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Lidl and Aldi are not supermarkets. They are limited assortment/discount grocers.
That's a weird definition of 'supermarket' that I've never encountered before. They certainly seem to count as supermarkets by the wikipedia definition; could you please post a link to some kind of industry document with your specific definition?
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Trader Joe's is a specialty gourmet grocery store. It would compete against The Fresh Market.
That seems seriously off-base. Trader Joes is cheap and cheerful, Fresh Market is proudly expensive, and has a far wider range of services (think their prepared lunches). Trader Joes is way cheaper than FM, and for most things cheaper than Publix and Harris Teeter. To my mind Trader Joe's is just Aldi with more consistent offerings and a funkier image.
That's a weird definition of 'supermarket' that I've never encountered before. They certainly seem to count as supermarkets by the wikipedia definition; could you please post a link to some kind of industry document with your specific definition?
Limited assortment/discount grocery stores are not supermarkets. They are grocery stores that have a limited assortment of grocery items and/or are focused on price.
Wikipedia is not a credible source for information.
Supermarkets have service departments (bakery, delicatessen, floral, meat, pharmacy, produce, seafood), a front end area with two or more checkout lanes open, have an optional loyalty card program. I do not see Aldi and Lidl stores having them. Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Lowe's Foods, Publix, and Walmart Neighborhood Market have them.
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Originally Posted by CHwboy
That seems seriously off-base. Trader Joes is cheap and cheerful, Fresh Market is proudly expensive, and has a far wider range of services (think their prepared lunches). Trader Joes is way cheaper than FM, and for most things cheaper than Publix and Harris Teeter. To my mind Trader Joe's is just Aldi with more consistent offerings and a funkier image.
I have not seen a Trader Joe's yet closer in similarities to Aldi.
Limited assortment/discount grocery stores are not supermarkets. They are grocery stores that have a limited assortment of grocery items and/or are focused on price.
Wikipedia is not a credible source for information.
Of course. But do you have an alternative credible source you can point me to, like I asked?
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Supermarkets have service departments (bakery, delicatessen, floral, meat, pharmacy, produce, seafood), a front end area with two or more checkout lanes open, have an optional loyalty card program. I do not see Aldi and Lidl stores having them. Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Lowe's Foods, Publix, and Walmart Neighborhood Market have them.
Maybe this is just a regional variation thing, but that is most certainly not a universally-recognised definition of a supermarket. I agree that most American supermarkets do have those things, but many British ones don't. Loyalty cards in particular are a recent invention.
As far as I am concerned, what makes for a supermarket is that it's big and it's self-service.
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I have not seen a Trader Joe's yet closer in similarities to Aldi.
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Originally Posted by CHwboy
Of course. But do you have an alternative credible source you can point me to, like I asked?
Maybe this is just a regional variation thing, but that is most certainly not a universally-recognised definition of a supermarket. I agree that most American supermarkets do have those things, but many British ones don't. Loyalty cards in particular are a recent invention.
As far as I am concerned, what makes for a supermarket is that it's big and it's self-service.
I don't understand this sentence.
Years ago, Aldi's ads identified it as a grocery store. They also stated in their ads that you probably wouldn't do all of your shopping there, but that they would save you a lot of money.
Since Lidl is coming to the US, where retailers micromanage marketing, other than Aldi & Lidl doing serious damage to grocers in the UK, including Walmart-owned ASDA, what difference does it make what the difference is between the UK & the US for grocery shopping, when speaking of German-owned chains?
I don't see the Trader Joe's in Chapel Hill where I shop and the Aldi near Southpoint, where I have been once or twice, in the same league at all. I would put Trader Joe's more in-line with the Fresh Market at Glen Lennox. They don't have a deli, but they do have a grab-n-go section with sushi, wraps, etc., and more gourmet offerings than Aldi. I didn't like Aldi at all and haven't been back. I like TJ's a lot and it's on my regular shopping rotation along with Harris Teeter, Weaver Street, and occasionally Whole Foods. Fresh Market doesn't really make the regular rotation because the others are closer and I find Fresh Market to be a little expensive. TJ's has more gourmet and specialty items than Aldi's and none of the housewares or deposit to use a shopping cart, bag your own groceries, etc.
If a Lidl comes to Durham or Chapel Hill we'll probably try it just to check it out. If Publix or Wegman's makes it over here I'll check it out, too, but I don't anticipate that Wegman's they were talking about over near Lowe's to make the regular cut. It's not on my usual route to anywhere. It's possible if I fall in love with it that I will go out of my way for it, though.
TJ's does a good job of convincing people to buy frozen food, IMHO. I've tried all their sections, but I only buy wine and yogurt.
Actually,a few of their frozen offerings are staples in our home. The frozen sweet corn. I use the frozen French green beans regularly, even for dinner parties - people ask where I bought those "thin string beans." The gyoza are more like dumplings, but delicious (I prefer boiled, but others love them fried. Ignore the microwave directions on the back of the package.) I also like their frozen flat breads (the carmelized onion one, especially, but the truffle and mushroom is very good).
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