. We don't have an Aldi anywhere near. I went to one in another city, though.

I was not impressed. I left w/o buying anything and went to a regular grocery store.

[nocoincidences]

47. We had an Aldi and a Lidl

open within a few blocks of us, and I have only been to the Aldi once.

I LOVE the Lidl! Their prices are wonderful, they have terrific food from Europe in addition to all the American staples I want, and at my Lidl, the staff is super friendly and feels like family. The other shoppers are so happy to be there that we all talk to each other and recommend this or that, and we have never met before.

It's actually a fun trip to go my local Lidl.

[hunter]

48. I've shopped at Aldi when we've lived in places that have them.

There's none where we live now, in a predominantly Mexican-American community.

Here we've got Foodmaxx and the Grocery Outlet for inexpensive food.

If you can't afford those then there are many throw-a-few-chicken-feet-in-the-stew markets that are indistinguishable from any you'd find in Mexico.

But bulk rice still costs less at Costco.

I've been impoverished in my life. I always sleep better when there's plenty of rice in my pantry. For any meal rice is good.

Rice, dumpster-dived-taco-sauce-packets, edible wild and weedy greens, you've got yourself a meal.

[NickB79]

49. 3 new ones have gone up within 15 miles of me in the past 10 yr

Really like them, especially since I largely buy store-brand products anyway at bigger grocery stores, so I'm not scared to try generics.

The newer and remodelled ones around here are very bright, clean and well-organized.

[SoCalNative]

50. I don't care for Aldi

Glad there aren't any in my immediate area (yet). Never shopped at them when I lived in Europe either.

[ancianita]

51. My husband's been going there, but I'll put a stop on that. There has to be some respect for the

buyer. The "give me your money and leave" treatment is not my idea of respecting the consumer in a transactional situation.

[Thekaspervote]

60. So you don't like scan and go either?

[ancianita]

63. Hate it. I want humans earning a paycheck at checkouts. Someone who validates consumers

without whom their company wouldn't even be in business.

PR and profit start with people.

[Codeine]

91. Why does there have to be "respect"?

I give them money, they give me stuff. I don’t need a smile and pretend friendliness. Getting the customer away from the register more rapidly means faster lines and lower prices.

[ancianita]

93. It's my preference. To me, it's a working class thing. "Respect" is attached to a human's view of

work. If they're alienated, don't see my money as a working class value. But I don't care. It's all very transitional AI to me.

I don't need validation cues, either. I just need to know that a human being is earning currency for a job.

No amount of customers away from registers helps me to help the working class. I don't give a shit about faster lines and lower prices.

Guess you're more capitalist than me.

[Codeine]

95. More capitalist?

Perhaps busier and more broke would be the accurate description. Also with no desire whatsoever to interact with anyone in such a meaningless transactional encounter. Money —> Groceries —> Done.

[ancianita]

97. That's pretty much the alienated worker's outlook when captured by management. Read more Marx

on alienation.

Want to go with AI? Cool.

Get back to us humans on how that all works out for you.

[DetlefK]

127. So... How much emotional connection between customer and cashier is appropriate?

Your goods come up to the cashier.
"G'day."
"G'day."
"That will be $XX.XX"
"Here."
"Thanks."
"Thanks."
Aaaand you're off.

Are cashier and customer supposed to engage in small-talk that neither of them cares about, just so the OTHER people in the queue can be forced to wait longer?

If you were the cashier, how much emotional investment would you put into a customer you see once a week for 1 minute?

[ancianita]

128. It's not about "emotional investment" or making people in a queue wait. It's about neighborliness.

The context of the human-to-human exchange counts, for sure. No one purposely holds up lines for catch-up chats.

Nowhere do you seem to recognize non-verbal cues of friendliness that can add up over time.

Friendly contact over time does create a climate of familiarity, a trust that good will, help or effort exist in a neighborhood. Most people can tell you stories of people who, being familiar with them through just minimal, but regular contact, offered attention to their bag, watched their child, etc., while they ran to a restroom; or helped them change a tire when they saw them on a roadside; or started conversations later when encountering each other in different settings like parks, restaurants, diners, shops, etc., that might start a casual friend network. People are a wealth of experience, and short exchanges over time build constructive potential of what becomes community, and not just a desert of strangers.

When politics hit the fan, they can meet and talk of more collective goals to improve their spheres of life.

I don't take an either-or approach to shopping. When stores are busy, short-handed, or you're in a hurry, you go with the machine. When pace is slow at checkouts, people smile, make jokes, share interests at the expense of no one else.

It's just humans valuing humans. If it's always just about you, then communities don't happen.

There's a lot more to this, and I've got stories, etc., but I'll stop.

[earthshine]

54. Aldi rocks!

Best weekly food shopping experience for me. Great prices and quality!

[ancianita]

96. Nope. You're doing the downward spiral of not supporting your fellow working class humans.

I'm not going to explain right now, because you should be able to understand monopolistic impacts on humans' incomes.

It's not about you. It's about US.

[Recursion]

136. Aldi pays more and offers better benefits than any major chain

So, no, you have that backwards

[The Genealogist]

55. I shop at Aldi regularly

Some of their products are excellent, some are dismal. They also carry random stuff there. On my recent visit to the one near me, they had no bread and no cottage cheese, and the few bananas they had looked like they had been picked from the tree that day. But they did have a big bin of large clamps used in a wood shop. I've not been to Aldi that I didn't have to also go to another store to get at least a couple of items I needed.

[Recursion]

137. That's another European thing I'm trying to get used to

I have two greengrocers on my block (this is just outside Paris). They're great, and cheap, but what they have today is what they have today, so that's what I cook tonight. It takes more flexibility than I'm used to in the States where I would buy groceries on Sunday and plan the weeks' meals out. Instead I buy meats at the butcher on Sunday and then depending on what veg looks good each day, that's the veg with dinner that night.

Also, even the larger grocery stores don't really even bother having a bakery section. Everybody's got a baker on their block. You don't keep veg or bread sitting around (the kitchens and refrigerators are too small); you buy what you want to eat that day.

[Heartstrings]

62. The reason their check out seems so efficient is because, it is!

Take a look at any item you purchase at Aldi's....there are multiple UPC bar codes located on the item so the store clerk doesn't need to waste time trying to find the barcode, it's usually however they swipe it.
Genius actually!
There starting wage is $11.00, not sure if they're union.
We have a brand new one and I love it! The middle aisle is the best, you just never know what you'll find!!

[xmas74]

123. My kid interviewed a few weeks ago

And they told her starting was almost 13 now, since Walmart bumped up to 11.

Not union though but none of the stores around me are union.

[AirmensMom]

64. We shop at Aldi every week.

They have fresh produce, much of it organic and good quality. Their organic milk, yogurt, etc., is much cheaper than what we can get anywhere else. And they have very good chocolate at great prices. I don't understand the reluctance of people to "rent" the shopping cart or bring their own bags. We keep quarters in our cars as well as reusable grocery and produce bags. Problem solved.

One of the "secrets" to the quick checkout is that their products have UPC codes in several locations, so the cashiers don't have to waste time looking for them. I've always found the service to be friendly and efficient. The lines may be long, but they move quickly.

[cynatnite]

65. We'll have one close to our new place when we move...

It's okay. Not very big and doesn't have everything we like. Prices are decent, too.

You get the quarter back when you return the cart. Plus you can take in your own bags which I usually only need one.

[FailureToCommunicate]

66. Aldi, and sister company Trader Joes, are both great. I just wish there were an Aldi

nearer to me.

[Meowmee]

69. I won't shop anywhere

That makes me pay for a shopping cart, looks ugly and or is dirty and does not cater to me- the customer who is spending money there. Mostly I shop at WF, Stopnshop and sometimes a couple of others if they have something I need. These are the main stores that carry what I need. Also B)s and Costco more for household items but they carry some foods I can eat as well. After shopping in a beautiful store like my WF, that carries what you need you don’t go back.

[Codeine]

92. You don't pay for the cart,

you get your quarter back when you return it.

The stores I’ve been in have all been clean.

I personally find the notion that people demand others “cater” to them offensive on some level. As long as everyone is doing their basic job then that should be good enough; requiring more smacks of forelock tugging.

[Meowmee]

113. I find it ridiculous that that is a thing at all- putting a quarter in so I can use a cart-

It is crazy imo. I have enough to deal with and I will not do that. There is nothing offensive about what I said at all. The problem is within you that you would feel the need to say that it is. Service biz is about doing a good job for the customer so I go to the stores that do that who also stock the things I need. Any biz that forgets that the customer is the reason they exist is not a good biz imo

[DeminPennswoods]

116. They charge to ensure the carts are returned and not left in

the parking lot. But at my local Aldi's plenty of people will just hand their cart over to someone else after they're done unloading.

[Meowmee]

131. Yes I mean it is only a quarter

So that works, I rarely have any change anyway.

[xmas74]

124. The quarter cuts down on employees chasing down carts.

It also cuts down cart theft and damage from stray carts hitting vehicles.

[Meowmee]

130. It also takes away someone's job

Sorting carts and I doubt it passes on any real savings to customers. For some that may be the only job they can do or it is a supplement to their income. I have physical reasons to need a cart and to not have to take it back and it is just a hassle overall. I actually like places that have carts all over because I can get one right away and use it to carry my very heavy purse(s). Anyway to each their own. I have noticed an Aldis nearby and I may visit it just to see what it is like. If I am not able to get the cart back I will just lose my quarter if I have one, otherwise I will bring a rolling bag.

[wishstar]

74. I like Aldi but almost every time I am charged more for items than the posted price.

They have lots of good quality produce and great prices and many items I like. But I have gotten on a first name basis with all of their employees who are very friendly and nice for years because so often their items ring up more than the posted sign and the way they check you out so fast, you never know until they are done and give you the receipt.

This never happens to me at Walmart, but occasionally at Whole Foods, Harris Teeter and others. But Aldi is worst for prices ringing up too high and they do not have a manager desk so the clerks have to ring the manager to come up from the back to approve the refund. However, their prices are so low especially on fruit and we have many favorite items only available there and it is the closest store at only a mile from my house, so we put up with the pricing problem. I carry my own insulated zipper bag for cold stuff and for the rest I use their empty boxes that I throw in my recycle later, so I don't mind the cart rent and no free bag policy.

[Blue_Tires]

77. I went a couple of times and was underwhelmed

prices were good, but they seemed to have just ONE employee on duty for the whole place?

So I had to wait for her to finish re-arranging some produce for her to check me out...

[cp]

78. Aldi convert

Aldi has much of what I need, at lower prices than other grocery stores. I just go there first, and what I can't find there, I get elsewhere. The produce and cheeses are very good. At Christmas time, they have wonderful German cookies and treats like stollen. I'd say they are smartly efficient. Their employees earn more than at the other grocery stores, which is a big plus.

[TheBlackAdder]

80. I shop there several times a month. Good steaks and food for Keto diet. Raspberries moldy on shelf.

[Codeine]

101. To be fair

every time I’ve purchased raspberries anywhere for the last few years they’ve been moldy somewhere in the batch. Pretty much don’t even bother anymore.

[TheBlackAdder]

109. I get good batches from ShopRite, a local farm market, and believe it or not, Target.

[xmas74]

125. I asked an employee the best days for produce.

Different in every area but they will usually tell you.

Since then no problems with bad produce.

[smirkymonkey]

81. One of the things that kind of sucks about living in the middle of a city with no car is

not having access to stores like this or the other less expensive grocery stores. Almost every supermarket is extremely expensive, and the only things that are close to me are Whole Foods or high-end boutique grocers and over-priced convenience stores. I have groceries delivered sometimes from Peapod (Stop and Shop) but even they are expensive compared to some of these other stores.

When I go to visit my sister up in Maine and go shopping with her we often go to Market Basket, which is a great supermarket with shockingly low prices (compared to what I am used to) and a great selection. I feel like I spend so much on food and get so little mileage for it.

[MicaelS]

83. I am really surprised at the number..

Of positive reviews of Aldi. The one time I shopped there in Ft Worth, I hated it. Small, very little selection, and much of that was Aldi brand. I would much rather shop Kroger.

[Codeine]

98. We have two Kroger chains in my area;

Ralph’s is pricier but nice while Food4Less is warehouse-style value-oriented. I deal with both as a vendor and shop in both as a customer and it’s a pretty decent experience either way.

[Jake Stern]

84. Gotta ask. . . .

Do Aldi's in America come with that middle aged guy who does the fake throat clearing thing and angry wrist tap because apparently he's got super duper important shit he needs to do and you're too slow for his ultra efficient German sensibilities?

What a crazy place, Germany - they get pissed if it takes more than 30 seconds to check out but are totally okay with waiting 2 months for an appointment to turn in a single document.

[Codeine]

100. You say "ultra-efficient German sensibilities"

like it’s a bad thing! I try not to do it in public but I know I drive my kids crazy with that stuff. I feel like everyone around me is moving at half-speed all the time — GO FASTER! MACH SCHNELL, MOTHERFUCKER!!

[Jake Stern]

114. "Sir, pack your purchases over zair! Hurry, please!"

[jcgoldie]

94. Stripped down without the name brands and the frills...

Cheap prices and great produce. Yes please. Aldi is where we shop... except for booze.

[JCMach1]

103. Dislike Aldi's with a passion

Fortunately I live in an area with everything close by and spread my shopping between Walmart, Marketplace.(upscale United brand), Kroger, and Dollar Tree.

I hate putting my little quarter in the cart, I hate packing groceries and I hate how they pack produce... So,.just.no thanks

[kcr]

108. Same, except different list of options for me

I realize how lucky I am, but outside of economic reasons, it's still hard for me to understand the appeal of Aldi's.

[hatrack]

106. Quickly becoming our go-to for most items . . .

Newly remodeled store, speedy checkout, and we don't really mind having to take in our own bags.

Most of the things i buy there are 40-50% less than comparable items at the local grocery chains, and they're every bit as good as name-brand items at local chains.

Produce is a little thin, and they don't have the kind of bulk items that Costco has, but I frankly don't care.

[Irishxs]

110. Love Aldi! Shop for basics there first, then I have less to buy at Kroger.

[JI7]

121. i thought Aldi's seemed pretty crappy

and it's not because i need something fancy and high end because i like trader joe's and farmer's markets.