9 ms·

Someone with a regular job can not afford a house close to a major city any more and for sure can not afford any desirable German car. People dress cheaply, buy

by geff82 7y ago

Someone with a regular job can not afford a house close to a major city any more and for sure can not afford any desirable German car. People dress cheaply, buy used cars and many live in frugal appartments, buy in stores that many American or Canadians would consider third world (never ever go buy stuff in an Aldi when you are used to Canadian standards...).

ubercore 7y ago
I've only visited briefly, but Aldi in Germany was higher quality than any Aldi I've been to in the US.
- jhoechtl 7y ago
  To increase confusion in Germany you have to largely differ between Alid North (cold, sterile atmosphere) and Aldi South (a tad more of buying experience).
- dr_dshiv 7y ago
  The Aldi in Amsterdam is a damn depressing store. Low ceilings, flickering lights, no organization or ambiance, and angry looking workers. Miles from the Trader Joe's in California
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - mrsuprawsm 7y ago
    Aldi is not the same everywhere. The company split into two in 1960 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldi), and standards differ between the two. Aldi Süd has a much more pleasant store environment, in my experience. Aldi Nord is the variant present in the Netherlands. >Internationally, Aldi Nord operates in Denmark, France, the Benelux countries, Portugal, Spain and Poland, while Aldi Süd operates in Ireland, Great Britain, Hungary, Switzerland, Australia, China, Italy, Austria and Slovenia.
    - the_mitsuhiko 7y ago
      Even between Aldi Sued you have massive differences. Hofer (Aldi Sued) in Austria for instance is nothing like the German version.
  - ahartmetz 7y ago
    Aldi is not a "shopping experience", it's a place to get decent stuff cheap. It always amuses me when that somehow offends people's high end consumer (or whatever) sensibilities.
arethuza 7y ago
We had an Aldi open fairly recently close to where we live in the UK and I'd say it is pretty good, maybe not the absolute best quality but our nearest Waitrose is much further away.
dgellow 7y ago
Aldi would be considered 3rd world? What do you mean by that? I regularly go to Lidl and Aldi, they are perfectly fine discount stores.
- bilekas 7y ago
  I have to follow this sentiment, the food in Aldi & Lidl is perfect, actually in my country their fresh produce is always more fresh than larger chains.. Always. So the cost does not reflect the standard.
  - tomatocracy 7y ago
    Aldi and Lidl save a lot of cost in the distribution chain by carrying dramatically fewer product lines/SKUs compared to the traditional stores. That means bigger volume discounts for them as a purchaser, less food being thrown away inedible, more ability to focus purchases in a particular subsector on higher margin lines and some efficiency gains at the till, which enables them to maintain a reputation for reasonably good quality. It's quite an interesting business model.
ChuckNorris89 7y ago
Indeed, expats are lured here thinking Germany is the Promised Land but realize too late that they can't afford to buy a family worthy home on your average white collar wage and due to how German corporate politics work, most of the non-natives are locked out of the lucrative careers even when speaking the language. Like someone said, Germany is a rich country of poor people.
- wolfgke 7y ago
  > Indeed, expats are lured here thinking Germany is the Promised Land Hardly any German person would claim to (or even lure) expats that Germany is the Promised land. The only reason I can think of any expat thinking about Germany as the Promised Land is self-delusion.
  - paganel 7y ago
    > The only reason I can think of any expat thinking about Germany as the Promised Land is self-delusion. It happens a lot in Romania and I suspect in other Eastern-European countries too.
    - durnygbur 7y ago
      I noticed this sentiment among Romanians and I hypothesize that it's related to the fact their aristocracy (ie. rich and affluent) used to be predominantly German speaking and of German origin. In many other post-Communist countries Germany is perceived much more critically.
      - oblio 7y ago
        Only in Transylvania plus strictly the royal family outside of Transylvania. I'd say it's the German rigor we don't have.
- paganel 7y ago
  > Germany is a rich country of poor people I suspect something similar happens across the border in Switzerland. I visited the French part of it a couple of times about 3 years ago and I was surprised how crowded the second-hand clothes stores in downtown Lausanne were (and the fact that there were any SH stores in that area at all). Also, looking at the prices in there and unless there’s some hidden UBI system up and running of which I’m unaware of I can’t imagine how come a low-middle class Swiss family can afford to live there. I do understand that wages correlate somehow with the cost of living, but I imagine that if you happen to fall between the cracks (you’re unemployed or you have landed a bad-paying job) then things are not that easy.
owenversteeg 7y ago
The Aldi is "third world"? What on earth? I personally shop in Lidl, not Aldi, but Lidl is often compared to Aldi, about as popular and occupies the same price segment. And I eat like a king from there! Excellent protected origin cheeses, meats, wines, organic products... Half the time I leave the Lidl I go with a shopping cart that would make an American foodie drool. My most recent purchase there included Manchego cheese from Spain (fantastic stuff!), French wine, Kalamata olives, Belgian beer, Belgian chocolate... The Americans I've taken to the Lidl have all been impressed; they certainly did not say anything to the effect of it being 3rd world. Canadian supermarkets, on the other hand, I remember as having shockingly high prices (even after converting prices from Canadian peso) and far fewer fresh items than I was used to. Furthermore, people with "regular jobs" in Germany generally live much richer lives than their American counterparts. Fancy/organic foods are far lower priced in Europe, 30€ with a low-cost airline will take you everywhere from the south of France to Spain or Italy, museums, music and events are cheaper, top universities are in reach for your children... And yes (gasp!) in many places you don't even need a car! I commute around 240km a day by train + a few minutes' bike :)
- TillE 7y ago
  Look, I like I lot of things about Germany, but the supermarkets here are a joke. There's more product variety in a single Whole Foods in America than there is in the entire combined inventory of all German supermarkets. Most processed foods (ready meals, frozen pizzas, etc) are also extremely low quality.
  - magduf 7y ago
    >Look, I like I lot of things about Germany, but the supermarkets here are a joke. There's more product variety in a single Whole Foods in America than there is in the entire combined inventory of all German supermarkets. You've got to be kidding. German supermarkets are just small, because they don't have the cheap real-estate that suburban stores in the USA have, but the food is far higher-quality than in mainstream US stores. Comparing to Whole Foods is just idiotic; that's like comparing German cars to American cars and picking whatever passes for an economy car in Germany, and comparing that to the Tesla model S. Only a very, very tiny percentage of the American public shops at Whole Foods, or can even afford it. Most places don't even have them available. >Most processed foods (ready meals, frozen pizzas, etc) are also extremely low quality. Compared to what? Not stuff in American supermarkets.
FabHK 7y ago
> Someone with a regular job can not afford a house close to a major city any more Germany allows foreigners to purchase property, and as such prices in very desirable locations (Munich, Dusseldorf) have gone up. But not everywhere. Furthermore, it is really not necessary to own a house, as the rental market is well developed - many people choose to rent. Lastly, looking at The Economist data, affordability in Germany is better than, say, UK, Canada, and the US. [1] > People dress cheaply, buy used cars and many live in frugal appartments Yes, it is considered impolite to show off, and people don't really care about appearances, so they can be shabbily dressed. But then, they don't have to worry about healthcare, they travel quite a bit, and have time to read or follow their passions. > buy in stores that many American or Canadians would consider third world Aldi sells good food at excellent prices, by foregoing the eye candy and marketing found elsewhere. [1] https://infographics.economist.com/2017/HPI/index.html https://infographics.economist.com/2017/HPI/index.html or https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/06/27/global-house-price-index?date=2000-03&index=income&places=DEU&places=GBR https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/06/27/global-h...
Tomte 7y ago
Aldi has steadily improved its look. It looks quite different today. It's still got a hard-discount reputation, but it's by no means stigmatizing to go shopping there. Many well-off or even rich people shop there. But thank god it still kept the good barcode scanner. I've just been to another (higher-end) store, Edeka, and the cashier tried to scan the potatoes twice over the band, then again with the handheld scanner, then typed the EAN in, all without success. Then she typed in the price directly, which she got from a crumpled-up note in her pocket. The same again with another article. Aldi cashiers never have to scan twice, it always works. Because Aldi actually cares about speed and reliability of scanning, their barcodes are large, black on white, not small black-ish on transparent (and whatever color the article has inside the wrapping). (I still rarely go to Aldi, although I realize I'm sounding like a fan right now)
asjw 7y ago
Said the country where fresh vegetables are more expensive than junk food and cooking real food is for TV shows...
Matthias247 7y ago
As a german living in Canada I find grocery shopping there a lot more frustrating. Stores like Iga, Safeway and Whole Foods are quite expensive - even when compared to one of the expensive german shops (Rewe, Edeka). And the price fluctuations are wild: Something which might cost 8$ in one week might be 4$ in the next one - or at the Shoppers around the corner. Aldi is great! Good prices for decent quality. I would definitely prefer it to a Canadian Walmart.

by geff82 7y ago

ubercore 7y ago

I've only visited briefly, but Aldi in Germany was higher quality than any Aldi I've been to in the US.

jhoechtl 7y ago
To increase confusion in Germany you have to largely differ between Alid North (cold, sterile atmosphere) and Aldi South (a tad more of buying experience).
dr_dshiv 7y ago
The Aldi in Amsterdam is a damn depressing store. Low ceilings, flickering lights, no organization or ambiance, and angry looking workers. Miles from the Trader Joe's in California
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- mrsuprawsm 7y ago
  Aldi is not the same everywhere. The company split into two in 1960 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldi), and standards differ between the two. Aldi Süd has a much more pleasant store environment, in my experience. Aldi Nord is the variant present in the Netherlands. >Internationally, Aldi Nord operates in Denmark, France, the Benelux countries, Portugal, Spain and Poland, while Aldi Süd operates in Ireland, Great Britain, Hungary, Switzerland, Australia, China, Italy, Austria and Slovenia.
  - the_mitsuhiko 7y ago
    Even between Aldi Sued you have massive differences. Hofer (Aldi Sued) in Austria for instance is nothing like the German version.
- ahartmetz 7y ago
  Aldi is not a "shopping experience", it's a place to get decent stuff cheap. It always amuses me when that somehow offends people's high end consumer (or whatever) sensibilities.

arethuza 7y ago

We had an Aldi open fairly recently close to where we live in the UK and I'd say it is pretty good, maybe not the absolute best quality but our nearest Waitrose is much further away.

dgellow 7y ago

Aldi would be considered 3rd world? What do you mean by that? I regularly go to Lidl and Aldi, they are perfectly fine discount stores.

bilekas 7y ago
I have to follow this sentiment, the food in Aldi & Lidl is perfect, actually in my country their fresh produce is always more fresh than larger chains.. Always. So the cost does not reflect the standard.
- tomatocracy 7y ago
  Aldi and Lidl save a lot of cost in the distribution chain by carrying dramatically fewer product lines/SKUs compared to the traditional stores. That means bigger volume discounts for them as a purchaser, less food being thrown away inedible, more ability to focus purchases in a particular subsector on higher margin lines and some efficiency gains at the till, which enables them to maintain a reputation for reasonably good quality. It's quite an interesting business model.

ChuckNorris89 7y ago

Indeed, expats are lured here thinking Germany is the Promised Land but realize too late that they can't afford to buy a family worthy home on your average white collar wage and due to how German corporate politics work, most of the non-natives are locked out of the lucrative careers even when speaking the language. Like someone said, Germany is a rich country of poor people.

wolfgke 7y ago
> Indeed, expats are lured here thinking Germany is the Promised Land Hardly any German person would claim to (or even lure) expats that Germany is the Promised land. The only reason I can think of any expat thinking about Germany as the Promised Land is self-delusion.
- paganel 7y ago
  > The only reason I can think of any expat thinking about Germany as the Promised Land is self-delusion. It happens a lot in Romania and I suspect in other Eastern-European countries too.
  - durnygbur 7y ago
    I noticed this sentiment among Romanians and I hypothesize that it's related to the fact their aristocracy (ie. rich and affluent) used to be predominantly German speaking and of German origin. In many other post-Communist countries Germany is perceived much more critically.
    - oblio 7y ago
      Only in Transylvania plus strictly the royal family outside of Transylvania. I'd say it's the German rigor we don't have.
paganel 7y ago
> Germany is a rich country of poor people I suspect something similar happens across the border in Switzerland. I visited the French part of it a couple of times about 3 years ago and I was surprised how crowded the second-hand clothes stores in downtown Lausanne were (and the fact that there were any SH stores in that area at all). Also, looking at the prices in there and unless there’s some hidden UBI system up and running of which I’m unaware of I can’t imagine how come a low-middle class Swiss family can afford to live there. I do understand that wages correlate somehow with the cost of living, but I imagine that if you happen to fall between the cracks (you’re unemployed or you have landed a bad-paying job) then things are not that easy.

owenversteeg 7y ago

The Aldi is "third world"? What on earth? I personally shop in Lidl, not Aldi, but Lidl is often compared to Aldi, about as popular and occupies the same price segment. And I eat like a king from there! Excellent protected origin cheeses, meats, wines, organic products... Half the time I leave the Lidl I go with a shopping cart that would make an American foodie drool. My most recent purchase there included Manchego cheese from Spain (fantastic stuff!), French wine, Kalamata olives, Belgian beer, Belgian chocolate... The Americans I've taken to the Lidl have all been impressed; they certainly did not say anything to the effect of it being 3rd world. Canadian supermarkets, on the other hand, I remember as having shockingly high prices (even after converting prices from Canadian peso) and far fewer fresh items than I was used to. Furthermore, people with "regular jobs" in Germany generally live much richer lives than their American counterparts. Fancy/organic foods are far lower priced in Europe, 30€ with a low-cost airline will take you everywhere from the south of France to Spain or Italy, museums, music and events are cheaper, top universities are in reach for your children... And yes (gasp!) in many places you don't even need a car! I commute around 240km a day by train + a few minutes' bike :)

TillE 7y ago
Look, I like I lot of things about Germany, but the supermarkets here are a joke. There's more product variety in a single Whole Foods in America than there is in the entire combined inventory of all German supermarkets. Most processed foods (ready meals, frozen pizzas, etc) are also extremely low quality.
- magduf 7y ago
  >Look, I like I lot of things about Germany, but the supermarkets here are a joke. There's more product variety in a single Whole Foods in America than there is in the entire combined inventory of all German supermarkets. You've got to be kidding. German supermarkets are just small, because they don't have the cheap real-estate that suburban stores in the USA have, but the food is far higher-quality than in mainstream US stores. Comparing to Whole Foods is just idiotic; that's like comparing German cars to American cars and picking whatever passes for an economy car in Germany, and comparing that to the Tesla model S. Only a very, very tiny percentage of the American public shops at Whole Foods, or can even afford it. Most places don't even have them available. >Most processed foods (ready meals, frozen pizzas, etc) are also extremely low quality. Compared to what? Not stuff in American supermarkets.

FabHK 7y ago

> Someone with a regular job can not afford a house close to a major city any more Germany allows foreigners to purchase property, and as such prices in very desirable locations (Munich, Dusseldorf) have gone up. But not everywhere. Furthermore, it is really not necessary to own a house, as the rental market is well developed - many people choose to rent. Lastly, looking at The Economist data, affordability in Germany is better than, say, UK, Canada, and the US. [1] > People dress cheaply, buy used cars and many live in frugal appartments Yes, it is considered impolite to show off, and people don't really care about appearances, so they can be shabbily dressed. But then, they don't have to worry about healthcare, they travel quite a bit, and have time to read or follow their passions. > buy in stores that many American or Canadians would consider third world Aldi sells good food at excellent prices, by foregoing the eye candy and marketing found elsewhere. [1] https://infographics.economist.com/2017/HPI/index.html https://infographics.economist.com/2017/HPI/index.html or https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/06/27/global-house-price-index?date=2000-03&index=income&places=DEU&places=GBR https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/06/27/global-h...

Tomte 7y ago

Aldi has steadily improved its look. It looks quite different today. It's still got a hard-discount reputation, but it's by no means stigmatizing to go shopping there. Many well-off or even rich people shop there. But thank god it still kept the good barcode scanner. I've just been to another (higher-end) store, Edeka, and the cashier tried to scan the potatoes twice over the band, then again with the handheld scanner, then typed the EAN in, all without success. Then she typed in the price directly, which she got from a crumpled-up note in her pocket. The same again with another article. Aldi cashiers never have to scan twice, it always works. Because Aldi actually cares about speed and reliability of scanning, their barcodes are large, black on white, not small black-ish on transparent (and whatever color the article has inside the wrapping). (I still rarely go to Aldi, although I realize I'm sounding like a fan right now)

asjw 7y ago

Said the country where fresh vegetables are more expensive than junk food and cooking real food is for TV shows...

Matthias247 7y ago

As a german living in Canada I find grocery shopping there a lot more frustrating. Stores like Iga, Safeway and Whole Foods are quite expensive - even when compared to one of the expensive german shops (Rewe, Edeka). And the price fluctuations are wild: Something which might cost 8$ in one week might be 4$ in the next one - or at the Shoppers around the corner. Aldi is great! Good prices for decent quality. I would definitely prefer it to a Canadian Walmart.