I'm still fairly new to Ciao, but I'm doing well and hope to start writing some more ops soon! Zupkf...
I'm still fairly new to Ciao, but I'm doing well and hope to start writing some more ops soon! Zupkfa :)
Member since:07.09.2002
Reviews:2
Members who trust:5
Ok, ok. So some people hear the name 'Aldi' and imagine a tacky run-down store with nothing going for it. They're wrong.
Aldi is actually very useful for finding bargains or saving money on your shopping bill. Aldi stores are run on a budget. They only sell own brands. These are cheaply priced and good quality. There are usually only 2 or 3 members of staff in the store. This also helps keep costs down.
When Thursday morning comes, everything changes. You see, every Thursday morning the new 'special buys' come into the stores. This means a queue outside the store before it opens if you want to get one of the more popular buys. (There’s usually a queue at the checkout too)
The outside queue can vary. An hour before the store opens should be enough do make sure you definitely get what you want. I generally tend to get to the store at 8:40 (the store opens at 9am.) This means I am around 10th in the queue. Getting there at this time usually means you'll get what you want.
'Special
buys?’ I hear you say. Let me explain. These can range from men’s clothing, pot plants, inflatable airbeds and full suspension bikes. These are where the real bargains can be found. Last Christmas they had a Bush DVD player. This was £99 in Aldi. In the Argos catalogue the same DVD player was £109. A saving of £10.
When these 'special buys' are all snapped up, you have little chance of more coming back into stock.
If you do wish to enquire about a product at your local Aldi store, the only way you can do so is going there. (The members of staff are extremely friendly though, so don’t worry) Aldi stores do not have a telephone number for you to ring. I suppose this also helps keep costs down. It can be rather annoying though. My local Aldi store is around half an hour's drive away from where I live. It is frustrating to have to drive all the way there only to discover they do not have any of a particular product left.
The range of products at Aldi is good. They stock bunches of flowers, health and beauty items, pet food and a good selection of groceries and frozen food.
All Aldi products are own brands. This takes a bit of getting used to and sometimes now I still search the shelves for Byrd’s custard or Tate and Lyle sugar. This does not mean that these products are not good quality. They often are just as nice and are usually a lot cheaper than leading supermarket's own brands.
Take, for instance, Aldi low fat strawberry yoghurts. They come in packs of 4 and cost just 55p. Tesco's own brand low fat strawberry yoghurts can also be bought in packs of 4 and cost 83p. So, I save myself 28p. (I much prefer the Aldi ones anyway!)
I recently bought some cat biscuits from Aldi. They cost 72p at Aldi and a similar kind were £1.24 at my local Mace store! I keep on saving! This time it's 45p! (It all adds up, you know!) Anyway, my cat has gone mad over them. He eats every single one he is given! He obviously gives Aldi the seal of approval too!
In general, the food is good quality, well stocked and cheap. Be warned though, there is not a huge selection of brands for each product, maybe only 1 or 2.
A few things to be aware of though. There are no baskets at Aldi so you need to take a pound coin to get a trolley. Credit cards are not accepted, only debit cards, so it's a good idea to make sure you have some cash handy. You also have to pay for carrier bags. (2p each) This might seem petty but this keeps their prices low.
The Aldi stores themselves are quite small. They pack a lot into them though. They are not the best looking stores inside, but it is worth it. Everything is divided into around 3 aisles. If it's busy, you might have a job moving around because it is so small and everybody has trolleys! The quietist time to shop is on a Wednesday. This is a lot quieter than a Thursday, because Thursday is when the week's special buys come out.
So if you are thinking about trying Aldi for a change, I would strongly recommend it. The prices are cheap, quality is good and the stores are efficiently run. Give it a go! :)
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I haven't been to Aldi's for ages but we do like some of their products.Good op ,Susan:)
Karena 04.11.2002 07:56
Well done! =)
jerrylatham 01.11.2002 19:18
Good reading. I haven't got an Aldi near here, but have recently found Lidl. Similar style of operation.
I avoided them like the plague for their first couple of years - but what a pleasant surprise when I eventually went there; beats our Tesco for cleanliness, prices, and just as good in quality!
Advantages: excellent value for money, faster, more efficient Disadvantages: lack of recognisable brands, less customer service, some products it is wiser to avoid
funny_hats 05.10.2009 ·
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