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Status:
"Mistress of finance and foods."
(set 16 days ago)
Location: Coastal Georgia
49,999 posts, read 63,313,910 times
Reputation: 92491
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nmnita
I totally agree: it is so nice to go into a parking lot and not see carts left everywhere. compare Aldi's to say, WalMart or even the local super market, as you mentioned. We do have one small local independently owned store where the box boys take the groceries to the car: I personally love the service. Again no carts left everywhere. There are cart return locations for those who prefer to wheel their own groceries, but rarely do you see a cart in one.
I have to say that our Publix has cart areas in the parking lot, and you very seldom see a stray cart, unless it is pouring rain. They are very prompt about collecting carts and taking them inside.
I have to say that our Publix has cart areas in the parking lot, and you very seldom see a stray cart, unless it is pouring rain. They are very prompt about collecting carts and taking them inside.
to me it also shows classy people shop there. I have even been impressed with the parking lot near where our daughter lives in a small town outside of Orlando. She lives in Windermere.
Well, as a huge ALDI fan, I welcome it's competition, Lidl! I always love having a new place to shop. I personally never go to places like Whole Foods or Fresh Market, they are way too overpriced. I am not that big a fan of Trader Joe's, either. They aren't really that cheap, and I have purchased WAY too much spoiled food there, even spoiled wine! I have never purchased ANYTHING bad/spoiled at ALDI or Publix (my main store.
Very interesting news about Lidl, if ALDI is any indication they will do well here. I live in a small metro area and ALDI just opened their second location.
Well, as a huge ALDI fan, I welcome it's competition, Lidl! I always love having a new place to shop. I personally never go to places like Whole Foods or Fresh Market, they are way too overpriced. I am not that big a fan of Trader Joe's, either. They aren't really that cheap, and I have purchased WAY too much spoiled food there, even spoiled wine!
I have gotten bread from TJ's too many times that grew mold within a day or two of purchase, well before the sell-by date. I also have opened sealed yogurt with green flecks of mold.
I have gotten bread from TJ's too many times that grew mold within a day or two of purchase, well before the sell-by date. I also have opened sealed yogurt with green flecks of mold.
In you local supermarkets in Chicagoland, the bread travels 20-50 miles at the most. At Trader Joe's, MOST of the bread is shipped in from the Boston area. The time of transit for all of their fresh products is far too long to do what they are doing.
Personally, if they were interested in having Midwestern stores, they should have opened a warehouse in the Chicago area to service the entire region. They could source a lot of their product locally and not deal with the logistics issues that they have.
I have gotten bread from TJ's too many times that grew mold within a day or two of purchase, well before the sell-by date. I also have opened sealed yogurt with green flecks of mold.
wow: I have been shopping at both TJs and Aldis for years and have never gotten a thing that was spoiled. When anyone we know is going near TJs I have them bring us 2 loaves of wheat sour dough bread, even though it has almost no preservatives it lasts for a week of so. The second loaf I keep in the freezer until we are ready to eat it. Are they cheap? Well I think it depends on what you purchase. The bread I am talking about is less than $3 a loaf and I don't know anywhere I can get quality bread for the price, but some things are more expensive. I just happen to have my favorite items.
This is the reason we have so many choices: what works for one person doesn't for someone else. This is why I will continue to pray TJs opens up here, we have so many transplants and people are begging for one.
In you local supermarkets in Chicagoland, the bread travels 20-50 miles at the most. At Trader Joe's, MOST of the bread is shipped in from the Boston area. The time of transit for all of their fresh products is far too long to do what they are doing.
Personally, if they were interested in having Midwestern stores, they should have opened a warehouse in the Chicago area to service the entire region. They could source a lot of their product locally and not deal with the logistics issues that they have.
My impression was, they do have warehouses within a certain number of miles from all stores. I know that is what kept them out of Texas for so long; then they moved in and yes, have a warehouse. maybe I was wrong?.
One question about Aldi in Germany. Are they still offering the hot "in the store" baked bread or was that eventually shut down by the German bakery union?
There was a long dispute between Aldi-Süd and the German bakery trade union. They have settled down the dispute last year. The baked good vending machines are still in operation. But Aldi-Süd has announced that they will replace the vending machines with an other concept. Probably similar to the one at Lidl or like the ones at Aldi (Hofer) in Austria.
The installation of those baked good vending machines were probably the biggest misinvestment of Aldi-Süd. It was a more hygienic concept but the selection is rather limited (up to 15 different products). And customers normally want to choose which speciifc croissant or roll they want to buy (e.g. the brighter or the darker one).
Lidl has expanded their stores a little bit to install a larger and more appealing baked good section. It's surely the main reason why Lidl has stronger growth rates in the last couple of years compared to Aldi.
Baked good vening machines at Aldi-Süd in Germany:
I have never been to Germany, but I have heard that store workers in Germany have a very contemptuous, "take it or leave it" attitude toward customers. If a store worker treated me that way I would not shop there.
We have a different mindset here. My favorite store, before I moved, had a conveyor system in which the groceries were sent outside and the customer drove up and they were loaded into their car. So nice, and I have never seen this system anywhere else.
Here, I go to a store where the workers are very friendly and helpful, and always offer to push the cart to my car and load the groceries. Sometimes I say yes, and sometimes I don't, but I appreciate the offer. I will pay more for this kind of ambiance.
There are stores which are very popular, in which the lazy cashiers expect me to put my own bags into my cart, and of course there is no help outside the store. I do not go to these stores very often.
Germany, especially compared to the U.S., is often considered a "Service-Wüste" (service desert)
It's a very different mindset. It's very unlikely that a store worker in Germany would say "hello" (with the exception of the cashier) or ask "can I help you". Most Germans would consider this annoying. We also don't have this small talk thing. For most of us it would be very awkward if a store employee would accompany us to the car. What should I talk with him?
A store worker in Germany operating with a lifting cart would just shout "Watch out!" and it's expected that the customers step aside. And it would be strange if the store worker would say "thank you" to you for stepping aside. And if a customer delay such operations other customers would consider this customer as reckless
Germans are rather thrifty and most people, no matter how rich, wouldn't like to pay for services that seem to be redundant. That's probably the reason why discount stores are so popular over here.
I'm not German-born, and I find "May I help you," when I haven't approached someone for assistance to be annoying. "Hello," is always appropriate, however. I find greetings to be basic etiquette, not small talk.
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