4 ms·

I find it hard to shop at Aldi because of the almost brutal aesthetic. No signage, no colors, no nice lighting, just industrial meta shelves on an industrial fl

I find it hard to shop at Aldi because of the almost brutal aesthetic. No signage, no colors, no nice lighting, just industrial meta shelves on an industrial floor with bare fluorescent lights overhead and everything jammed together. It gives me a headache just thinking about it. I will however still occasionally run in because although they run out quick almost every day, when they have grass-fed meat and some organic veggies, they are about twice as cheap as any other retailer around here has them for.

the_duke 7y ago
I've wondered why they don't improve the aesthetics a little bit, it can't make that much of a difference to the bottom line. I think it's just part of the philosophy: you come because it's cheap and the quality is good for the price point, you buy, you leave. You don't get a experience, you get a utilitarian transaction. And that is reflected by the interior.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
lostapathy 7y ago
They are remodeling some stores - the one near me actually feels nicer than most traditional grocery stores in the area. Funny how things change.
pnathan 7y ago
I've found that groceries run for and by immigrants have a similar approach. The "experience" Americans crave is revealed to be so vacuous.
- Scoundreller 7y ago
  Depending on where you’re from and how impoverished you were, being able to go to a store full of food, putting one or more of a large sample in your cart, and only pay at the very end, can be quite an “experience”. I’ve observed that this effect can last for decades if your formative years didn’t involve enough food.
- ip26 7y ago
  There's a middle ground between a fancy luxury market and flickering green-tinged fluorescent bulbs that always make you feel slightly ill. Signage & organization also serves a function aside from "experience".
- jhbadger 7y ago
  Also a lot of restaurants run by (and mostly for) immigrants. They aren't into fancy decor with statues and paintings from the appropriate country the way ones aimed at Westerners tend to be. Cheap tables covered by plastic tablecloths and folding metal chairs work just fine.
  - llamataboot 7y ago
    True but even that tends to be driven by a certain 'idea' of authenticity - look at all the restuarants in here that would like to upgrade the decor and food (and prices!) but immediately get dinged as 'in-authentic' when they make those changes https://ny.eater.com/2019/1/18/18183973/authenticity-yelp-reviews-white-supremacy-trap https://ny.eater.com/2019/1/18/18183973/authenticity-yelp-re...

the_duke 7y ago

I've wondered why they don't improve the aesthetics a little bit, it can't make that much of a difference to the bottom line. I think it's just part of the philosophy: you come because it's cheap and the quality is good for the price point, you buy, you leave. You don't get a experience, you get a utilitarian transaction. And that is reflected by the interior.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

lostapathy 7y ago

They are remodeling some stores - the one near me actually feels nicer than most traditional grocery stores in the area. Funny how things change.

pnathan 7y ago

I've found that groceries run for and by immigrants have a similar approach. The "experience" Americans crave is revealed to be so vacuous.

Scoundreller 7y ago
Depending on where you’re from and how impoverished you were, being able to go to a store full of food, putting one or more of a large sample in your cart, and only pay at the very end, can be quite an “experience”. I’ve observed that this effect can last for decades if your formative years didn’t involve enough food.
ip26 7y ago
There's a middle ground between a fancy luxury market and flickering green-tinged fluorescent bulbs that always make you feel slightly ill. Signage & organization also serves a function aside from "experience".
jhbadger 7y ago
Also a lot of restaurants run by (and mostly for) immigrants. They aren't into fancy decor with statues and paintings from the appropriate country the way ones aimed at Westerners tend to be. Cheap tables covered by plastic tablecloths and folding metal chairs work just fine.
- llamataboot 7y ago
  True but even that tends to be driven by a certain 'idea' of authenticity - look at all the restuarants in here that would like to upgrade the decor and food (and prices!) but immediately get dinged as 'in-authentic' when they make those changes https://ny.eater.com/2019/1/18/18183973/authenticity-yelp-reviews-white-supremacy-trap https://ny.eater.com/2019/1/18/18183973/authenticity-yelp-re...