Aldi

[soulstar2]

aldi food sucks majorly Im from chicago and grew up on that cheap food...now that i have surpassed the ghetto i get my food from cubs or super walmart........p.s. u can get some good canned foods, snacks, drinks, and household supplies, but don't ever ever, ever ever ever ever, buy meat from there, ok peace.......

[icequeen2008]

Originally Posted by akronbball

Aldi reminds me of other European grocery stores I have been, but is definitely different than store in the US. I did occasionally shop there in college to save some money, but they will not have the selection or variety of a full size grocery store. If you have extra free time and can go to more than one grocery store to get everything you need than it’s a good way to save some money. You are allowed to bring your own bags or I’ve seen people just have boxes in their car that they can put all their groceries.

I dont mind paying for the cart. I think they are all off brands of food so if that doesnt bother you then go for it. Aldi did originate in a foreign country I believe. They have not been in Minnesota very long. But I like their hams and their chips and fruit are great. No complaints here.

[NumberPlate]

I go there once In a while. Its better to carry cash than credit cards or check cards. They accept very few cards. I buy only snacks and chocolates and a couple of times frozen chicken. I stopped buying chicken though. But I have many people just filling up whole card of items and they really seems to be happy. May be they save some money buying so much????.

[NightHawk112005]

Debit cards or cash are accepted. Credit cards are not.

Their brand name items, once gone, will likely not show up again. Their generic items, which make up the vast majority of the store, are carried consistently. Prices will be cheaper than you are used to paying, partially because of the lack of frills you see at other grocery stores.

For instance, to get a cart, you must deposit a quarter to unlock them. Once you lock the cart back up, you get your quarter back. Want a bag? Aldi charges ten cents for each bag you buy, but the bags are strong plastic, so you are encouraged to re-use the bags on future visits. Most brand names will not be found. It's just part of Aldi's way of doing business.

If you are loyal to a brand, you won't want to shop here. If you don't mind generic brands at low prices, you'll be very happy.

[ozzie679]

Aldi opens in St Cloud (Waite Park) next week. I think they will do very well. People are looking to save a buck in this economy. I'll give them a chance.

[Haver]

Aldi is a German company (the predominant grocery chain) which has expanded to much of Europe and North America, with a no-frills reputation and a tradition of being cost-conscious. They're sort of the German version of Walmart but focused mostly on food, and sans Walmart's slimy reputation (thrifty but honest). I've only been one a couple times but my mother swears by them. One thing I like is the Wikipedia article mentions the cashiers have chairs. For that alone I think I'll have to check them out...also a lot of the "oddities" like the cart rental and bag charge is standard in Europe.

[NowInWI]

We've had Aldi stores in Wisconsin for a long time now. I've only shopped there a couple of times over the years, but have found that their private label items are pretty good. As far as meat, I've had their ham before, and it was decent.

[PhilmerPhil]

Aldi is great, they regularly stock pretty much anything you need, only in generic brands that are just as good or better than name brands at almost half the price. They keep it simple and cut corners everywhere to pass the savings on to you.
Here are some examples:
Paying a quarter deposit for your cart allows them to not have to hire a person to collect carts in the parking lot and also means your car wont get dinged up.
Exclusively generic brands means less advertising costs.
Smaller stores means lower rents and fewer staff--there are usually 2-3 people on staff at a time.
Other stores give out free bags, but hide the costs of it in the prices of food, while Aldi charges for bags, giving you the option to bring your own, or like I do, using the boxes they have sitting around.

Like the signs inside say: You only pay for what you take with you. (while other stores have all these hidden costs: bags, cart collectors, reward program administration, advertising) and

[BeckyS]

I shop at Aldi frequently. They are MUCH cheaper on many staples (milk, bread, eggs, cheese, lunchmeat, rice). You will likely not be able to do all of your shopping there but if there is one nearby, it is worth your while to stop there. Because it is such a small store, you can typically get in and out very quickly. A deli-sliced pack of cheese that is $3+ at the regular grocery store is less than $2 at Aldi. Olive Oil is about 1/3 the grocery store price. Carrots, celery, onions are usually a bit cheaper or the same as those regular price at Cub and, in my experience, have a longer shelf life. Nearly all of what they sell is private label and is of a good quality. Their health conscious food line, Fit & Active (?) is very tasty and significantly less expensive than "diet foods" at your standard grocery store. Staples are sometimes cheaper when on sale at your Cub or Rainbow, but it's nice to be able to spend only 20 minutes at the store.

I shop at the Mahtomedi store and it is always clean, well lit and well stocked.

Fun fact: Trader Joe's is owned by Aldi.