My aunt & cousin both use Aldi for alot of things and LOVE it. I always forget about going there though. Almost all of their items (like 98%) are store brand, but they have a guarantee that quality is equal to or exceeds that of the regular name brands and if you don't like something they'll replace it and will also refund your money. Their concept is pretty cool though, albeit not for the lazy lol. The main way they cut costs down is by cutting out the "extras" that we think are free at other stores (when in reality the cost is passed on thru their product prices). The main things are: they don't employ baggers & if charge a nickle for the sacks themselves - but you're allowed & encouraged to bring your own bags from home; in order to use a cart you have to deposit a quarter to get the cart out - but when you're done if you return your cart, you get your quarter back; and they only accept cash, debit cards that use PIN numbers, or ACCESS/food stamps - no credit cards or checks, which cuts out the fees they pay for processing.