Aldi and Lidl

[Whitechapel]

We have 2 co-ops in Shoreham and in my experience their own brand stuff is awful quality. I don't think I've found anything I would buy again. I do use the shop because it's conveniently placed if I don't fancy driving, but only buy branded stuff.

Hate to be pedantic, but there's 3 Co-Op's in Shoreham.

One on the high street, one by the police station and one up by the Holmbush centre.

 

[Nibble]

We have 2 co-ops in Shoreham and in my experience their own brand stuff is awful quality. I don't think I've found anything I would buy again. I do use the shop because it's conveniently placed if I don't fancy driving, but only buy branded stuff.

When I lived on the dials I used to sometimes get milk and hangover treats but looking at the prices in there I reckon if you could find enough product in there to make up a week shop it would cost about 80 quid.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Hate to be pedantic, but there's 3 Co-Op's in Shoreham.

One on the high street, one by the police station and one up by the Holmbush centre.

Ah yes. I had to think about it. No reason for me to go up there though, the town centre is just 5 mins walk for me

 

[Nibble]

I get a rash whenever I enter an Aldi or Lidl.... I think I must be allergic to people in trackies, baseball caps, fake tan and hoop earrings......

Have you seen the high end automobiles in the car park ? Clearly not.

 

[Nibble]

Don't know who chefs there now but the Michelin started chef in The Greys could often be seen unloading dozens of Lidl bags from his car into the kitchen and that pub food was regarded as some if the best in town.

 

[Rod Marsh]

Sorry chap, bigger doesn't always mean better. I live near Worthing and in the local area we have nine (yes NINE!) branches of Tesco. The company appears to be systematically taking over the town and eliminating small independent retailers.

I agree. I just don't agree with it's a fading store comment made earlier. It's had a huge facelift and when you look at money through the checkouts. It smashes all the competition locally.

They aren't good for the town centres. Tesco even used to buy huge plots of land and leave them undeveloped to stop competition moving in.

 

[chimneys]

I get a rash whenever I enter an Aldi or Lidl.... I think I must be allergic to people in trackies, baseball caps, fake tan and hoop earrings......

I suggest that says far more about where you live than about Aldi/Lidl, as at my local Lidl I see very few of the stereotypes you describe.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Not content with unabated edge/out of town development for 25 years, aided by copious inducements to local authorities to ensure that a smooth planning process took place, the larger operators then decided that garage forecourts were the next way forward. Not content with that, they then decided that online shopping was the way forward and then they decided that local convenience stores, on every ex-pub site etc was also the way forward. Within their larger stores almost every non-food service is available and larger pack sizes are creeping in such as 5kg/10kg units to encourage the catering trade to pick up as well. Throw in the discount operators, who are growing like wildfire and the warning signs are loud and clear for the independent trade. The discounter is regarded as the top up outlet now, not the independent.
One stop shopping is now so ingrained in our national psyche that most of the population regard independents as expensive. and that is the tragedy. Specialist operators such as master butchers, craft bakers, fruit and veg people who can talk to you about seasonality, the odd fish merchant ( my god there are few around ) and delicatessens that offer food and drink from all over the world, all cast aside with that glib statement..." Oh, I wouldn't go there, its too expensive " The truth is, most can't be bothered and thats how the big boys win. They highlight their special offers but they are not necessarily that cheap on a lot of lines. Most are happy to pick up £30 of prepacked ( and previously frozen meat ) from the supermarket shelf and have no idea that the same meat ( more likely better quality ) is available at the local butcher for £5-£6 less.
We sold our souls to the big food retailers a long time ago. No one at local council level gave much thought to local traders. They were seduced by numbers...1500 new jobs in Worthing etc...and by all the other bits and pieces on offer....landscaping, new road layouts, new community centres/ public libraries etc. The French resisted rapid change and curbed large store development and have managed to retain a successful independent, artisan base. We lap up every new Tesco, Sainburys, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl but don't forget, the size of the food market is static, so every new store takes business from someone else and eventually something has to give. Independents close and some others reduce staffing. So new jobs aren't created, they just replace those lost elsewhere.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

[MENTION=17103]Mo Gosfield[/MENTION] : that is pretty much the way things have gone /are going. I susoect convenience of a single shop outweighs price for most people.

I am trying to go the orher way a bit. I will still use the supermarket, but hope to buy all my meat at a proper butchers and my fish at a wet-fish shop, plus bread from a bakers (or make it myself). There's room for both strategies but we could do without the absolute dominance of one.

 

[Weatherman]

The new bakery section in Burgess Hill lidl is very good - quality and price

 

[somerset]

It's nothing like that in the Dorking branch. You might just want to move out of your obviously fairly common little village into a more sought after area.

Fortunately the nearest to me is 6 miles away.....

 

[somerset]

I suggest that says far more about where you live than about Aldi/Lidl, as at my local Lidl I see very few of the stereotypes you describe.

6 miles the nearest,.... thats close enough.

 

[Hillian1]

The new bakery section in Burgess Hill lidl is very good - quality and price

This.

Fresh Croissants every Sunday Morning now.

Beats a fry up*.



* This isn't actually true but my wife demands it.

 

[somerset]

No, I think you'll find that is TSR

Do you find you're the last person to catch onto what everyone has known for years ?

There is a reason it is called Terminally Stupid Rash

aaaaahhh,... how sweet, a whole new acronym...... bless you. No, in fact I dont believe the hype about them being ok now, the various outlets I have had to go into through necessity have all carried the down market feel,.... so I revert to Asda,... sometimes Tesco, and Waitrose quite a lot too.

 

[Simster]

6 miles the nearest,.... thats close enough.

In that case I have trouble believing you're up to date on these matters. I doubt you've even been into one in a decade. Certainly, your opinion on this appears a decade or so out of date.

 

[Notters]

Not content with unabated edge/out of town development for 25 years, aided by copious inducements to local authorities to ensure that a smooth planning process took place, the larger operators then decided that garage forecourts were the next way forward. Not content with that, they then decided that online shopping was the way forward and then they decided that local convenience stores, on every ex-pub site etc was also the way forward. Within their larger stores almost every non-food service is available and larger pack sizes are creeping in such as 5kg/10kg units to encourage the catering trade to pick up as well. Throw in the discount operators, who are growing like wildfire and the warning signs are loud and clear for the independent trade. The discounter is regarded as the top up outlet now, not the independent.
One stop shopping is now so ingrained in our national psyche that most of the population regard independents as expensive. and that is the tragedy. Specialist operators such as master butchers, craft bakers, fruit and veg people who can talk to you about seasonality, the odd fish merchant ( my god there are few around ) and delicatessens that offer food and drink from all over the world, all cast aside with that glib statement..." Oh, I wouldn't go there, its too expensive " The truth is, most can't be bothered and thats how the big boys win. They highlight their special offers but they are not necessarily that cheap on a lot of lines. Most are happy to pick up £30 of prepacked ( and previously frozen meat ) from the supermarket shelf and have no idea that the same meat ( more likely better quality ) is available at the local butcher for £5-£6 less.
We sold our souls to the big food retailers a long time ago. No one at local council level gave much thought to local traders. They were seduced by numbers...1500 new jobs in Worthing etc...and by all the other bits and pieces on offer....landscaping, new road layouts, new community centres/ public libraries etc. The French resisted rapid change and curbed large store development and have managed to retain a successful independent, artisan base. We lap up every new Tesco, Sainburys, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl but don't forget, the size of the food market is static, so every new store takes business from someone else and eventually something has to give. Independents close and some others reduce staffing. So new jobs aren't created, they just replace those lost elsewhere.

I agree with virtually all of what you say, but not the bit in bold. The edges of most French towns, large and small, are absolutely BLIGHTED by vastly, ugly, identikit retail parks on a scale we rarely see here. They have far less strict planning control.

It's just that they still continue to use independents as well. I'm not sure why, but I suspect it's primarily because more people in France value mealtimes, eating as a family, cooking from fresh, seasonality and eating fresh produce. Also due to having more free time for the above, due to the (excellent) working time laws. Possibly also due to the fact that far more people work in agriculture than in the UK. So many people in this country seem to survive on ready meals.

 

[somerset]

In that case I have trouble believing you're up to date on these matters. I doubt you've even been into one in a decade. Certainly, your opinion on this appears a decade or so out of date.

Clevedon and Weston-Super-Mare..... plus the Lidl in Worthing ( or was it Aldi),... well all in the last 6 months,..... all as downmarket and lacking choice as I expected. If however, price is your pre-req, then carry on,... but I go for choice and nice surroundings...... but I also have mine delivered probably 8 out of 10 times,... Opodo are great, Asda delivery too.

Its all subjective of course.

 

[somerset]

I agree with virtually all of what you say, but not the bit in bold. The edges of most French towns, large and small, are absolutely BLIGHTED by vastly, ugly, identikit retail parks on a scale we rarely see here. They have far less strict planning control.

It's just that they still continue to use independents as well. I'm not sure why, but I suspect it's primarily because more people in France value mealtimes, eating as a family, cooking from fresh, seasonality and eating fresh produce. Also due to having more free time for the above, due to the (excellent) working time laws. Possibly also due to the fact that far more people work in agriculture than in the UK. So many people in this country seem to survive on ready meals.

Spot on,.......on all these points.

 

[BensGrandad]

Isn't that the general reason people go to Tesco in the first place, It's not exactly somewhere you'd go to chill out is it.

You missed the point if Tesco or any large company told a customer to remove his child from sitting in the trolley they may shop and spend their money elsewhere so they use a feeble excuse of it being dangerous to their staff to enforc

 

[Hillian1]

You missed the point if Tesco or any large company told a customer to remove his child from sitting in the trolley they may shop and spend their money elsewhere so they use a feeble excuse of it being dangerous to their staff to enforc

But why is a child in a trolley unhygienic?