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Aldi has a crazy strong marketing presence(astroturfing), and despite claim to be low cost, I have not seen that in cost comparisons https://efficiencyiseveryt

Aldi has a crazy strong marketing presence(astroturfing), and despite claim to be low cost, I have not seen that in cost comparisons https://efficiencyiseverything.com/grocer-comparison-aldi-walmart-costco-kroger/ https://efficiencyiseverything.com/grocer-comparison-aldi-wa... Crazy loss leaders get people into the store, but 1$/lb more expensive meats kill any cost savings immediately.

vondur 8y ago
Here in Southern California their meat prices are very competitive. They mainly seem to have great pricing on their own branded items. Between Aldi’s, Target and CostCo, I almost never go to a traditional supermarket.
- lightedman 8y ago
  Try to find yourself a Maxi Foods in SoCal. Their prices are simply untouchable when it comes to meat.
AdmiralAsshat 8y ago
Anecdotally, my grocery bill is about $20 cheaper per week if I can find everything I need for the week at Aldi, versus Safeway or Giant (local grocers in the area). Mileage may vary, of course--there's usually something I need that they don't have, which requires a trip elsewhere. Produce is usually their biggest shortcoming.
cogs 8y ago
That's a US comparison. It's complicated to make cost comparisons - do you compare own brands or known brands, etc. But in the UK shoppers report Aldi and Lidl as being better value https://www.which.co.uk/news/2018/02/the-best-and-worst-supermarkets-of-2018/ https://www.which.co.uk/news/2018/02/the-best-and-worst-supe...
- sjg007 8y ago
  Aldi in the us has a cheap weekly meat special on par with Costco. Fruits and veg is also cheap, and then all of the brand name knockoffs. You can find meat a bit cheaper if u shop around. I think hyvee is basically the best of all options.
1123581321 8y ago
Have you compared a few of your own receipts from a big shopping list? We can do about half our shopping at Aldi and come out ahead, and the main alternative is another debit-card-only supermarket. Great Value brand is also pretty cheap, as alluded to in that article. And we learned about Aldi from my wife’s mother shopping there growing up, back when it was really cheap but lower quality.
- lotsofpulp 8y ago
  Aldi accepts credit cards in the US now.
ggm 8y ago
Australia: significant price savings on unbranded same-factory product (OJ, Yoghourt)
- Arbalest 8y ago
  I've found this to be the case for many groceries, but the periodic stuff in the middle is sometimes really cheap, other times not competitive.
- taneq 8y ago
  Yeah, it's really random though. Like some things are 20% more, some are 20% less. I find it comes out roughly even... Speaking of random, those center aisles... I'm almost always tempted to buy some interesting item that we really don't need.
  - vondur 8y ago
    Ha, that is so true. I picked up an area rug there for cheap the other day.
    - Bendingo 8y ago
      I bought two (2) unicycles that I didn't even realise I needed!
      - ggm 8y ago
        Everyone needs two unicycles
        taneq 8y ago
        That's just a bicycle with extra seats!
  - jaimex2 8y ago
    Special buys is my cryptonite. Though I can't say I've ever been disapointed with the products and their return policy is super flexible.
NeedMoreTea 8y ago
In the UK, I find our weekly grocery bill is about 30% less week on week at Aldi than any of the majors, whilst being equal or better quality. There a few notable exceptions and a few items we like that aren't available. So a trip to one of the majors once a quarter covers the gaps whilst keeping the enormous saving. For many things Aldi are also clearly better than both brands and other supermarkets on quality (e.g. bakery, chocolate) as well as being cheaper. So we need to buy fewer brands at all. I can't imagine going back to one of the others on a regular basis unless Aldi screw up badly or close down. :)
- barry-cotter 8y ago
  > For many things Aldi are also clearly better than both brands and other supermarkets on quality (e.g. bakery, chocolate) The minimum standard for baked goods and chocolate in Germany is far higher than in the U.K. What’s the reverse, where you just couldn’t sell it in the U.K. but in Germany you’d just occupy the low end of the market?
  - DominikPeters 8y ago
    Sandwiches and other ready-to-eat food? ALDI UK has an unusually small selection of them (compared to other UK shops). Don't know about the quality, but surely better than what ALDI Germany sells.
  - ahartmetz 8y ago
    I noticed tea biscuits (digestive cookies, ginger cookies etc) and chips (en-us) / crisps (en-uk) being better than in Germany in the UK. Chips are better than in Germany in most any country I've been to - though Lay's has been raising the bar (back, since Chio deteriorated) since their market entry. As far as you can buy Indian food in supermarkets, probably that too - at least the standard in restaurants is much higher in the UK.
  - NeedMoreTea 8y ago
    Chocolate and baked goods are generally better anywhere in Western Europe that is not the UK. Good small UK bakers are getting few and far between. :( Aldi just has the advantage of not having the tasteless junk from what Tesco or Asda laughably calls an in store bakery, or the inedible slimy crap that Kraft now pretends is Cadbury or Green and Black chocolate. Aldi own brands just seem to retain some memory of bread needing to have taste, chocolate like chocolate etc. That said, their 70 and 85%, chilli and single origin aren't really low end. I don't think I miss out on much taste, or quality, just some flavour options.

vondur 8y ago

Here in Southern California their meat prices are very competitive. They mainly seem to have great pricing on their own branded items. Between Aldi’s, Target and CostCo, I almost never go to a traditional supermarket.

lightedman 8y ago
Try to find yourself a Maxi Foods in SoCal. Their prices are simply untouchable when it comes to meat.

AdmiralAsshat 8y ago

Anecdotally, my grocery bill is about $20 cheaper per week if I can find everything I need for the week at Aldi, versus Safeway or Giant (local grocers in the area). Mileage may vary, of course--there's usually something I need that they don't have, which requires a trip elsewhere. Produce is usually their biggest shortcoming.

cogs 8y ago

That's a US comparison. It's complicated to make cost comparisons - do you compare own brands or known brands, etc. But in the UK shoppers report Aldi and Lidl as being better value https://www.which.co.uk/news/2018/02/the-best-and-worst-supermarkets-of-2018/ https://www.which.co.uk/news/2018/02/the-best-and-worst-supe...

sjg007 8y ago
Aldi in the us has a cheap weekly meat special on par with Costco. Fruits and veg is also cheap, and then all of the brand name knockoffs. You can find meat a bit cheaper if u shop around. I think hyvee is basically the best of all options.

1123581321 8y ago

Have you compared a few of your own receipts from a big shopping list? We can do about half our shopping at Aldi and come out ahead, and the main alternative is another debit-card-only supermarket. Great Value brand is also pretty cheap, as alluded to in that article. And we learned about Aldi from my wife’s mother shopping there growing up, back when it was really cheap but lower quality.

lotsofpulp 8y ago
Aldi accepts credit cards in the US now.

ggm 8y ago

Australia: significant price savings on unbranded same-factory product (OJ, Yoghourt)

Arbalest 8y ago
I've found this to be the case for many groceries, but the periodic stuff in the middle is sometimes really cheap, other times not competitive.
taneq 8y ago
Yeah, it's really random though. Like some things are 20% more, some are 20% less. I find it comes out roughly even... Speaking of random, those center aisles... I'm almost always tempted to buy some interesting item that we really don't need.
- vondur 8y ago
  Ha, that is so true. I picked up an area rug there for cheap the other day.
  - Bendingo 8y ago
    I bought two (2) unicycles that I didn't even realise I needed!
    - ggm 8y ago
      Everyone needs two unicycles
      - taneq 8y ago
        That's just a bicycle with extra seats!
- jaimex2 8y ago
  Special buys is my cryptonite. Though I can't say I've ever been disapointed with the products and their return policy is super flexible.

NeedMoreTea 8y ago

In the UK, I find our weekly grocery bill is about 30% less week on week at Aldi than any of the majors, whilst being equal or better quality. There a few notable exceptions and a few items we like that aren't available. So a trip to one of the majors once a quarter covers the gaps whilst keeping the enormous saving. For many things Aldi are also clearly better than both brands and other supermarkets on quality (e.g. bakery, chocolate) as well as being cheaper. So we need to buy fewer brands at all. I can't imagine going back to one of the others on a regular basis unless Aldi screw up badly or close down. :)

barry-cotter 8y ago
> For many things Aldi are also clearly better than both brands and other supermarkets on quality (e.g. bakery, chocolate) The minimum standard for baked goods and chocolate in Germany is far higher than in the U.K. What’s the reverse, where you just couldn’t sell it in the U.K. but in Germany you’d just occupy the low end of the market?
- DominikPeters 8y ago
  Sandwiches and other ready-to-eat food? ALDI UK has an unusually small selection of them (compared to other UK shops). Don't know about the quality, but surely better than what ALDI Germany sells.
- ahartmetz 8y ago
  I noticed tea biscuits (digestive cookies, ginger cookies etc) and chips (en-us) / crisps (en-uk) being better than in Germany in the UK. Chips are better than in Germany in most any country I've been to - though Lay's has been raising the bar (back, since Chio deteriorated) since their market entry. As far as you can buy Indian food in supermarkets, probably that too - at least the standard in restaurants is much higher in the UK.
- NeedMoreTea 8y ago
  Chocolate and baked goods are generally better anywhere in Western Europe that is not the UK. Good small UK bakers are getting few and far between. :( Aldi just has the advantage of not having the tasteless junk from what Tesco or Asda laughably calls an in store bakery, or the inedible slimy crap that Kraft now pretends is Cadbury or Green and Black chocolate. Aldi own brands just seem to retain some memory of bread needing to have taste, chocolate like chocolate etc. That said, their 70 and 85%, chilli and single origin aren't really low end. I don't think I miss out on much taste, or quality, just some flavour options.