Pie Lady wrote: I explained it was in place of a paper bag, and she said, icily, "I need to put the items in your cart, ma'am." Sorry. ...Then she grabbed the cart, yanked it over to the side, and I thought that she was just using the cart as a place to hold the bag, but no, she proceeded to dump everything literally inside the cart. As I said, I don't mind bagging my own, but having me take this cart of loose items to the windowsill to bag? The snotty attitude?

While I agree that putting groceries in the cart is standard practice at Aldi, I've witnessed the (ordinarily friendly) clerks get a little snotty with newbies at the Skokie store, and downright mean at the store on California. It would help if they had a couple signs like, maybe, "bag your own groceries," "pull your cart in front of the register" and "bagging area."

I hate to admit, ten years back when I worked Saturdays at the Starbucks on Clark and Adams, I'd get snotty with the tourists who legitimately needed their hands held while the line of regulars stretched out the door...no excuse for it, but it happens.

I was indeed mostly complaining about the snotty attitude and the fact that the items were chucked into the cart haphazardly when the bag was standing upright, open, right in front of her. I don't mind bagging my groceries, and in fact, when Jewel is busy and I can bag my own, I get all schoolgirl-giddy. I think it would be better if you can bag at the same time your items are scanned, not after they're all dumped in the cart. It seems like an extra, pointless step when adding some space at the end of the belt to collect groceries while you bag doesn't seem so hard to do. I had no problems with Omni or Cub in the good ol' days when it was a known fact that you were in charge of bagging. They also didn't snap at you and throw the food at you.
As for the carts, I agree that's brilliant. No more carts floating around in traffic lanes, and I always felt bad for the 16 year old kid who has to go out in crappy winter weather to drag a line of 50 into place. Plus, even though it's my own quarter, I feel like I'm getting a treat at the end.

Pie Lady wrote: I think it would be better if you can bag at the same time your items are scanned, not after they're all dumped in the cart. It seems like an extra, pointless step when adding some space at the end of the belt to collect groceries while you bag doesn't seem so hard to do.

Sounds to me like this would make what you consider a slow line even slower. The point of moving you away from the register ASAP makes the line move faster. Actually, I don't find the lines at ALDI any slower than at my Jewel. I usually don't shop at either during peak hours.

sounds like a possibility for the "places you go to be abused" thread.

do they at least provide you with the bags?

teatpuller wrote:do they at least provide you with the bags?

They do, but they charge for them.

It also appeared that they only had paper, but I could be mistaken.

They have paper, heavy duty reusable plastic, insulated bags for your frozen and refrigerated items, and they have recently started selling eco-friendly canvas bags.

Buddy

jeffs wrote:I was in Aldi the other day perusing the frozen foods in search of lunch for me and mom. The pot pies caught my eye. At 4 for $6 I thought they were a bit pricey but hey they were 10 oz pies. I thought they were pretty good, assuming that the word is applicable to frozen pot pies. They were pretty equivalent to the Stouffer/Marie Callender variety as opposed to Swanson/Banquet.

Yup, I tried those potties and they are mighty fine eatin.

From Morningnewsbeat.com:

Assessing Aldi’s Role in A Perfect Economic Storm
Time has a piece this week that focuses on Aldi, noting that it may be the perfect format to appeal to consumers who are “spooked by the gravest economic crisis in decades,” and are migrating from traditional supermarkets and more upscale stores to places where they believe they can get a bargain.

Aldi is responding to the economic with a spurt of expansion in the US. It “now has about 950 stores in 29 states and plans to open more than 100 stores in the next two years in Connecticut, Missouri and Texas. The company will have opened 100 new stores by the end of the year, double the number opened last year.”

The operating advantages of an Aldi, according to Time:

• “Aldi concentrates on selling core, high-volume grocery products, like ketchup, cereal and coffee. Want a choice? Forget it. By offering a single brand, usually a private label, in a single size, Aldi executives say that they can substantially undercut conventional retailers on 90% of the products the store sells.” Plus, it offers “a limited inventory … squeezing out all unnecessary costs, from coupons to butcher shops to fancy displays.”

• Aldi’s typical small 10,000 square foot size allows it to “penetrate urban markets where real estate is generally more expensive than in suburban locales, and also allowed the company to carve a niche in neighborhoods that supermarket chains neglected. Operating costs are as spare as the rest of the place.”



KC's View: Because Aldi focuses so relentlessly on value, it seems to me that this makes it even more important for the retailers that compete with it to define the values that differentiate them.

Aldi takes me back to when I was a child, Mom shopping at 3-4 different stores to get the best deal. Now as an adult I find that I am doing the same thing. But you will not find me in the Jewel or Dominicks, I shop ultra,aldis, Deals(everything under a dollar). Aldi, the best chedder worst, brenner iced tea mix, canned goods, frozen chix brest. the chilli(of course you doctor it up), olive oil,non stick spray, and of course all of your staples. I smile when I leave because I know I have saved money on my bill, and that my friends makes me HAPPY

Cogito wrote:I noticed that Aldi has their Crofton ? crock pot on sale next week for $20. Does anybody have any experience with this item? I bought a brand new Farberware crock pot at a Service Merchandise that was closing, about 3 years ago and when I got around to trying it out, it didn't work properly. Unfortunately the store had already gone south. Anyway, now I have a shiny new crockpot that doesn't work, so I was wondering about this one at Aldis, but folks have mentioned that some of these Crofton appliances are worthless, while others are quite good?

Cogito: Thanks for the heads-up on the crockpot. I got the new, 7-qt size for $20 last weekend and used it to make sloppy joe for the extended family. It worked just as well as the smaller one. *so* glad to finally have a larger crockpot. Yay, Aldi!

Why can't I find phone numbers for ALDI stores? Anyone know how to get their phone number? (Melrose Park store).

bluroses wrote:Cogito: Thanks for the heads-up on the crockpot. I got the new, 7-qt size for $20 last weekend and used it to make sloppy joe for the extended family. It worked just as well as the smaller one. *so* glad to finally have a larger crockpot. Yay, Aldi!

bluroses, did you notice if it seemed to keep a constant temperature? I've had two slow cookers in a row that boil viciously for about two minutes, then stop. They seem not to have advanced temp control to maintain steady slow heat; rather they apply full force heat until the temp gets to the predetermined temp, then stop altogether until it lowers to a predetermined temp.

But, I don't want my pot roast or whatever BOILING!!!! My first slow cooker worked great. It was just too small and after 15 years, I gave it away. Now, I can't seem to find one that works the way the first one did. Maybe it's too expensive to put in the electronics to allow constant heat or some limiter of some kind, so none of them do...

Noticed a sign in the window below Trader Joe's on Clybourn that there will be an Aldi opening soon. I think it wil be pretty cool to knock off hitting both those stores in the same trip. Considering the relation between these stores, it's interesting to finally see them in the same building.

Found an article related to the subject: http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/c ... l?id=34020

jglynn wrote:Noticed a sign in the window below Trader Joe's on Clybourn that there will be an Aldi opening soon. I think it wil be pretty cool to knock off hitting both those stores in the same trip. Considering the relation between these stores, it's interesting to finally see them in the same building.

Wow! I wonder if they got a sweet deal on the real estate. I suspect parking is about to get really tough there. I'm curious about the economic diversity that will now cross-pollinate with both sets of customers (My hunch is they are completely different demographics) using both stores.

Back when I had dinner/cocktail parties & worked for NPO's, I would haul to Aldi's for chips & mixers plus Snickers.

jglynn wrote:Noticed a sign in the window below Trader Joe's on Clybourn that there will be an Aldi opening soon.

wow!!! That's pretty interesting... seems a good match.


Has anyone checked out the $19 ice cream makers yet that use gel instead of salt? Wondering how well they work, etc. So has anyone taken one for the team and bought one? I almost bought one but ended up buying my toddler a wagon instead.

great match! if i'm not mistaken Aldi owns Trader Joes?

I believe they're owned by different branches of the same German family.

Also saw a sign attached to the Best Buy sign at Belmont and Kimball this week that there will be an Aldi coming to the building that where the Dominicks used to be. They are moving the Walgreen's a block away and there is already space between Walgreen's and Best Buy. This is a neighborhood that desperately needs a grocery store.

rickster wrote:I believe they're owned by different branches of the same German family.

You are correct. All of the North American Aldis are owned by Aldi Süd, while Trader Joe's is owned by an Albrecht family trust started by the owner of Aldi Nord.

They're independent companies, but they cooperate on things like combining their orders from suppliers so they can both get lower pricing.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldi

Not really related to food, but apparently now Aldi is in the travel business as well... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/artic ... -beat.html

Saint, the Aldi stores in Europe are much larger than here, practically the size of a Costco or Sams. Travel for then is nothing new. I wish we had all the selections and benefits here.

Aldi is running a special this week on "gourmet" sodas. Caruso's Legacy Gourmet Soda, bottled by Black Bear Bottling out of Wisconsin, comes in several flavors, using cane sugar as the only sweetener. The cream soda was a little heavy on the vanilla for my tastes, but the root beer has outstanding, intense classic flavor. I haven't tried the black cherry yet, so no report there. Anyone who really enjoys root beer should give this stuff a try. I think a six pack of 12 oz. bottles ran somewhere around $3.69.

Buddy

Good price. Do they have the Maraschino Cherry flavor?

I saw what I thought was black cherry, but admittedly all that registered in my head was the word "cherry". It might very well have been Maraschino Cherry. Keep in mind, these are bottled by Black Bear, but they are not sold under the Black Bear name. Therefore, they may not be the same flavors available through the original brand name.

Buddy

Caruso's Legacy Maraschino Cherry Cola


It's very unique, although I wouldn't say I like it (more of a "well, that was interesting"). Give it a try if you see it.

edit: Just saw this over at Aldi's website.

Got email from neighbor today that the new store at 1836 N Clybourn had a soft opening yesterday. The Aldi website confirms this. Sorry but I don't have any further details.

I went to the grand opening yesterday of the store at Belmont and Kimball. They were handing out free reusable grocery bags...

They also had some nice specialty items you don't always see: marinated mushrooms and roasted and marinated peppers in jars, frozen stuffed shells, manicotti and cheese and meat tortellini. I also picked up some delicious maple leaf/maple cream filled cookies: delicious.

I tried that cherry soda that Ed mentioned. Damn good.

Cogito wrote:I tried that cherry soda that Ed mentioned. Damn good.

Was it a cherry cola or just a cherry soda?