Aldi becomes Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket

[Reynard]

Hmm I've never seen Provolone cheese in my nearest (3 miles by bike, mostly cyclepaths) Lidl. There again, I've never thought to look for it there.

Provolone usually pops up when they do their Italian offer. Don't buy the "dolce" as it's tasteless, but the "piccante" is deliciously strong. I usually buy it by the job lot as it's vacuum-packed and will keep for ages.

 

[KnittyNorah]

Provolone usually pops up when they do their Italian offer. Don't buy the "dolce" as it's tasteless, but the "piccante" is deliciously strong. I usually buy it by the job lot as it's vacuum-packed and will keep for ages.

Will keep that in mind as something to look out for!

 

[tyred]

Does nobody support their local, independent grocer any more?

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Does this mean they might open a second checkout occasionally?

 

[fossyant]

Does nobody support their local, independent grocer any more?

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Yeh, that is Aldi !

 

[stephec]

Does this mean they might open a second checkout occasionally?

Titter ye not!

I was in our local Aldi last Friday night, only wanted 4 cans of their German Pils for £3.25, and it was that busy they had 4 tills open.

 

[slowmotion]

I'm a huge fan of Lidl, mainly for its random range of appallingly awful tools at laughable prices. It's like visiting a souk and equally exciting. Their charcuterie is pretty good too but my wife has her doubts about the pigs' welfare.

Asda is good for cheap acrylic sweaters. About £18 for a pair. The staff are pretty friendly too.

 

[DRM]

It was either Aldi or Lidl distribution centre in Daventry (about 14/15 years ago) when they were just into the UK, I used to deliver there. Drivers were expected to unload their own trailers (none of their staff there to help tip! ) into the warehouse were the stock was marshelled ready for onward loading for stores.. Very slick operation.

It still is like that, drivers go get a key for a PPT and tip their own vehicle, Aldi staff don’t get involved in that, just picking store orders and loading there own trucks up

 

[BoldonLad]

There's an Aldi around the corner from me where I get most of my supplies. I'm very partial to their Weissbeir which at £1.50 a bottle you can't really go wrong with.

Had a strange experience last time I was in, an elderly woman rammed her trolley into my ankle and then blamed me for it. I'm 6'1" and although not a particularly wide person, I'm not exactly inconspicuous... I'd have let that slide, perhaps she had vision problems, but then she went off on one about my tattoos and how I was working class scum covered in offensive lines. I thought about pointing out we were both shopping in the same place, but life's too short so I left her ranting away in the middle of the aisle.

Ahh! so it was you my wife encountered in Aldi? she probably didn't have her glasses on, hope your ankle is OK

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I haven't got an Aldi

Although I've heard that they are planning on setting up here soon.

 

[AuroraSaab]

Main favourite is usually Asda, but I do like the pastries and a trip down the Middle of Lidl. Aldi always seems more busy than Lidl, not sure why. I only usually visit to get the chocolate chip brioche loaf.

I think Aldi and Lidl have benefited not just from people looking for no frills cheap food shopping but also from a change in habits. Years ago we all did one 'big shop' for a week whereas people now go to a supermarket two or more times a week doing smaller 'shops'. Much easier to do this in Aldi and Lidl, especially in their local or town centre stores. Much more food shopping is done on the way home from work than it used to be, I reckon, with people just buying stuff for a couple of days.

 

[PeteXXX]

It still is like that, drivers go get a key for a PPT and tip their own vehicle, Aldi staff don’t get involved in that, just picking store orders and loading there own trucks up

Yes, and you had to sign a disclaimer that you were trained to use PPT (Powered Pallet Truck). If you didn't, they gave you a pump truck to lug 750kg pallets up the ramp!
The names on the disclaimer form read like the cast from a Disney film: M. Mouse, D. Duck etc.

 

[Lozz360]

There's an Aldi around the corner from me where I get most of my supplies. I'm very partial to their Weissbeir which at £1.50 a bottle you can't really go wrong with.

Had a strange experience last time I was in, an elderly woman rammed her trolley into my ankle and then blamed me for it. I'm 6'1" and although not a particularly wide person, I'm not exactly inconspicuous... I'd have let that slide, perhaps she had vision problems, but then she went off on one about my tattoos and how I was working class scum covered in offensive lines. I thought about pointing out we were both shopping in the same place, but life's too short so I left her ranting away in the middle of the aisle.

Tesco sell 4 x 500ml bottles of Erdinger for £6. Just saying.

 

[AndyRM]

Tesco sell 4 x 500ml bottles of Erdinger for £6. Just saying.

Not really a big Erdinger fan to be honest - too fizzy for me!

 

[Fab Foodie]

Going around my local supermarket (a Tesco as it happens), it's surprising how much branded stuff people put in their trolleys. If that's the starting point, then yes, the "discounters" will be decidedly cheaper on a similar shop.

But if, like me, you tend to buy mainly fresh ingredients and supermarket own brand anyway, and you compare the price per kilo of things as a matter of course, then Aldi (and Lidl) are actually much of a muchness with the bigger players. It's swings and roundabouts across the range - some things are cheaper, but others are more expensive. A lot of it though, is about perception.

Where Aldi and Lidl do score IMHO, is on the continental deli and cheese that you can't get elsewhere. Or can only otherwise get in Waitrose at a vastly inflated price.

My observation (several supermarkets in different regions) is that brands have pretty-much taken-over the aisles (there are reasons for this), own-label has shrunk significantly, choice is much more limited as Supermarkets reduce their number of SKU's (as are all businesses as times tighten). Also volumes held of many products in stock are also very low.
Supermarkets have (as a result of the Aldi Lidl onslaught which continues unabated), released 'discount brands' in order to compete. The likes of 'Finest' and 'Taste the Difference' products are now fairly minimal in shelf-space.

Waitrose is a different player, like M&S food, which tend to be better insulated against economic swing by virtue of its customer base, but even they have had to respond due to the wide-reaching cost of living increases.