Life is hell - official

[nickyboy]

Aldi price their products with lower margins than other supermarkets. That's the main reason why they re cheaper

So for example, they buy beans from the supplier at the same price as Tesco. Tesco increases this by 30p a tin to resell it whereas Aldi increase it by 20p

How can Aldi afford to do this? These uplifts pay for staff, rent, wastage, utilities etc. These are, overall, lower per £ of sales in Aldi than Tesco

Anyway, don't pack at the till in Aldi folks. Load it back in the basket and go to the packing area and do it there. Quicker for everyone

 

[Blue Hills]

I always find a certain snobbery about Lidl and Aldi, particularly when grandstanded (the odd example on here) amusing. FFS they are German - the masters of europe - and as things are often circular this relative lack of snobbery (compared to some Brits) might even partly explain their masterhood.
Was down the local Lidl earlier today - picked up some perfectly decent stuff including fruit and veg - by bike - packed at the shelf - all very chilled.

On nickboy's point about markups, it's also very noticable that the pretty nearby Tesco and Sainsburys have miraculously felt able to cut the price of two or three beers to approach their german colleagues - beers they previously tried to charge a lot more for.

 

[nickyboy]

I always find a certain snobbery about Lidl and Aldi, particularly when grandstanded (the odd example on here) amusing. FFS they are German - the masters of europe - and as things are often circular this relative lack of snobbery (compared to some Brits) might even partly explain their masterhood.
Was down the local Lidl earlier today - picked up some perfectly decent stuff including fruit and veg - by bike - packed at the shelf - all very chilled.

On nickboy's point about markups, it's also very noticable that the pretty nearby Tesco and Sainsburys have miraculously felt able to cut the price of two or three beers to approach their german colleagues - beers they previously tried to charge a lot more for.

Tesco etc will always say "we only make 2% profit" which is true.

But the real question is if Tesco buys a cabbage for 30p (as does Waitrose, Aldi etc), how much do they sell it for? The answer is more than Aldi and less than Waitrose. Why? Well, as I alluded, they are more expensive to run than Aldi (better sites, more staff) but also they run a much wider range and the cabbage profits help to pay for 18 different types of pasta that Aldi don't stock. Waitrose have an even wider range (organic civet coffee anyone?), even fancier locations and even more staff, so even higher markups

So you pays your money and makes your choice. If you want your supermarket in a nice spot, with loads of staff swanning around you can ask where the avocados are and 16 different brands of mineral water then you pay through the nose for the staples which pay for these "essentials"

 

[Blue Hills]

all excellent points @nickyboy though I would just say that there's pretty much no such thing as a bad spot if you shop by bike - it's a bike ride Aldi does have a big branch bang in the middle of Coulsdon in the south london suburbs though.

 

[Arrowfoot]

Anyone has membership at Cosco's? I never thought a membership based supermarket at this scale would work.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Tesco etc will always say "we only make 2% profit" which is true.

But the real question is if Tesco buys a cabbage for 30p (as does Waitrose, Aldi etc), how much do they sell it for? The answer is more than Aldi and less than Waitrose. Why? Well, as I alluded, they are more expensive to run than Aldi (better sites, more staff) but also they run a much wider range and the cabbage profits help to pay for 18 different types of pasta that Aldi don't stock. Waitrose have an even wider range (organic civet coffee anyone?), even fancier locations and even more staff, so even higher markups

So you pays your money and makes your choice. If you want your supermarket in a nice spot, with loads of staff swanning around you can ask where the avocados are and 16 different brands of mineral water then you pay through the nose for the staples which pay for these "essentials"

Savoy cabbages at Aldi and Tesco are the same price

 

[oldwheels]

Many years ago I did a diploma in Management Studies. We got a variety of people coming in to lecture and one of the interesting ones was a supermarket manager.
Got an interesting insight into that world tho’ systems have changed now. They had spies going out every morning checking the rival’s prices and stock levels on shelves then they adjusted their own to suit. All of them did this and they learned to look out for the rival spies.

 

[BoldonLad]

If the cashiers are fast you can run the shop with fewer staff and keep the prices low. So get it scanned, chuck it in the trolley and pack it at your leisure at the designated packing area. That's how it works and to deliberately slow the process down is disrespectful to other customers.

Other supermarkets fine, take your time. Personally I have the children scan, and pack the stuff myself as I'm going round. It gives the kids something to do and keeps human interaction to the bare minimum which is how I like it.

Ditto, without the children bit.

Today, used my phone to do the scanning, in my local ASDA, even better, didn't even have to interact with their Scanner Dispenser.

Do Aldi/Lidl have Scan and Go?, if they have, I may frequent them more.

 

[DRM]

Anyone has membership at Cosco's? I never thought a membership based supermarket at this scale would work.

Had one, all you do is buy huge amounts of stuff, that in reality, you didn’t really want

 

[Andy in Germany]

Tesco etc will always say "we only make 2% profit" which is true.

But the real question is if Tesco buys a cabbage for 30p (as does Waitrose, Aldi etc), how much do they sell it for? The answer is more than Aldi and less than Waitrose. Why? Well, as I alluded, they are more expensive to run than Aldi (better sites, more staff) but also they run a much wider range and the cabbage profits help to pay for 18 different types of pasta that Aldi don't stock. Waitrose have an even wider range (organic civet coffee anyone?), even fancier locations and even more staff, so even higher markups

So you pays your money and makes your choice. If you want your supermarket in a nice spot, with loads of staff swanning around you can ask where the avocados are and 16 different brands of mineral water then you pay through the nose for the staples which pay for these "essentials"

Funnily enough I actually prefer the Aldi/Lidl shops to the local versions of Tesco/Waitrose for all the "disadvantages" you describe; I find the big supermarkets with all the displays and vast choice somewhat overwhelming. The local Lidl is nice and small, doesn't try to give me sensory overload and doesn't have people offering help at random intervals.

That said, I noticed last week that they have three (3) varieties of Tomato, which is getting a little excessive in my opinion...

 

[KnittyNorah]

That said, I noticed last week that they have three (3) varieties of Tomato, which is getting a little excessive in my opinion...

The Aldi I use had five types of cherry tomatoes alone - as well as other sorts of tomatoes - last week! I bought two - the 'variety pack' of different colours and shapes, and a pack of Piccolo, all of which have already been eaten!

 

[Moon bunny]

The Aldi I use had five types of cherry tomatoes alone - as well as other sorts of tomatoes - last week! I bought two - the 'variety pack' of different colours and shapes, and a pack of Piccolo, all of which have already been eaten!

If I want tomatoes, I buy tomatoes, if I want grapes I buy grapes. The hybrids never seem as good as either.

 

[DRM]

Funnily enough I actually prefer the Aldi/Lidl shops to the local versions of Tesco/Waitrose for all the "disadvantages" you describe; I find the big supermarkets with all the displays and vast choice somewhat overwhelming. The local Lidl is nice and small, doesn't try to give me sensory overload and doesn't have people offering help at random intervals.

That said, I noticed last week that they have three (3) varieties of Tomato, which is getting a little excessive in my opinion...

Got to agree, the choice in bigger supermarkets is just OTT after Aldi.

 

[Andy in Germany]

The Aldi I use had five types of cherry tomatoes alone - as well as other sorts of tomatoes - last week! I bought two - the 'variety pack' of different colours and shapes, and a pack of Piccolo, all of which have already been eaten!

My word, how do you survive this intense culinary lifestyle?

 

[KnittyNorah]

My word, how do you survive this intense culinary lifestyle?

I eat them fast! The Piccolo are lovely just to eat by the handful and the multi-coloured varieties are just fun. I'll probably get the same again next week, if they have them. The multi-coloured ones come from the Isle of Wight and the Piccolo from Lincolnshireshire (IIRC, the packaging is in the bin already).