Until recently, I always stayed away from Lidls as I was strictly a brand name only kinda girl. I believed the media hype that a brand name meant better quality. But after moving in with my boyfriend, who is a miser when it comes to shopping (and often asks as I try to sneak chocolate biscuits into my trolley - now, do we really need them?) and moving to Alloa, where the shopping choice is limited to say the least, I soon discovered the many qualities of Lidls.
First of all there is ample, free parking right outside the Supermarket and it is conveniently open late Mon - Fri (from 8 - 8) and is open till 6 on a Saturday and 10 - 5 on a Sunday. Although, I find it best to go mid-week during the day when it is nice and quiet.You do have to put a £1 deposit in the trollys which can be frustrating but is understandable considering the amount of trolleys I have spotted abandoned at the end of peoples street. If I forget to take a pound, I normally hand one of the many available boxes
to my boyfriend and load him up as we go round.
Lidls is strictly no frills so there are no fancy displays, music (not such a bad thing after hearing a pan pipe version of I Should be so Lucky in Co-op a couple of weeks ago!) and there are limited staff so you are on your own when it comes to finding products. But what you do get is good quality food at cut-down prices without having to buy in bulk. The aisles are wide and it is never too busy so you can shop at leisure without feeling rushed or getting bumped into by harassed shoppers or wayward trolleys. It runs on the same principles as Kwiksave. The only difference being that the food in Lidls is edible.As far as I am aware most of the products are German but do not let the foriegn names put you off. I was very surprised to find the food is better quality than the brand names I am used to. One my first visit with my boyfriend he was buying up a storm and everytime he put something in the trolley, I was saying, "Well, you buy it if you want, but I probably won't eat it" - hint, hint, can we please go to Safeway now. But after shopping in Lidls for 4 months I honestly cannot remember a time when any of the products we bought were unsatisfactory. Some examples of the cheap prices and good quailty products are Garlic bread (54p for 2 baguettes made with real butter), their cheese and tomato pizzas (3 for £1.10) and their fresh peppers (3 for approx 50p). Often they have goods that have been reduced even further. Their fresh vegetables have much more flavour that most supermarkets products but you do tend to have to use them within a day or two.
Each week, they get a consignment of a variety of goods which include everything from flips-flops to car radios. There is a magazine in store which outlines the bargains of the week and is well worth a look. Some of the products are a bit odd and the footwear generally leaves a lot to be desired but it is worth a look as you never know what you might find. I have heard that they have curtain poles in stock this week for £6 so I am going tonight to get a couple as this is half the price of any others I have seen.There also have discounted prices on non-food items, for example, 2 blank videos for £1.99. Their toiletries and cosmetics are cut price too. They also sell a range of alcohol although not much that you will have heard of but their Rose wine Rose D'Anjou at £2.39 a bottle is definetely worth a try.
One drawback is the lack of staff. You must be willing to queue, which most people don't mind as it makes the prices cheaper. Although I have noticed that if there is a long queue they will usually open another checkout. You also need to pay for carrier bags. Personally I prefer this as it means that I recycle my bags rather than hoard them in a cupboard.Overall, I feel that Lidl's is a great place for quality food at reasonable prices. Due to a limited selection, it is unlikely you could do all your shopping here but it is well worth a visit. And, my boyfriends stinginess has paid off, we now spend a total of £20 per week and this covers all our food, and other household items, for example, polish, loo roll etc and the odd packet of chocolate biscuits. And judging by the size of my bum, we are not missing out on anything!!
by (3%):
13.11.2003 20:26
A very fair op, I feel. There are some things I wouldn't buy there - soft drinks, frozen meats - but there are plenty which are superb quality and value. Their mozzarella is excellent, as are the rest of the cheeses, and the orange-based kitchen cleaner is simply the best kitchen cleaner I've used. It got the nasty furry scuzz off the outside of my deep fat fryer in seconds - try it!
06.09.2003 18:13
cheers for that needed to know what time they shut on a saturday you only place with the info!! Julia
14.05.2003 11:06
Very good op! I actually work in a Lidl and the reason why they charge for bags is indeed to encourage people to re-use their old bags instead of using a new one with every shopping. Thanks Udo