Aldi

[Laramie]

Disappointed in Aldi's selections. Didn't see anything there with a brand name on them and the canned goods had labels I've never seen; after purchasing a few things, I donated all of the 12/15 canned goods to charity.

The soups were watered down and I was afraid to fall asleep thinking about what I forced myself to eat.

Will admit, the store looked clean.

[Rover]

Disappointed in Aldi's selections. Didn't see anything there with a brand name on them and the canned goods had labels I've never seen; after purchasing a few things, I donated all of the 12/15 canned goods to charity.

The soups were watered down and I was afraid to fall asleep thinking about what I forced myself to eat.

Will admit, the store looked clean.

In most cases, those generic products are manufactured by the same company that puts out the name-brand version. People love to pay more for brands.

Sounds like the mega stores are your best bet.

Aldi has never tried to be all things for all people. Instead, they focus on providing the basic few hundred items people need most. That has been their philosophy from the beginning.

[scottk]

I use to really like Aldi.

Their in-store brands were fine, most had comparable quality, only a few of the items didn't taste as great as the name brands. The biggest driver for me was the cost savings.

However, it appears they have been greatly impacted by the tight margins on their products and rising prices in the grocery industry. I use to go out of my way to buy 70-80% of my grocery needs from Aldi. Now, it's about 20%, most of their prices are equal to store brands elsewhere, the savings for me at least, are not nearly as great as they use to be.

[Brett]

I use to really like Aldi.

Their in-store brands were fine, most had comparable quality, only a few of the items didn't taste as great as the name brands. The biggest driver for me was the cost savings.

However, it appears they have been greatly impacted by the tight margins on their products and rising prices in the grocery industry. I use to go out of my way to buy 70-80% of my grocery needs from Aldi. Now, it's about 20%, most of their prices are equal to store brands elsewhere, the savings for me at least, are not nearly as great as they use to be.

I am curious as to which retailer is beating Aldi in cost saving 70-80% of the time?

[scottk]

I am curious as to which retailer is beating Aldi in cost saving 70-80% of the time?

If you buy the store brands at other retailers (Kroger, Target, Walmart, Crest, etc) their prices match up much closer today than what they use to when compared to Aldi's store brands. Mix and match, the total costs may only save pennies at Aldi, and sometimes 10-30% cheaper for just going with the store brand at a larger retailer. I've shopped Aldi in OKC for about a decade and saw significant jumps in pricing in the past year or two compared to the previous years. Are there still good buys at Aldi, YES, just like any other grocery store, shop the ad, know the specials, and you can save money. But across the board savings just don't seem to be as good as they once were. If you stick to only buying name brands at retailers, of course Aldi is going to save money, but if you do as close as an apple to apple comparison with store brands, the prices are much closer.

There use to be a much wider margin in Aldi's prices compared to store brands at other places.

For example:
Bag of store brand Potato Chips:
Aldi - $2.45
Kroger - $1.99
Target - $2.19
Walmart - $.198

Store Brand 24oz Pasta Sauce
Aldi- $1.75
Kroger - $1.79
Target - $1.59
Walmart - $1.62

Store Brand Gallon of Whole Milk
Aldi - $3.35
Kroger -$3.29
Target - $2.99
Walmart - $3.03

Store Brand Peanut Butter
Aldi- $2.05
Kroger - $1.99
Target - $1.99
Walmart - $1.98

[barrettd]

If you buy the store brands at other retailers (Kroger, Target, Walmart, Crest, etc) their prices match up much closer today than what they use to when compared to Aldi's store brands. Mix and match, the total costs may only save pennies at Aldi, and sometimes 10-30% cheaper for just going with the store brand at a larger retailer. I've shopped Aldi in OKC for about a decade and saw significant jumps in pricing in the past year or two compared to the previous years. Are there still good buys at Aldi, YES, just like any other grocery store, shop the ad, know the specials, and you can save money. But across the board savings just don't seem to be as good as they once were. If you stick to only buying name brands at retailers, of course Aldi is going to save money, but if you do as close as an apple to apple comparison with store brands, the prices are much closer.

There use to be a much wider margin in Aldi's prices compared to store brands at other places.

For example:
Bag of store brand Potato Chips:
Aldi - $2.45
Kroger - $1.99
Target - $2.19
Walmart - $.198

Store Brand 24oz Pasta Sauce
Aldi- $1.75
Kroger - $1.79
Target - $1.59
Walmart - $1.62

Store Brand Gallon of Whole Milk
Aldi - $3.35
Kroger -$3.29
Target - $2.99
Walmart - $3.03

Store Brand Peanut Butter
Aldi- $2.05
Kroger - $1.99
Target - $1.99
Walmart - $1.98

the big surprise, to me, about your list is how often Target is at or below Walmart prices. I still feel like my money goes the furthest at Walmart, but maybe that's just a myth these days.

[Mballard85]

the big surprise, to me, about your list is how often Target is at or below Walmart prices. I still feel like my money goes the furthest at Walmart, but maybe that's just a myth these days.

If you buy Good and Gather from Target, you can really save some money and it seems to be a good product. But if you step out of that lane, that is where they hit you.

[Rover]

If you buy Good and Gather from Target, you can really save some money and it seems to be a good product. But if you step out of that lane, that is where they hit you.

Yeah, I’ve never been able to fill my basket cheaper at Target. They always seem on the high side.

[kukblue1]

Having been a coupon guy back in the day when it was easier to match prices and double coupon days , triple coupon day I used to do a lot of price comparison. Some things are cheaper at store A than store B, C, D. Some things are cheaper at store C than A, B, D. etc etc etc. Really came down to where I liked to shop and for me back in the day it was Meijer when I lived up North. Now it's Crest for me.

[barrettd]

Having been a coupon guy back in the day when it was easier to match prices and double coupon days , triple coupon day I used to do a lot of price comparison. Some things are cheaper at store A than store B, C, D. Some things are cheaper at store C than A, B, D. etc etc etc. Really came down to where I liked to shop and for me back in the day it was Meijer when I lived up North. Now it's Crest for me.

Yes, and I know sometimes I pay more for convenience, or assurance that an item will be in stock. Same reason I usually go to Grand Cru liquor store, really. I pay more, but I know they will have anything and everything I'll need.

[Pete]

Holy cow, don't ever go into an Aldi at 7:30 on a Sunday night...

I'd say at least 50% of their product was gone; as in almost entire aisles mostly empty.

Good for them but makes the pickings pretty slim.

[FighttheGoodFight]

I am now on week 5 of using Kroger. I think we are sticking to it. Good prices and not having to wrangle the kids to go the grocery store has been nice. All groceries we have received have been high quality.

[Brett]

Holy cow, don't ever go into an Aldi at 7:30 on a Sunday night...

I'd say at least 50% of their product was gone; as in almost entire aisles mostly empty.

Good for them but makes the pickings pretty slim.

Shopping on Sunday evening can be a madhouse for any popular grocery store. I like to visit other Aldi's just to see how busy they are and how much stock they have.

[MagzOK]

Shopping on Sunday evening can be a madhouse for any popular grocery store. I like to visit other Aldi's just to see how busy they are and how much stock they have.

Yes, everything at most stores have pretty much been picked over all weekend long.

[scottk]

Given the popularity of Aldi in OKC as an alternative discount grocery store to the big box stores, we really could use a few more to help disperse the demand.

Thinking about the one at Quail Springs (Penn and Memorial) and how that serves a very densely populated area of housing and apartments. There are easily 100,000 people within 3 miles of the store, which is the same size of store as the one in Chickasha that serves 16k.

[bombermwc]

I go to Aldi before I go to Crest every week. Sometimes throw in a Sams/Costco trip that week too. I can say that if I go to Aldi for some items, i can usually save about $20 overall each week. So about $100 a month.

I have discovered that no, i do not like everything that they offer because of personal preference. But a lot of things really are just as good as what I would buy anywhere else. Canned veggies/pasta/yogurt/eggs/etc. They have some interesting items in their specialty areas and frozen section. And their stock of items for charcouterie (sp?) is top notch. And the "aisle of shame", well I go down it every week...slowly, to see if there's something we can't live without. I got some great stadium seats, camping gear, shoes. kids jammies, some shorts, among other things on that aisle. You probably wont ever see something twice, but if you grab it while it's there, it's usually a really good deal. Heck, i even got a EZup canopy there for about $15 less than walmart prices. They have since gone up, but it was a deal grabber when i got it. And the case had wheels too!

There is a cult following with Aldi. My wife is one of them.....so I have banned her from grocery shopping. She has to do pickups for Sams most of the time too or she comes out with 4 times what we went in for. LOL. When we are driving somewhere and she sees one in another town, shes jokes that she wants to go in and see what different things they have. My kids and I all say "no way". HAHAHAHA

[Jeepnokc]

I go to Aldi before I go to Crest every week. Sometimes throw in a Sams/Costco trip that week too. I can say that if I go to Aldi for some items, i can usually save about $20 overall each week. So about $100 a month.

I have discovered that no, i do not like everything that they offer because of personal preference. But a lot of things really are just as good as what I would buy anywhere else. Canned veggies/pasta/yogurt/eggs/etc. They have some interesting items in their specialty areas and frozen section. And their stock of items for charcouterie (sp?) is top notch. And the "aisle of shame", well I go down it every week...slowly, to see if there's something we can't live without. I got some great stadium seats, camping gear, shoes. kids jammies, some shorts, among other things on that aisle. You probably wont ever see something twice, but if you grab it while it's there, it's usually a really good deal. Heck, i even got a EZup canopy there for about $15 less than walmart prices. They have since gone up, but it was a deal grabber when i got it. And the case had wheels too!

There is a cult following with Aldi. My wife is one of them.....so I have banned her from grocery shopping. She has to do pickups for Sams most of the time too or she comes out with 4 times what we went in for. LOL. When we are driving somewhere and she sees one in another town, shes jokes that she wants to go in and see what different things they have. My kids and I all say "no way". HAHAHAHA

I went into one yesterday for the first time. Wasn't what I was expecting. Seemed like a cross between a warehouse store with the open boxes just stacked and a dollar general. Was surprised at how spacious it seemed as far as plenty of room in aisles. Reading your post about the "aisle of shame", I know the aisle. lol.

I was just looking for wax paper so didn't go through the meats or cold areas but if we had an Aldi close to where I lived, I could see me going there instead of Crest or Walmart when I need just 1-2 items.

[barrettd]

I go to Aldi before I go to Crest every week. Sometimes throw in a Sams/Costco trip that week too. I can say that if I go to Aldi for some items, i can usually save about $20 overall each week. So about $100 a month.

I have discovered that no, i do not like everything that they offer because of personal preference. But a lot of things really are just as good as what I would buy anywhere else. Canned veggies/pasta/yogurt/eggs/etc. They have some interesting items in their specialty areas and frozen section. And their stock of items for charcouterie (sp?) is top notch. And the "aisle of shame", well I go down it every week...slowly, to see if there's something we can't live without. I got some great stadium seats, camping gear, shoes. kids jammies, some shorts, among other things on that aisle. You probably wont ever see something twice, but if you grab it while it's there, it's usually a really good deal. Heck, i even got a EZup canopy there for about $15 less than walmart prices. They have since gone up, but it was a deal grabber when i got it. And the case had wheels too!

There is a cult following with Aldi. My wife is one of them.....so I have banned her from grocery shopping. She has to do pickups for Sams most of the time too or she comes out with 4 times what we went in for. LOL. When we are driving somewhere and she sees one in another town, shes jokes that she wants to go in and see what different things they have. My kids and I all say "no way". HAHAHAHA

I've found their little deli type snack packs are great, as are their hummus and other dips. I'm a big fan of Aldi, and love their curbside pickup.

[Pete]

Aldi is a lot like Trader Joe's in that to really get it, you have to go multiple times and try a lot of different things.

Both have a ton of small, unique items along with staples such as produce.

On my last trip to Aldi, I bought a couple of jars of their butter chicken sautee sauce. Cooked up some chicken, added some onions and simmered everything for about an hour, then served it over jasmine rice. Damn good!

[corwin1968]

Reading your post about the "aisle of shame", I know the aisle. lol.

I'm not a big fan of Aldi's but my wife loves it. I refer to "that aisle" as the "junk aisle" because my wife spends more time there, buying things we don't need, just because it's cheap, than she spends in all the other areas of the store, so it ends up as clutter in our house, which in my book = "junk".

[baralheia]

Aldi is a lot like Trader Joe's in that to really get it, you have to go multiple times and try a lot of different things.

Both have a ton of small, unique items along with staples such as produce.

On my last trip to Aldi, I bought a couple of jars of their butter chicken sautee sauce. Cooked up some chicken, added some onions and simmered everything for about an hour, then served it over jasmine rice. Damn good!

100% this, I'm a huge fan. For those of you unfamiliar, they have a bunch of core items that never (or rarely) change - mainly your staple goods. But then they have limited time stuff they call "Aldi Finds", either a special buy from a national brand or seasonal products produced specifically for Aldi, and that's where things get really interesting. I can't count the number of times where I've gone to Aldi for a specific few items and ended up buying way more than I intended. Those sautee sauces are super good, especially for the price! I really like the coconut korma one. When they do German Week, they import a ton of special stuff and they're all fantastic, especially the soups, strudels, and the frozen spaetzle. They occasionally carry frozen Chicago-style deep dish pizzas too. They've recently been carrying a big chicken pot pie (from "Park Street Deli") and paired with a side salad, it's one of my favorite easy dinners for two right now... I pick one up every time I see one on the shelf. I've gotten to the point where Aldi satisfies the majority of my shopping list, and the Aldi Finds add interesting variety... and the prices are really hard to beat too.

If you've never experienced Aldi, I strongly encourage you to go wander around, take a look at everything they have to offer, and buy a few things that look interesting. I've *rarely* been disappointed with anything I've bought from them.

[Bill Robertson]

^This
I played pool on a team with the manager of the store on SW 59th. She convinced me to go check an ALDI out. They're definitely different but as baralheia said for many things like basic staples they are very good. And it's always fun to see what else they have each trip.

[Bill Robertson]

Double

[OKCbyTRANSFER]

Shopped at the N. May store this afternoon. They were closed yesterday for a reset, so everything has been changed around . It was interesting to say the least, trying to find where product has been moved to.