I would just like to write a review on Lidl, for my sins I admit to actually having shopped there before now - I am still receiving couonselling for it! But in all fairness though, there are a small number of advantages to this wonderful German shop, although they possibly get outweighed by the disadvantages. However, whatever your feelings and thoughts (or whatsoever else they may be) on this shop I intend to break from my usual style of writing in order to criticallyl review this one.
Advantages:
The shop is usually much smaller, therefore you don't spend quite so much time as you actually would do elsewhere in looking for what you want.
There are no added frills such as toilets; restaurants and/ or clothes departments in order to make you spend more money. But with that said, they do usually in fact have a small section of special deals - household equipment; camping gear, etc. That is, all of those things that you don't generally tend to see in other supermarkets.
The parking is good, as they have their own facilities set aside for the shop. Therefore, should it be raining then you don't have that far to dash. But as the shop is not quite so popular as the others (their sister company Aldi excepting), the car park is not very big - therefore, you have to get there in enough time in order to get a space. However, in the Plymouth area all of the Lidl stores are on substantial bus routes - therefore, two buses at the most are all that about 98% of the population have to get.
Disadvantages:
Paying for carrier bags, although this can be seen as a good thing. Although the bags are no more than five pence (dependant on size I do believe, as are most places charging now), this does actually in fact help to cut down on the bags being taken. For example, I have seen a lady cram the equivalent of nearly a week's worth of shopping in to two or three carrier bags - as opposed to the potential double amount tha she will use elsewhere that don't charge.
But if you are able to (if you have a car), then they do not actually in fact mind you taking any empty cardboard boxes in order to use as storage - it will only go as waste, so why not let a customer use it to its full potential?
The length of the queues are sometimes phenomenal, as during the busiest times of the day they only seem to put one person on the tills out of the five or six that could be open. Therefore, you will be waiting for so long that you once supposedly fresh food is so past its sell by date that it is only fit for the local museum.
Along with this, there are never enough staff in my own opinion actually out on the shop floor. But those who are out there are usually only interested in stocking the shelves (badly as there is never very much on them!), but not too keen on being in touch with customers. After all, are we not paying their wages by buying their goods!?!?
Although the prices are competitive (£2.99 for a decent bottle of 2004 red Spanish wine?), the quality leaves a lot to be desired. Is that a good quality wine, or is it vinegar mixed with shoe polish? With all due respect to them, a lot of the goods are from abraod - therefore, after hours of travelling in order to get here they are at their worst in my own opinion.
Coupled with this, the stores are usually clean looking on the outside - but dirty looking on the inside, no wonder the prices are so low as they don't pay out for cleaners obviously!
In conclusion along with my own opinion, I shall only use Lidl as a very last port of call in the event of a nuclear war. The staff are rude and unfriendly; the shop untidy, and the goods shoddy. Why else would one shop there for?
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The cured meats and sausages are brilliant value. I couldn't do a whole shop here but we occasionally have a stroll along for the few bits that are good. The special deals are always worth looking at. In our local branch in Slovenia we got some excellent walking poles at a great price
DixieChick10 21.04.2009 20:12
There just building one of these near where I live at the moment. It's in a village which is miniture and the site that it's being built on used to be a car dealership and is right on a mini round about. I myself couldn't be bothered to go here. Brill review. Kirsty x
Advantages: Cheap, Cheerful and User Friendly, mother/baby parking, disabled parking Disadvantages: Dont supply carrier bags, no trolleys for mothers with babies
poohbear969 29.06.2005 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Lidl (Shop)
Apr 21st, 2009
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