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Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lukas1973
It normally doesn't make a difference whether a product is produced by a name brand or private label manufacturer. Most production facilities produce both name brand and private label products. Not only are private label products produced in facilities operated by name brand manufacturers. Many name brand products are also produced in facilities operated by private label manufacturers. We have many examples in Germany where well known name brand companies have sold some of their facilities to unknown private label manufacturers. The unknown company still produces the products for the name brand company besides private label products. They all try to maximize the utilization of the production facilities. It's also completely normal, that an ex name brand manufacturer quit their name brands (maybe because it's getting to expensive to invest constantly millions in advertising) and start producing private label products. Those companies have grown strongly through the rise of private label products.
The quality of the private label products is defined by the retailer. The quality depends on how much the purchaser is willing to spend.
I can't tell if you've been in US grocery stores but I have noticed that Aldi Nord sells USDA Choice beef in Germany because of their connections to Trader Joe's. That's what I was talking about with the pork & chicken.
I've watched Aldi employees stock pork with Aldi brand labeling coming out of Smithfield shipping boxes. Price some pork products at Aldi then price the same product with Smithfield labeling at regular price at a regular supermarket. The fresh chicken is Tyson. Plain mashed potatoes are Idahoan. Look at the packaging & you can usually narrow it down to whose product it is. Their mesquite turkey lunch meat is Oscar Meyer. Try to find the old-fashioned foil-wrapped Christmas & Easter chocolates at those prices. Not chocolate flavor, it's European chocolate.
Kroger also sells Tyson's chicken under a different label. It's $1.88/lb for chicken breast. Kroger's Private Selection brand is also excellent with extensive selection.
I've read a lot about Aldi. I'm a very careful shopper. I wanted to like it. It's a depressing experience and I don't think the prices are good compared to other stores' sale prices. The chocolate is pretty good but not worth a special trip.
I can't tell if you've been in US grocery stores but I have noticed that Aldi Nord sells USDA Choice beef in Germany because of their connections to Trader Joe's. That's what I was talking about with the pork & chicken.
Aldi-Nord uses the name Trader Joe's for some product ranges:
But all those products are common at almost all grocery chains in Germany. In the same package sizes for the same price. Each grocery chain just uses a different private label name for those products. Most of the nuts (almonds. walnuts, peanuts) are mostly imported from the U.S. That's also the case for dried plums. And of course US beef is imported from the U.S. Aldi-Süd also sells "High quality US Rumpsteak / US Rip-Eye-Steak" Price per kg is 29.99 Euro (about $15 per lb). https://www.discounter-archiv.de/US-...ed_p921151.php
German beef is pretty cheap, but probably also low quality. Higher quality beef is normaly imported from Argentinia, Ireland, France and the U.S. At our most upscale grocery store here in Düsseldorf (Edeka Zurheide), fancy beef filet steak "John Stone" from Ireland is on sale for 79.99 Euro per kg (about $40 per lb) But Edeka has good sales for chicken legs 1.50 Euro per kg ($0.75 per lb) or chicken breast filets 4.40 Euro per kg ($2.20 per lb). That's pretty cheap for Germany. Title of your page
Aldi-Nord also uses the name Trader Joe's for beef steaks from South America, ice tea, muffins, canned fruits, pre cut salads, crisp bread or lamb filet. Those products are surely not imported from the U.S. and aren't sold in these package sizes in the U.S.
I am not entirely sure, but I don't think that there is a single product at Aldi-Nord that has ever seen a TJ's warehouse. Almost no one in Germany knows that there is a chain Trader Joe's in the U.S. For customers at Aldi-Nord Trader Joe's is a good-sounding name for some product ranges.
I've watched Aldi employees stock pork with Aldi brand labeling coming out of Smithfield shipping boxes. Price some pork products at Aldi then price the same product with Smithfield labeling at regular price at a regular supermarket. The fresh chicken is Tyson. Plain mashed potatoes are Idahoan. Look at the packaging & you can usually narrow it down to whose product it is. Their mesquite turkey lunch meat is Oscar Meyer. Try to find the old-fashioned foil-wrapped Christmas & Easter chocolates at those prices. Not chocolate flavor, it's European chocolate.
Most store brands are repackaged from major producers, I know that but to call a chain "discount" when the only way to save is to purchase the limited selection of store named products that is no savings. As for Easter candy what are you talking about?
Most store brands are repackaged from major producers, I know that but to call a chain "discount" when the only way to save is to purchase the limited selection of store named products that is no savings. As for Easter candy what are you talking about?
It's not repacked. The products are directly packed in the production facility into private label packaging. It would be absurd to pack the products first in Tyson packaging, then unpack them and put them into private label packaging.
Discount means that the price for a comparable product is lower than at conventional supermarkets. Of course you save money by shopping in such discount stores. When a same sized bag of frozen broccoli cost 25% less than at Kroger, then of course you have saved money. When I remember correctly, then the average household purchases about 400 different food products per year. That would mean that about 99% of the range at conventional supermarkets are of no interest for the average consumer. Most households would be able to buy about 90% of their food products at stores like Aldi.
I also don't like the term discount store. I think the term "limited assortment grocery chain" makes more sense. The prices at Aldi and other such stores are just reasonable. Those stores just pass their savings to the customers. Under discount I normally understand something like "25% off compared to last week". Or all cans half price, because they are all dented.
It's not repacked. The products are directly packed in the production facility into private label packaging. It would be absurd to pack the products first in Tyson packaging, then unpack them and put them into private label packaging.
Discount means that the price for a comparable product is lower than at conventional supermarkets. Of course you save money by shopping in such discount stores. When a same sized bag of frozen broccoli cost 25% less than at Kroger, then of course you have saved money. When I remember correctly, then the average household purchases about 400 different food products per year. That would mean that about 99% of the range at conventional supermarkets are of no interest for the average consumer. Most households would be able to buy about 90% of their food products at stores like Aldi.
I also don't like the term discount store. I think the term "limited assortment grocery chain" makes more sense. The prices at Aldi and other such stores are just reasonable. Those stores just pass their savings to the customers. Under discount I normally understand something like "25% off compared to last week". Or all cans half price, because they are all dented.
But there isn't a price difference between Aldi and Kroger. And there is no way on earth I could do 90% (or even 50%) of my shopping at Aldi. My guess is Alsi is a poor alternative in Richmond because our grocery prices at regular grocery stores are already very low. So there's no point shipping somewhere with limited selection where you have to bag your own groceries and bring your own bags.
It's not repacked. The products are directly packed in the production facility into private label packaging. It would be absurd to pack the products first in Tyson packaging, then unpack them and put them into private label packaging.
Discount means that the price for a comparable product is lower than at conventional supermarkets. Of course you save money by shopping in such discount stores. When a same sized bag of frozen broccoli cost 25% less than at Kroger, then of course you have saved money. When I remember correctly, then the average household purchases about 400 different food products per year. That would mean that about 99% of the range at conventional supermarkets are of no interest for the average consumer. Most households would be able to buy about 90% of their food products at stores like Aldi.
I also don't like the term discount store. I think the term "limited assortment grocery chain" makes more sense. The prices at Aldi and other such stores are just reasonable. Those stores just pass their savings to the customers. Under discount I normally understand something like "25% off compared to last week". Or all cans half price, because they are all dented.
By repackaged I mean the product coming off the line gets the store brand packaging not the name brand. As for Aldi the limited selection, ridicules policy like paying for a shopping cart and the necessity to choose their brands only to enjoy any savings does not endear them to me.
You like them that's fine but don't act like they are so special because I don't buy it. People used to fuss over Ukrops, yes the ready made foods were nice as was the service but the cost of doing my shopping there was higher than other area markets. Luckily we have a glut of shopping option in the Richmond metro so we can all pick what works for us.
But there isn't a price difference between Aldi and Kroger. And there is no way on earth I could do 90% (or even 50%) of my shopping at Aldi. My guess is Alsi is a poor alternative in Richmond because our grocery prices at regular grocery stores are already very low. So there's no point shipping somewhere with limited selection where you have to bag your own groceries and bring your own bags.
Claiming that there is no price difference between Aldi and Kroger seems absurd to me. There are more than enough elaborated price comparisons between different grocery chains.
For example this one: Kroger vs. Walmart vs. Aldi: Which Is the Cheapest Grocery Store?
In this price comparison Kroger was about 30% more expensive than Aldi and by considering the prices by using a Kroger plus card, still 20% more expensive.
Or just compare the weekly ads for an Aldi store in the Richmond area with the weekly ads for a Kroger store in Richmond. 4 lb sugar at Kroger for $2.19 vs. $1.79 at Aldi. Or an avocado for $0.79 vs. $0.49.
There are also more than enough Aldi food hauls on YT, where people are amazed how much cheaper Aldi is.
It's in my opinion also just logical that Aldi is able to offer cheaper prices. They have a significant lower cost structure. When I remember correctly Aldi has planned 10 stores in the Richmond area. Pretty sure they have done a lot of market research to be sure that they will be successful in Richmond.
There are many reasonable reasons not to shop at Aldi, like:
- I prefer name brands over private label brands. They gave me an emotional added benefit.
- I don't like to shop at several grocery chains.
- I need a huge selection. I hate it when I am not able to choose from several hundreds of different wines.
- I need a butcher and a cheese expert, so I can ask which kind of cheese fits best to my planned dinner.
- I hate the produce section at Aldi because it looks so unappealing.
- I need additional services like a pharmacie, a flower shop or whatever.
- I don't feel comfortable in an Aldi store, because many customers there seems strange to me.
But to claim Aldi isn't cheaper or the quality of Aldi products is substandard, seems absurd to me. I also don't understand why some people have issues with the carts or with bagging their own groceries.
I am also not quite sure about Richmond has lower food prices. Having a wider variety of grocery chains doesn't mean necessarily lower food prices. The competition between just two different grocery chains can be more intense than the competition between 15 different chains.
At least when I compare the weekly ads from different Kroger stores throughout the U.S. I can't see that Richmond has lower food prices. Profit margins in the food retail industry are very thin and it seems difficult how grocery chains in Richmond should be able to offer noticeable lower food prices and still be profitable. There are surely metro areas with higher food prices. But compared to most other metro areas Richmond doesn't seem to have lower food prices. But maybe I am wrong about that, not sure.
By repackaged I mean the product coming off the line gets the store brand packaging not the name brand. As for Aldi the limited selection, ridicules policy like paying for a shopping cart and the necessity to choose their brands only to enjoy any savings does not endear them to me.
You like them that's fine but don't act like they are so special because I don't buy it. People used to fuss over Ukrops, yes the ready made foods were nice as was the service but the cost of doing my shopping there was higher than other area markets. Luckily we have a glut of shopping option in the Richmond metro so we can all pick what works for us.
There are more than enough reasonable reasons not to shop at Aldi:
- I prefer name brands over private label brands. They gave me an emotional added benefit.
- I don't like to shop at several grocery chains.
- I need a huge selection. I hate it when I am not able to choose from several hundreds of different wines.
- I need a butcher and a cheese expert, so I can ask which kind of cheese fits best to my planned dinner.
- I hate the produce section at Aldi because it looks so unappealing.
- I need additional services like a pharmacie, a flower shop or whatever.
- I don't feel comfortable in an Aldi store, because many customers there seems strange to me.
But what I don't understand is this issue that some people have with the carts. Not sure about every European country, but in most countries there is not a single grocery chain without this cart deposit system. When I was a child, about 35 years ago, I can remember that we in German also have carts without this deposit system. Not sure whether this system was first introduced by Aldi or whether it was first introduced in Germany. Not sure, but I don't think that people over here had any issues when this system was introduced. But I can remember that my mum had issues with a deserted cart that bumped into our car. And she also had to cruise around those deserted carts very often.
Most people over here don't use a coin but a small plastic or metal chip to unlock a cart. This chip is connected to your key ring. After you have parked your car and before you put your key ring into your pocket you will take your ship to release a cart. You don't pay anything for the cart.
For me it's ridiculous that a store employee has to collect deserted carts, because some people are too lazy to push the cart back to the corral.
There are more than enough reasonable reasons not to shop at Aldi:
- I prefer name brands over private label brands. They gave me an emotional added benefit.
- I don't like to shop at several grocery chains.
- I need a huge selection. I hate it when I am not able to choose from several hundreds of different wines.
- I need a butcher and a cheese expert, so I can ask which kind of cheese fits best to my planned dinner.
- I hate the produce section at Aldi because it looks so unappealing.
- I need additional services like a pharmacie, a flower shop or whatever.
- I don't feel comfortable in an Aldi store, because many customers there seems strange to me.
But what I don't understand is this issue that some people have with the carts. Not sure about every European country, but in most countries there is not a single grocery chain without this cart deposit system. When I was a child, about 35 years ago, I can remember that we in German also have carts without this deposit system. Not sure whether this system was first introduced by Aldi or whether it was first introduced in Germany. Not sure, but I don't think that people over here had any issues when this system was introduced. But I can remember that my mum had issues with a deserted cart that bumped into our car. And she also had to cruise around those deserted carts very often.
Most people over here don't use a coin but a small plastic or metal chip to unlock a cart. This chip is connected to your key ring. After you have parked your car and before you put your key ring into your pocket you will take your ship to release a cart. You don't pay anything for the cart.
For me it's ridiculous that a store employee has to collect deserted carts, because some people are too lazy to push the cart back to the corral.
Glad you can cut and paste, I saw your previous response. I don't care for Aldi, the selections are too limited, neither them or you get to tell me or anyone else that what they carry is all I need. Please don't compare us to Europe, how they live and shop is very different than here and just because they do it that way doesn't make it better. I agree with wrangling carts from the parking lot but many store prevent you from taking them past a certain distance with stanchions.
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Aldi-Süd also sells "High quality US Rumpsteak / US Rip-Eye-Steak" Price per kg is 29.99 Euro 
(about $15 per lb). 
