Aldi anyone????

[IassaFTots]

Big push here in the Dallas area for them.  I think they are opening 8 stores this weekend, and plan to open near 20.  I am pretty happy since they are taking up old storefronts, that were empty..

I have heard I have to pay to use a shopping cart- 25 cents.  You pay for sacks, no worries, I have my own.  No credit or checks, no worries, they take debit and cash.

But, they are opening in some low income areas.  Some of which are very close to me, but I KNOW they are going to be packed.  Is it worth it?

Any reviews would be great.

Thanks!

[Eupher]

I shopped in an Aldi quite often when I lived in Germany and there's one in the town where we live now. Canned goods and dry goods are CHEAP. Stuff like European chocolate is CHEAP. Hell, everything is CHEAP. Some things to scarf up on - coffee, cereal, pretty much all dry goods.

I haven't done a price-comparison with the local Wally World, but in all honesty, I think you're going to be hard pressed to beat Aldi's  prices for most things. Yes, they have a refrigerated and a freezer section, but don't even think of asking for a Deli or a separate Bakery.

You get what you pay for.

And the hours that they're open are somewhat banker-like. I think the one in my town closes at 6 p.m. (which is very reminiscent of Germany, btw...)

Yeah, you gotta buy the bags and pack the stuff yourself. But I've never heard of renting the bloody shopping carts -- that's a new thing.

[The Village Idiot]

Reminds me of Jewel-T (later called Texas T) here in Irving. You paid for paper sacks, used plastic or the boxes that were free.

[Alpha Mare]

I used to shop Aldi's in Illinois, many moons ago.  They didn't carry meat then, minimal produce (apples, bananas,potatoes) but you couldn't beat their canned goods/prices.

[debk]

There's a new one being built on my side of town....across from the Kroger's. Don't know why they couldn't have picked an empty store front in the area...where big stores have closed....there are certainly enough of them! Circuit City, Goody's, etc.

There's a small one over closer to where my daughter lives, about 20-30 minutes from me, and I've only been in there a couple of times. Once to look, and once for something specific that they didn't have, but they did have 8" pots of mums for $2.99!!!! Other than the mums, most everything were brands I'd never heard of and I was reluctant to buy anything.

There is a cart rental at the one here....I think it's a quarter, but you have to have a quarter to put in the release thing, kind of like the cart things at the airport where it's a dollar and only a dollar bill works.

Supposedly it's going to be a big store.

(Something's happening to the Circuit City building too....wonder if it could be a Publix? Finally?)

Tots....you go see what they are like and give a review...'kay?

[The Village Idiot]

I used to shop Aldi's in Illinois, many moons ago.  They didn't carry meat then, minimal produce (apples, bananas,potatoes) but you couldn't beat their canned goods/prices.

Yes, thats like the old Jewel-T/Texas-T thing, I think they were based in Illinois actually.

When I was in 5th grade we use to stop at the Jewel-T/Texas-T (similar set up) and buy a box of brownies and a bunch of the no-name soda (usually root beer) and then run across the street to the can bank to recycle the cans abd buy more soda. lol.

[debk]

Yes, thats like the old Jewel-T/Texas-T thing, I think they were based in Illinois actually.

When I was in 5th grade we use to stop at the Jewel-T/Texas-T (similar set up) and buy a box of brownies and a bunch of the no-name soda (usually root beer) and then run across the street to the can bank to recycle the cans abd buy more soda. lol.

I lived in Rockford Il when I was in HS and there was a Jewel there. Some of the kids I went to school with worked there.

I worked at a privately owned grocery (Sicilian-owned ) and worked for minimum wage.

Jewel was union and they made more than twice what I did...

[The Village Idiot]

Jewel was union and they made more than twice what I did...

Hhhhmmm.... might of been a different company entirely then.

[debk]

Hhhhmmm.... might of been a different company entirely then.

This was in the late 60's. All I remember is that there were more than one in town.

[thundley4]

This was in the late 60's. All I remember is that there were more than one in town.

We had several Jewel Food stores here from the 70's through the early 90's , I think.   In the later years several of them became Jewel/Osco stores, which gave them a pharmacy instore.

[Thor]

About six months before I moved from MN, they opened an Aldi's in Elk River. Prices were good on the canned stuff, probably better than WalMart's. They had some fresh fruits and veggies, also at good prices. Their meat selection was pretty minimal and the prices were comparable to most of the other stores. Ton's of Mexican branded foods and other foodstuffs from foreign countries. Some of the stuff I tried was just as good as anything from the US.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Are there still Minyard's down there?  I always liked that store rather than the Tom Thumb's.

[IassaFTots]

Ralph, I think all the Minyards have closed down.  We have Kroger, Tom Thumb, Albertsons, Fiesta, Carnival, Terry's Mercado, well, you get the picture. 

I will go to the Aldi's to do a price check, but I am going to wait a few weeks, for some of the shiny to wear off.  Free Samples all week, so you KNOW that place will be a zoo. 

[The Village Idiot]

Are there still Minyard's down there?  I always liked that store rather than the Tom Thumb's.

There are still a few Minyards but the Minyard sold out to some national company and many of the stores were sold off. Carnivals became Fiesta's and such, if they weren't closed like the one I use to work at, long ago. Near here there is still a Minyard but its really not the same as it use to be where the Minyard-Carnival-Sack N Save was the king of groceries in the DFW area.

[Ralph Wiggum]

There are still a few Minyards but the Minyard sold out to some national company and many of the stores were sold off. Carnivals became Fiesta's and such, if they weren't closed like the one I use to work at, long ago. Near here there is still a Minyard but its really not the same as it use to be where the Minyard-Carnival-Sack N Save was the king of groceries in the DFW area.

Thanks for the info, both you and "Tots".  The Tom Thumb was in walking distance from campus, and there was a "hidden" Minyards not far away.  I always liked the Minyards much better.  Don't think I ever even bounced a check there.

[The Village Idiot]

  I always liked the Minyards much better.  Don't think I ever even bounced a check there.

lol

[Ralph Wiggum]

lol

Yeah, that was the college days in Ft. Worth when I was never really sure how much money was in my account.

[IassaFTots]

Yeah, that was the college days in Ft. Worth when I was never really sure how much money was in my account.

TCU????  Or Texas Wesleyan? 

[Ralph Wiggum]

TCU????  Or Texas Wesleyan? 

Do I look Wesleyan to you?

Yes, TCU.

[ironhorsedriver]

Big push here in the Dallas area for them.  I think they are opening 8 stores this weekend, and plan to open near 20.  I am pretty happy since they are taking up old storefronts, that were empty..

I have heard I have to pay to use a shopping cart- 25 cents.  You pay for sacks, no worries, I have my own.  No credit or checks, no worries, they take debit and cash.

But, they are opening in some low income areas.  Some of which are very close to me, but I KNOW they are going to be packed.  Is it worth it?

Any reviews would be great.

Thanks!

You put a quarter in for the cart, but it's returned to you when you put the cart back. They have empty boxes around for you to use if you don't want to get bags. They do have some pretty good prices, and a lot of the stuff is pretty good. We've only gotten their meat a couple of times, we've been pretty satisfied. Excellent prices on milk, bread and fruit.
Overall, they are pretty good little store. We don't count on them for all our groceries though.
As an afterthought, they have excellent, prpackaged meals. Chinese veggies and such.

[IassaFTots]

Do I look Wesleyan to you?

Yes, TCU.

Well you didn't look all that purply or horny either.   

Nice school. 

[Ralph Wiggum]

Well you didn't look all that purply or horny either.   

Nice school. 

It is.  I miss the area too.  That's what 80 inches of snow and days upon days of zero degree weather will do to you.

[The Village Idiot]

So have a quarter ready if I decide to go to Aldi's?

[IassaFTots]

Or don't plan on using a cart.  Maybe you could bring your own?

[Eupher]

Oh, yeah, speaking of the cart thing.

You won't see morbidly obese people clogging up the aisles at Aldi's. That's because they don't have the Fatass Wagon Garage and Battery-Charging Station.