Shopping at Aldi compared to others. £42 saving.
Discussion
I used to work for a fresh produce (fruit and veg) supplier to all the supermarkets.
In terms of demanding specs, the ranking top to bottom was:
Aldi/Lidl
Asda
Tesco
Sainsburys
Morrisons.
Waitrose had minimal defined specs, but an absolute focus on subjective assessments - looks, texture, taste. The others try to define everything to the nth degree.
What does let many Aldi/Lidl down is the quality of environmental control, from warehouse through logistics into stores.
In terms of demanding specs, the ranking top to bottom was:
Aldi/Lidl
Asda
Tesco
Sainsburys
Morrisons.
Waitrose had minimal defined specs, but an absolute focus on subjective assessments - looks, texture, taste. The others try to define everything to the nth degree.
What does let many Aldi/Lidl down is the quality of environmental control, from warehouse through logistics into stores.
My Mrs has gone through many different brands of supermarket in the last few years.
It seems Lidl/ Aldi are staples with added bonus of middle buckets to gaze in wonder at (...and trying to justify why spending £125 on a compressor and air hose is good value compared to 50p a pop at BP.)
On the other hand in the last few months I am beginning to see the cult of Waitrose claiming another follower.
Apparently the staff seem genuinely pleased to interact with customers, who also seem able to communicate with more than 3 syllables per sentance. Produce and choice are good and use your brain to avoid the obviously more expensive stuff and it's keenly priced.
It seems Lidl/ Aldi are staples with added bonus of middle buckets to gaze in wonder at (...and trying to justify why spending £125 on a compressor and air hose is good value compared to 50p a pop at BP.)
On the other hand in the last few months I am beginning to see the cult of Waitrose claiming another follower.
Apparently the staff seem genuinely pleased to interact with customers, who also seem able to communicate with more than 3 syllables per sentance. Produce and choice are good and use your brain to avoid the obviously more expensive stuff and it's keenly priced.
We used to go to Aldi religiously, but have switched to Asda now. The reason is essentially that Aldi don't deliver; when I looked at home much money we were spending on food etc I realised that because we struggle to find time to go to the shops that we were spending loads in the Spar round the corner as well, topping up to put off going out out.
I actually did a rough unscientific price comparison and found little difference in price anyway, but we now have Aldi deliver every week and spend less and eat better.
Interested in others views on the prices, Aldi vs Asda?
I actually did a rough unscientific price comparison and found little difference in price anyway, but we now have Aldi deliver every week and spend less and eat better.
Interested in others views on the prices, Aldi vs Asda?
The Mad Monk said:
Sticks. said:
Yes, I think some chains have cancelled proposed superstores in favour of convenience stores over the last couple of years. One in Kent was built and ready to be stocked so the change must be quite distinct.
I think I may have been in that Aldi too
More tat's than teeth, and the men were no better.
And what is the answer to my "Que?" at 14:05?I think I may have been in that Aldi too
More tat's than teeth, and the men were no better.Aldi 89p
Waitrose £2.
Yes, I know, slightly more than double.
Sway said:
I used to work for a fresh produce (fruit and veg) supplier to all the supermarkets.
In terms of demanding specs, the ranking top to bottom was:
Aldi/Lidl
Asda
Tesco
Sainsburys
Morrisons.
Waitrose had minimal defined specs, but an absolute focus on subjective assessments - looks, texture, taste. The others try to define everything to the nth degree.
What does let many Aldi/Lidl down is the quality of environmental control, from warehouse through logistics into stores.
Interesting, Tesco seem to have significantly worse fresh produce than others in my experience.In terms of demanding specs, the ranking top to bottom was:
Aldi/Lidl
Asda
Tesco
Sainsburys
Morrisons.
Waitrose had minimal defined specs, but an absolute focus on subjective assessments - looks, texture, taste. The others try to define everything to the nth degree.
What does let many Aldi/Lidl down is the quality of environmental control, from warehouse through logistics into stores.
SpeckledJim said:
Now, James' cousin is three times as old as his sister, and in three years will be half as old as the dog. How long is his fish?
Half past two.I'm still waiting for an Aldi to be built near me. All my shopping expeditions involve at least a 45 minute trip each way, so I have to combine it with a day out to the coast or a trip to Costco.
Flibble said:
Sway said:
I used to work for a fresh produce (fruit and veg) supplier to all the supermarkets.
In terms of demanding specs, the ranking top to bottom was:
Aldi/Lidl
Asda
Tesco
Sainsburys
Morrisons.
Waitrose had minimal defined specs, but an absolute focus on subjective assessments - looks, texture, taste. The others try to define everything to the nth degree.
What does let many Aldi/Lidl down is the quality of environmental control, from warehouse through logistics into stores.
Interesting, Tesco seem to have significantly worse fresh produce than others in my experience.In terms of demanding specs, the ranking top to bottom was:
Aldi/Lidl
Asda
Tesco
Sainsburys
Morrisons.
Waitrose had minimal defined specs, but an absolute focus on subjective assessments - looks, texture, taste. The others try to define everything to the nth degree.
What does let many Aldi/Lidl down is the quality of environmental control, from warehouse through logistics into stores.
The logistics chain from depot, to lorry, to store (and the levels of environmental control during all that), then the store warehousing/shelf replenishment, etc. all have impacts.
It's only the processor that has the entire building as a humidity controlled fridge!
Do about 80% of our weekly shop in Aldi, for most things there's a significant saving over the bigger chains and the quality is also better.
The other 20% is branded stuff that we just can't substitute, even though you can tell Aldi products are made in the same factory, there's slight recipe differences.
The other 20% is branded stuff that we just can't substitute, even though you can tell Aldi products are made in the same factory, there's slight recipe differences.
The only problem with Aldi is playing the till lottery.
The number of tills open is seemingly based on the size of the queue/ queues and there is no self service/ checkout option.
Do I join this queue with 3 people in front of me ?
Or do I hang back, tactically, gazing at the bog rolls in the knowledge that another till will ( more than likely ) be opened imminently ?
Am I in the best position strategically to cover all the options available for the new till opening ?
Which one will it be ? Number 3 or number 7 ?
Is that person really studying the Jaffa Cakes in the biscuit aisle or are they an adversary with the same idea as me ?
How long will it take the new cashier to take up their position ?
How much stuff have the shoppers already in the queue got in their trollies/ baskets ?
Which would be quicker ?
Does that person look a bit stupid/ dizzy/ will they be paying cash or card ?
You need to be shrewd at Aldi.
You can probably tell I don't like shopping.
The quicker I am out of there, the better.
The number of tills open is seemingly based on the size of the queue/ queues and there is no self service/ checkout option.
Do I join this queue with 3 people in front of me ?
Or do I hang back, tactically, gazing at the bog rolls in the knowledge that another till will ( more than likely ) be opened imminently ?
Am I in the best position strategically to cover all the options available for the new till opening ?
Which one will it be ? Number 3 or number 7 ?
Is that person really studying the Jaffa Cakes in the biscuit aisle or are they an adversary with the same idea as me ?
How long will it take the new cashier to take up their position ?
How much stuff have the shoppers already in the queue got in their trollies/ baskets ?
Which would be quicker ?
Does that person look a bit stupid/ dizzy/ will they be paying cash or card ?
You need to be shrewd at Aldi.
You can probably tell I don't like shopping.
The quicker I am out of there, the better.
Edited by Red 4 on Monday 11th February 17:23
Waitrose to Aldi convert here, on the encouragement of fellow PHer ElectricSoup - amazed he is not all over this thread, although he's more of a Lidl man these days.
I wouldn't say I 'enjoy' shopping at Aldi so much, although it's a constant source of amusement to me to see how close to the wind they can sail in terms of packaging copyright infringements with the premium brands. All in all the food is very, very good, no difference in quality whatsoever. As an experiment I sourced our entire Christmas dinner from Aldi rather than Waitrose this year, saved a pretty penny and nobody was any the wiser.
Only downside is the machine-gun delivery of your shopping, no time to pack, time is money! Once you realise the name of the game is just to lob it all back in your trolley, then pack it into bags at your leisure at the area beyond the tills then it all becomes simple.
I still shop at Waitrose on a Saturday for a few bits and bobs, usually some beers, to do the old 'spend a tenner, get a free paper' thing on the My Waitrose card, but that's only because as a parent of a toddler I often get bugger all time to read the Saturday paper, a 35 year tradition of mine, so I try to avoid paying 3 quid for it then chucking it in the recycling unread!
Waitrose has significantly higher MILF content, you sometimes can't put a price on that. It's also heavy on precocious teenagers lamenting the wrong flavour of organic fairtrade avacados and such like.
I wouldn't say I 'enjoy' shopping at Aldi so much, although it's a constant source of amusement to me to see how close to the wind they can sail in terms of packaging copyright infringements with the premium brands. All in all the food is very, very good, no difference in quality whatsoever. As an experiment I sourced our entire Christmas dinner from Aldi rather than Waitrose this year, saved a pretty penny and nobody was any the wiser.
Only downside is the machine-gun delivery of your shopping, no time to pack, time is money! Once you realise the name of the game is just to lob it all back in your trolley, then pack it into bags at your leisure at the area beyond the tills then it all becomes simple.
I still shop at Waitrose on a Saturday for a few bits and bobs, usually some beers, to do the old 'spend a tenner, get a free paper' thing on the My Waitrose card, but that's only because as a parent of a toddler I often get bugger all time to read the Saturday paper, a 35 year tradition of mine, so I try to avoid paying 3 quid for it then chucking it in the recycling unread!
Waitrose has significantly higher MILF content, you sometimes can't put a price on that. It's also heavy on precocious teenagers lamenting the wrong flavour of organic fairtrade avacados and such like.
Edited by PurpleTurtle on Monday 11th February 17:29
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