First trip to Aldi's



Dee Randall wrote:

> "GW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:p[email protected]...
>
>>Hayabusa wrote:
>>
>>
>>>In Germany you don't get your purchase packed, you are provided with a
>>>very short space behind the cashier's machine to put your purchase
>>>back into the basked from which you just took it, so you can pack it
>>>yourself outside the cashier's territory. If you think Wally is
>>>no-frills, wait for Aldi to get a hold in the US. This is
>>>no-frills-at-all.
>>
>>I'd say Aldi's already has a pretty good hold in the US with 600 stores.
>
>
> I checked their website and didn't see where the locations were in the U.S.
> I've never heard of them before reading about them on this site. I've only
> been to a few of the old-time food warehouses in the 70s and 80's in
> Washington state and a couple in California. No doubt it is the same type
> of thing?
> Dee Dee

Click on http://www.aldi.us/ and then click on the 'What is Aldi?' tab
at the top. Apparently there are actually 700 stores in the US now, but
limited to 26 states. I'm not first hand familiar with the 'old-time
food warehouses' on the west coast in the 70's and 80's but I imagine
they were similar to what we had here at the time. Aldi's isn't even
similar.
 
On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 08:57:47 -0500, "Dee Randall"
<[email protected]> wrote:

snipped:
I shop at 3 places only. Aldis, Save-A-Lot and Family Dollar.
I spend 1/3rd on everything to last the month that I would spend at
the larger stores. And everything is good quality. I'd say there are
at least 50 smaller stores within 30 miles that save the smart shopper
a bundle over the name branded places. My small town is also blessed
to have 3 Mom and Pop places also. 99% of the time these stores have
everything you need. They even have classy wines, cheese, etc all at
resonable prices. The only thing that is about the same price at any
store here is meat. However, smart shopping and saving money is the
trendy and proper thing to do.
A few examples:
1 dz large eggs- 89 cents
6 pk kitchen paper towels $2
6 pk survival paper 2 ply(toilet paper) $1
3 pk soap $1.50
1 loaf bread 25 cents
it is amazing if you look around.
 
I'm the director of a food pantry in my town and we place a large trash
can in the lobby of the local grocery store for donations. Yesterday I
went in the store for a few things for myself and saw that the can was
full. A young man who worked at the store offered to help me with it as
it was very heavy. He wheeled it out to my car and proceeded to empty
it into my trunk. Some items were bagged, and some were loose. I
thanked him profusely as no one ever helps like that. Then I noticed
that the bottom of the can was full of trash, some people use the can
for refuse even though it is clearly marked. I asked if he would be so
kind as to empty the trash when he went back into the building. He
turned the can upside down right there in the parking lot, and for those
of you who live in the Northeast, you know how windy it was on Friday,
all of the papers went whirling and flying everywhere. I was speechless
and reprimanded him for doing that. He just smiled and said, "It's not
my job to clean the parking lot."

So much for helpful employees.

Denise
 
Because I run a food pantry, I can have two or three carts of food to
push out to the car. My local Wally World wlll page for extra help if
you ask the cashier. One day none of the usual young men (they employ a
few special needs men) were available so the store manager himself came
out to help me. He was very gracious and helpful.

I've only had trouble with a couple of the Wal-Mart employees. I used
to shop at 4 am and there were only a couple of check out clerks
available. One of them, when she saw the amount of food I was buying,
grabbed a bunch of bags and threw them at me saying, "You count each
item, tell me how many of each, then you bag them." The first time she
did this, I complied because I was dumbfounded. The next time I went,
she did the same thing but didn't get away with it. I said, " No,
that's your job." Man, what a dirty look I got.

Another clerk told me her whole life story while bagging, her abusive
mother, her two abortions, her jailed lover, etc. Quite an earful to
tell a stranger.

For the most part, my Wal-Mart is ok, but they do get a few strange
employees sometimes.



Denise
 
"Denise in NH" <[email protected]> wrote

> turned the can upside down right there in the parking lot, and for those
> of you who live in the Northeast, you know how windy it was on Friday,
> all of the papers went whirling and flying everywhere. I was speechless
> and reprimanded him for doing that. He just smiled and said, "It's not
> my job to clean the parking lot."
>
> So much for helpful employees.

You can't teach work ethic. Pitiful display indeed.

nancy
 
[email protected] wrote:
A few examples:
> 1 dz large eggs- 89 cents
> 6 pk kitchen paper towels $2
> 6 pk survival paper 2 ply(toilet paper) $1
> 3 pk soap $1.50
> 1 loaf bread 25 cents

Yes, but are you happy with the quality of everything you've found? I
can't imagine finding a loaf of good, multi-grain seeded bread for a
quarter, more likely a loaf of crappy wonder bread wanna be, even if
the call it whole wheat it's still a sponge bread. There's a fine line
between being frugal to save alittel money, and being cheap and
sacrificing decent products.
 
Denise in NH wrote:
I used
> to shop at 4 am and there were only a couple of check out clerks
> available. One of them, when she saw the amount of food I was buying,
> grabbed a bunch of bags and threw them at me saying, "You count each
> item, tell me how many of each, then you bag them."

I would have had some FUN with that one!!

Let's see........20 cans of pinto beans go into the bag......... "Ok,
that's three of those."
Next.......18 heads of lettuce. "5 heads of romaine."
Then maybe the tomatoes. 26 cans into the bags. "4 cans of tomatoes."
A dozen cans of black olives. "Just 1 can on the olives."

How long do you thnk it would take until she noticed and had to void
the order and start all over again? =)

(PS, I'm not actully dishonest. If she was stupid enough to ring it up
that way and charge me $20 for 3 baskets full of food, I probably would
have ended up finding a manager with my receipt.)
 
Dee Randall wrote:
> > The only time I've ever seen two people at a checkout was a few times
> > when it's been really busy, they've had a person removing the bags and
> > placing them in your trolley, so that the area's pretty much clear
> > immediately after you've paid, and there's no chance of mixing up your
> > shopping you haven't moved yet with the shopping of the person behind
> > you.
> >
> > Rhonda Anderson
> > Cranebrook, NSW, Australia
>
> Maybe one could go to the other extreme and do like (is it?) France. You
> pick out your item, he/she gives you a ticket. You take the ticket to
> another place in the shop and they will give you the item. Then you take
> the ticket back to the first person or another person and she checks it over
> or checks you out.
> Do they still do that? I saw them doing that on a French movie also a short
> while back.
> Dee Dee

Ah, I think you need to check the date on that movie. :) They certainly
did't do that the last time I was in France.
John Kane, Kingston ON Canada
 
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Dee Randall wrote:
>> > The only time I've ever seen two people at a checkout was a few times
>> > when it's been really busy, they've had a person removing the bags and
>> > placing them in your trolley, so that the area's pretty much clear
>> > immediately after you've paid, and there's no chance of mixing up your
>> > shopping you haven't moved yet with the shopping of the person behind
>> > you.
>> >
>> > Rhonda Anderson
>> > Cranebrook, NSW, Australia
>>
>> Maybe one could go to the other extreme and do like (is it?) France. You
>> pick out your item, he/she gives you a ticket. You take the ticket to
>> another place in the shop and they will give you the item. Then you take
>> the ticket back to the first person or another person and she checks it
>> over
>> or checks you out.
>> Do they still do that? I saw them doing that on a French movie also a
>> short
>> while back.
>> Dee Dee
>
> Ah, I think you need to check the date on that movie. :) They certainly
> did't do that the last time I was in France.
> John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

Did you buy 'goods' while you were there? The last time I was in France
doesn't count, it's been so long ago -- 1980. They did this sort of thing
then. (Maybe they do this on Monty Python, too -- just for laughs - also
many years ago.)
Thanks,
Dee Dee
 
"Dee Randall" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "GW" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:p[email protected]...
> > Hayabusa wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> In Germany you don't get your purchase packed, you are provided with a
> >> very short space behind the cashier's machine to put your purchase
> >> back into the basked from which you just took it, so you can pack it
> >> yourself outside the cashier's territory. If you think Wally is
> >> no-frills, wait for Aldi to get a hold in the US. This is
> >> no-frills-at-all.
> >
> > I'd say Aldi's already has a pretty good hold in the US with 600 stores.
>
> I checked their website and didn't see where the locations were in the
U.S.
> I've never heard of them before reading about them on this site. I've
only
> been to a few of the old-time food warehouses in the 70s and 80's in
> Washington state and a couple in California. No doubt it is the same type
> of thing?
> Dee Dee

Dee - go to http://www.aldifoods.com/, then click on the store locater
button.

Aldi is much smaller than a typical "food warehouse". They only have 4-5
aisles - fairly short ones. It's definitely not a place to do *all* your
shopping, but you can certainly stock up on staples there. And like TJ's,
they have a small selection of nicely-priced wine and beer.

Hope this helps!

Lisa Ann
 
In article <[email protected]>, GW <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>
> >>
> >>I noticed a number of people mentioning this "carry to the car" service.
> >>It's not something I've ever come across in any supermarket I've ever been
> >>to here.
> >
> >
> > It's a thing of the past here (Mpls), too, though it was common 30-35
> > years ago. Now the options are to push the trolley to your car, unload
> > to vehicle, and return cart to one of several locations for the purpose
> > in the parking lot; or (upscale) go to a drive-thru area where your
> > bags have been moved -- store employee puts them into your vehicle. I
> > haven't seen a store employee provide carry-out to vehicle in years.
> > Many years.
>
> Almsted's Supervalu at Louisiana/Cedar Lake Rd in St Louis Park still
> carries the groceries to your car and they don't accept tips.

I'll be. Thanks.
-Barb
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 2-11-2006, Sausage Roll Ups
 

> Dee - go to http://www.aldifoods.com/, then click on the store locater
> button.
>
> Aldi is much smaller than a typical "food warehouse". They only have 4-5
> aisles - fairly short ones. It's definitely not a place to do *all* your
> shopping, but you can certainly stock up on staples there. And like TJ's,
> they have a small selection of nicely-priced wine and beer.
>
> Hope this helps!
>
> Lisa Ann
>
Yes, Lisa Ann, it does help -- with your help I found the list of stores
around -- DH will stop at the Chambersburg, PA store (about 80 miles away)
on his next trip up to CT, since he read your
>"And like TJ's,
> they have a small selection of nicely-priced>
> wine and beer."
Much appreciation,
Dee Dee
 
<[email protected] wrote:

> Dee Randall wrote:
> > Maybe one could go to the other extreme and do like (is it?) France.
You
> > pick out your item, he/she gives you a ticket. You take the ticket to
> > another place in the shop and they will give you the item. Then you
take
> > the ticket back to the first person or another person and she checks it
over
> > or checks you out.
> > Do they still do that? I saw them doing that on a French movie also a
short
> > while back.
> > Dee Dee
>
> Ah, I think you need to check the date on that movie. :) They certainly
> did't do that the last time I was in France.


Maybe what she saw was a Soviet - era Russian movie. That was the check -
out system for all retail outlets in the old USSR (except for farmer's
markets)...made shopping for things an even MORE maddening experience than
it already was.

--
Best
Greg
 
"Dee Randall" <[email protected]> wrote

> It used to be the normal thing years ago to have a bagger bag groceries,
> put them in a cart, take them to your car and load them in. They didn't
> ask me whether I wanted these services. They just did it.

Most definitely before my time, unless being an army brat where the
shopping was done at commissaries is the reason I never ever saw that.

> Then later it became the norm for them to bag your groceries, and then
> they didn't ask you if you wanted them to take it to the car. They posted
> signs for you to return your carts to a carriage barn-of-sorts in order
> for them to save YOU money.

Don't you just *love* that? Self-serve gas falls under that category.
Yeah, look at all the money you're saving.

What is Judge Judy's famous saying? Don't pee on my leg and
tell me it's raining.

> Then later it became the norm for them to ask you if you wanted paper or
> plastic bags.

Slippery slope ...

> Then later it became the norm for the bagger to bag your groceries in
> plastic bags without asking you if you wanted paper -- I assume because
> they didn't carry paper.

They still do, at least the places I shop. I ask for paper when I
have a package to mail. But you do have to ask, they are under
the counter.

> Now at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's they bag your groceries in paper bags
> with handles if you want. You can get help loading your groceries into
> your car if you ask for help.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I would think that would be true usually,
in supermarkets? I've only recently seen signs saying they would,
in my local store, but I already knew if you asked they would.

> At Wegman's (a large up-scale grocery) I recall it is plastic bagging, but
> they do bag it for you.

Also, I've never heard of a place that wouldn't bag for you. They
just might not (*mostly* not) have a bagger, the cashier does it.
I bag my own, some people do just stand there and wait.

> As I said previously, I don't shop anywhere that doesn't bag groceries;
> not by design, it just is that they all do bag groceries. Everywhere
> except the places where they have installed automated grocery scanning.

Heh, at least they haven't claimed it would save you money.

> Somehow I equate this all as less-service and is comparable to fast-food
> restaurants not cleaning off tables when someone leaves, and not bussing
> tables. Others think doing these jobs and offering these service equates
> to slave-labor. My opinion: I think businesses will do anything to
> increase profits. Giving less service is one sure way to do that.

That's not an opinion, it's fact. Trick is, who wouldn't do that, they are
in business to make money. It's not all bad, I guess. Paper/plastic bags
....
I'm okay with the plastic bags, and I do reuse them for a lot of things.
I can bring them back to be recycled, too, last I looked, and they don't
take up so much room as paper. Wanna know the truth? I really don't
want people bringing my stuff out to the car. I'm okay with bagging
for myself, too.

nancy
 
Wanna know the truth? I really don't
> want people bringing my stuff out to the car. I'm okay with bagging
> for myself, too.
>
> nancy

No, I don't want anyone bringing my stuff to the car/truck, either. Not any
more - that's a whole 'nother topic.


I'm not ok with bagging it myself, although I don't like checkers licking my
bags. I'm not strong enough. I don't look that way, as I've had checkers
hand me a bag over the counter that I'd have to have a dolly to pick up. I
just point to DH. I turn my head away to avoid the 'look.' tee hee. But
AISB, every place I shop does the bagging, even Costco loads it into a cart
for you. (Sometimes a person with an attitude will slam it down into the
cart for you - must've been watching too much football. Now, that's fun to
watch!
Dee Dee
 
On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 17:25:00 -0600, GW <[email protected]> wrote:

>Tara wrote:
>
>> I tried Aldi's for the first time today. The prices are very good
>> and the workers were very friendly and courteous. You do give up
>> some convenience in exchange for the low prices. You have to deposit
>
>I went to Aldi's today.
>
>Sharp Ceddar Cheese $1.49
>French Green Beans .35
>Canned Corn .35
>Corned Beef Hash .99
>Cheddar Bratwurst 1.99
>Honey Crunch & Oats
>Cereal 1.69
>Stuffed Sandwiches
>(same as Hot-pockets) 1.59
>Creamy Peanut Butter
>(100% Skippy) 1.29
>Oat Bran Bread .79
>14 Oz bag of M&Ms
>with peanuts 2.29
>
>15 Oz Corn Chips .99
>(100% Fritos)

Of course it is your business where you go shopping. Personally, I
just don't feel well in their stores here in Germany and tend to avoid
them. When I lived in the US I liked Albertsons, but that was 25 years
ago.

Hayabusa
 
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