• they’re really efficient and cheap in my experience. they sell no-bullshit products. they don’t spend much money on advertisement so they don’t have to add that money to their expenses and therefore prices.

    supermarkets make most money with highly-processed foods. every processing step adds another middleman that wants a slice of the price and that already increases the price, so you pay $5 instead of $2 for the raw products, and then the supermarket thinks “well, let’s add a 10% profit margin” and makes that price $5.50 instead of $2.20, thereby further increasing the difference in prices. aldi mostly sells basic products that are not so heavily processed (at least where i live) so there’s not much extra costs there.

    • Li0nhead ( Li0nhead@feddit.uk ) 
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      10 months ago

      I have worked for two producers here in the UK that supply Aldi. Basically Aldi want to match the leading brand and be cheaper.

      Neither of the companies i worked were the leading brand but the Aldi product we made (for both companies) match it.

      As a norm I buy from Aldi knowing they always try to get the leading brand matching quality for less.

  • BarneyPiccolo ( BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today ) 
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    15
    ·
    10 months ago

    Best kettle cooked potato chip on the market, less than $2. Their peanut butter is better than Jif, Skippy, or Peter Pan, and it’s only about $3. Mayo is exactly the same as Hellman’s, at less than $4. Great French Bread Pizzas for $3, and you don’t have to add more cheese and pepperoni when you get home.

    Lots of great chocolates, cheese, snacks, etc. I know someone who has a charcuterie catering biz, and she sources EVERYTHING at Aldi, including the serving trays and utensils.

    There’s the occasional dud, but almost everything is first rate, and much cheaper.

    • Trainguyrom ( Trainguyrom@reddthat.com ) 
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      9 months ago

      Yeah I get almost everything from Aldi because the quality is consistently comparable to name-brand while being significantly cheaper. Its also nice that the stores are so small so you can focus more on shopping and less on getting through the store itself

      There’s a few items where I do prefer from other stores (particularly meats and fresh fruits/veggies as the Aldi ones tend to go off faster and are lower quality) but generally I’ll hit Aldi, then my local grocery store for the last couple of items from my list, thereby keeping me well-within my grocery budget and getting the best of both worlds. Plus I can usually get it all done within about an hour thanks to only needing to hit a couple of isles in the big grocery store

      • BarneyPiccolo ( BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today ) 
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        9 months ago

        The Kettle-cooked chips come in plain, BBQ, and jalapeno, and all three are exceptional.

        The French bread pizzas are in the frozen section, 2 to a package. I always keep a couple on the freezer for a quick meal or snack if I get home late at night after work. I give them about 60 seconds in the microwave to thaw them out, then a few minutes on the air fryer to melt everything, cook the pepps, and crisp us the crust. Perfect pizza, and its only about $3.

        • Trainguyrom ( Trainguyrom@reddthat.com ) 
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          9 months ago

          For me I found they struggle to cook the very center in the microwave, so I’ll usually give them 60 seconds to thaw, cut it in half then another 60 seconds (or was it 30?) to finish cooking. Only problem is my kids very consistently try to steal them from me if I dare to eat them when they’re around so I’m quickly better off just making something else

          • BarneyPiccolo ( BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today ) 
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            9 months ago

            I just use the microwave to thaw it, and then it’s going to spend some time in the air fryer, so it doesn’t have to be hot in the middle, or even warm. It will get to the proper temp on the air fryer.

            For me, the most amazing part is that I don’t have to add extra cheese and toppings, like I always had to with Stouffer’s, it’s got plenty. First rate.

  • Cherry ( Cherry@piefed.social ) 
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    9 months ago

    Lived in multiple countries and had an Aldi close in them all. The quality and variety does differ. In particular the quality of the meat and fresh produce and I agree state to state can provide a disparity. I suppose that can be hard to imagine if you are used to a consistent Aldi.

    There are quite a few staples that I liked they were very cheap in comparison to the bigger stores. In particular the chocolate, kettle crisps, cheese twists etc.

    I also found it helpful for stocking up when budgeting. Each Jan I would go buy the giant soap powder, dishwasher tabs, hand wash, toothpaste kitchen roll, olive oil, anything that could be stored in the garage. This stopped me visiting the other stores so much and spending on junk.

  • swelter_spark ( swelter_spark@reddthat.com ) 
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    9 months ago

    The Aldis around here look upscale, but they sell mostly store brands. So, a discount grocery store for people who don’t want to feel poor? I can’t tell if the quality is better than any other discount grocer. I do like their peanut butter cereal.

    • W98BSoD ( W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.com ) 
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      9 months ago

      The Aldis around here look upscale, but they sell mostly store brands.

      That’s how they can offer lower prices.

      So, a discount grocery store for people who don’t want to feel poor?

      A grocery store for people who are tired of being raked over the advertising coals and realize that Aldi O’s are just as good as Cheerios.

      I can’t tell if the quality is better than any other discount grocer.

      Much better than most.

      • swelter_spark ( swelter_spark@reddthat.com ) 
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        9 months ago

        The only difference I can see between Aldi and Save-a-lot, or similar stores, is that Aldis are always in expensive-looking buildings. If anything, I’d expect grocers in cheaper buildings to be able to afford better quality store brands.

  • MrSulu ( MrSulu@lemmy.ml ) 
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    9 months ago

    And soon, this too will become unaffordable. Tax, the super rich. After a couple hundred years I don’t think the trickle down economy experimental has worked. Not there, not anywhere.

    • skisnow ( skisnow@lemmy.ca ) 
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      9 months ago

      Yes, and in a saturated market like supermarket retail, “fastest growing” is mathematically guaranteed to be a company without so much penetration.

      Also the article is a blatant advertorial for Aldi cooked up as a way of advertising on Reddit/Lemmy without having to pay. Don’t upvote it.

    • PheasantPlucker ( PheasantPlucker@feddit.uk ) 
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      9 months ago

      “Last year, its stores attracted 924 million visits, making it the third-most visited supermarket in America after Kroger and Publix.” Later on the article says there are 1 billion visits annually, so it seems that Aldi had 10% of footfall, which is pretty impressive penetration.