Aldi and Lidl

[Thunder Bolt]

Three weeks ago we bought two solar powered, motion sensored lights from Lidl, for our back garden, to light up the steps from the gate to the back door. Most solar powered lights are pretty rubbish, so I wasn't that bothered but as someone pointed out, they were of German manufacture.
They are of really good quality and work very well. I will see how they do in winter when there isn't as much daylight, but as they only come on by motion sensor, they should get enough juice to work when needed.

 

[Nibble]

I use Waitrose or Tesco normally but whenever I'm running low on Spazzlshnooks, Weinersplunts or car footwell mats it's off to Lidl we go.

 

[clapham_gull]

Okay, so there was a Dispatches programme last night about the rise of the 'discounters'. Lots of people cooing about halving their shopping bill, the food is superior and their lives are so much better. (What with the random ski-ing gear and tool belts, i'd imagine)

Now, i've tried the Aldi in Boundary Road and the one in London Road a few year back and I left as quick as I could, empty handed, thinking that it was the last place I'd want to shop. (Not snobbery...well a bit, but also I didn't understand the concept or trust any of the 'brands'.)

Should I really try again? It's a shame there aren't any proper sized stores of Lidl and Aldi around, as the ones on the programme looked much more appealing. Plus East Brighton, Portslade and London Road are just not convenient places to shop.

If you are thinking "brands" when shopping for food you probably need to stop !

I shop in LIDL all the time for things like...

Cheese. Really good selection in there. I like their own brand cream cheese.

Serrano ham. It's very thin but great for cooking and came top in some blind taste test.

Black Forest Ham. Mate of mine got me onto this. It's very good quality.

Cooked Tuna. Not the canned (actually very bad from there), but they have it in huge slices preserved in olive oil. This is very Spanish so a bit unusual, but once you've tried you will never buy a can of tuna again.

Passata. Very cheap and good quality. It's in the blue tetrapak.

Celeriac. At least half the price of the other super markets.

Garlic. They are the only place that sells a single bulb Chinese variety.

Tomatoes. A tomato is a tomato. I buy cherry ones from there.

Cling Film, Foil etc.. Not pound shop quality and much cheaper than other supermarkets.

Beer - A lovely German Lager.

Wine - bit hit and miss but I love their £5 Rioja. I understand with their wine it's often bottled over here to keep the transportation costs down.

That's just some of the stuff. What you notice is that their "European" food is the same quality as abroad but hasn't had some exotic premium placed on it.

If you go in there wanting to buy a cheaper nicer version of a Waitrose ready meal you will be disappointed.

 

[wunt be druv]

Funnily enough I have been in Aldi in Germany(Frankfurt in case you were thinking of shopping there) and Brighton and found them to be of equal quality,but the German store just edged it on penalties.

 

[crodonilson]

Aldi is fabulous.

If we do a shop of weekly consumables in our local Co-op it costs four times more than the equivalent Aldi shop. Just a shame we have to drive nearly 10 miles to our local one.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

I used to go to Germany in the 1980's and 1990's on business and saw Aldi and Lidl at first hand. In those days their concept was very basic. Limited lines and product sold out of cut-case display. The aisles were always a mass of cardboard and generally it was cheap and it was volume. The stores had a dirty feel about them.
They used to position a white goods item ( Tv/Washing machine etc ) at the front of the store, very competitively priced, as an inducement to get traffic through the door. In those days they were the German equivalent of KwikSave, that was once the leader in the discount market in the UK.
Aldi, Lidl and Netto ( Danish competitor ) decided to enter the UK market via the NE of England and Scotland. They realised that if they were to come South and try and get a foothold, then they needed to smarten up their act. Stores are now lighter and brighter, range on offer has increased and some now have in-store bakery. its just a question of being careful in a discount operator. Are you getting like for like with the big boys. Are the pack sizes the same or are you paying 10% less for a product 20% smaller.
I find they are fine for a quick shop. Just a few items. Beyond that, its still one of the bigger boys for me.

 

[ack]

Norm shop between Morrisons and Aldi, close enough to walk. Aldi cheese and fresh salad and fruit better. Washing stuff and ladies face cream(paint) cheaper. Curry sauces and most tin stuff cheaper too, if you dont have a taste for brand stuff.Bread and milk norm cheaper at Morrisons along with coke/pepsi cans, pet food also better at Morrisons if you want brands. Lidl always worth a visit for wine. And I tight as assholes although MRS pays

 

[Bwian]

That's interesting. Which Lidl did you use? I trust you checked the use by date?

We find the Lidl chicken as good, if not better, and we used to buy the more expensive welfare chicken at Sainsburys.

I think they have cheaper chicken, and free range chicken. Maybe you bought the cheaper chicken?

All in date and not their cheaper stuff either but not free range either.

Disappointing. Maybe quality varies from store to store? I used the Dorking one for the stuff I bought last week.

 

[MarioOrlandi]

Looking at the title I though Sami had conjured up a new strike force from Germany

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I'd be more than happy to shop regularly at Aldi in London Road. Love the parallel universe of brand names that don't exist anywhere else. But the couple of times I visited when it first opened, it became clear that they don't do shopping baskets like normal supermarkets do, and they only open two checkouts, except when its really busy and then they only open one. Service-wise, I formed the impression that they're the supermarket equivalent of Ryanair. Whereas the Co-op is the equivalent of Easyjet. So I shop at the Co-op.

 

[Nibble]

Nothing wrong with shopping in either Aldi or Lidl. I tend to buy my staples in one of the big 4 but my treats, bbq stuff, cleaning products, washing powder and cold meats all come from one of the cheap stores.

I used Lidl in Germany and Croatia and they are slightly better than here. In Germany they get around the slow clues by rather than bagging up your items as they go through the till the customers simply pile it all back into the trolley and sort it out in the car park. You'd be surprised how quickly a queue goes down when some old dear isn't trying to make sure her bread products are all in one bag or her spuds aren't in with the eggs at the till, whack it in the trolley and get going.

I am addicted to their peanut puff Craki Croc crisp type snacks.

 

[Nibble]

I'd be more than happy to shop regularly at Aldi in London Road. Love the parallel universe of brand names that don't exist anywhere else. But the couple of times I visited when it first opened, it became clear that they don't do shopping baskets like normal supermarkets do, and they only open two checkouts, except when its really busy and then they only open one. Service-wise, I formed the impression that they're the supermarket equivalent of Ryanair. Whereas the Co-op is the equivalent of Easyjet. So I shop at the Co-op.

The Co-op must be one of the most expensive shops around?

 

[tinycowboy]

Sorry to state the obvious, but for fruit and veg, try going to a market - you can save loads of money. You'll be shocked at how much supermarkets charge for things like apples and strawberries when you see the market prices. Not Farmer's market prices, mind you....

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

The Co-op must be one of the most expensive shops around?

I find the Co-op cheaper than Sainsbury's overall. Cracking own brand pizzas. Not such a good beer/wine selection tho. Have to hike it up the hill midweek to Saino's for the £2.50 big bottles of Punk IPA that are always cleared from the shelves of a weekend.

 

[Grombleton]

Normally our weekly shop is done in Sainsbury's, purely for convenience and being an employee the staff discount is invaluable and knocks a few quid off (plus we use the Nectar points whenever we can).
Thankfully also, Littlehampton is supermarket Mecca, so there's one of nearly everything within a 5min drive. I've been in the LA Lidl a couple of times...not the most exciting place to shop (I did once have an existential crisis in there) but the food is alright quality. Like other places, you get what you pay for. Some is great, other is pony.

 

[Nibble]

Sorry to state the obvious, but for fruit and veg, try going to a market - you can save loads of money. You'll be shocked at how much supermarkets charge for things like apples and strawberries when you see the market prices. Not Farmer's market prices, mind you....

Indeed. Kingston market is my nearest. Can get more than double the amount for less than half the cost. 5 avocados for a quid? 2 punnets of strawberries for same? No supermarket can match that.

 

[narly101]

No you shouldn't. Aldi and Lidl are both German owned companies and as such should be hounded out of the UK.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Sorry to state the obvious, but for fruit and veg, try going to a market - you can save loads of money. You'll be shocked at how much supermarkets charge for things like apples and strawberries when you see the market prices. Not Farmer's market prices, mind you....

Indeed. The Open Market could hardly be closer, and there's a couple of fantastic independent fruit shops in London Road also.

 

[El Presidente]

I'm in Frankfurt and went to Aldi last night. Ridiculously cheap, a 1.5 litre bottle of water was 19 cents, 36 jaffa cakes were 69 cents (I had a very exciting tea as you can imagine) and although the range is limited, there is enough to give you a reasonable choice if you are on a budget.

 

[Puppet Master]

Indeed. Kingston market is my nearest. Can get more than double the amount for less than half the cost. 5 avocados for a quid? 2 punnets of strawberries for same? No supermarket can match that.

I'd rather pay more for the hygiene factor though with wrapped produce! I simply do not trust people the amount of times I see them not washing their hands/dropping things and putting them back etc, when I eat stuff from markets and greengrocers I can almost taste the faeces and snot.