ALDI ---The Magic Of Cheap

ALDI
@MALUSE (69388)
Germany
April 7, 2018 2:56pm CST
The founders of the world’s most successful discount chain were the German brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht. Karl and Theo Who? ALBRECHT, like in ALDI which means AL.brecht DI.scount. They have both died. Now their children are at the helm. They’ve got shops in 20 countries. (Trader Joe’s in the USA also belongs to the ALDI empire.) In 1961 the brothers divided their German discount empire into ALDI North and ALDI South, because they couldn’t agree on the question whether to offer cigarettes or not. Theo wanted to, Karl didn’t, too much loss due to shop-lifting, he said (although they lose only 0.5% through shop-lifting in contrast to other comparable German stores which lose 1%. In ALDI stores the customers are watched through one-way mirrors). If you’re interested in your future as a customer, read on. It won’t be long before ALDI becomes a household word in your country, too. It’s inevitable. Conscientious, price-conscious customers simply love it! In the beginning ALDI was a synonym for cheap and grubby and nobody wanted to be seen with a plastic bag from ALDI. This has changed completely. Now the customers come from all social strata. The fur clad wife of a General Manager arriving in a chauffeur-driven fat Mercedes (in German a big Mercedes is always ‘fat’) in front of an ALDI store is certainly not the rule, but no exception, either. The concentration on what is essential – less is more – makes the daily shopping routine less stressful. The standardisation of the shops results in an at-home feeling which many shoppers miss in gigantic supermarkets. Greed and thriftiness unite members of different social strata and democratise the experience of shopping. The shoppers are convinced that they aren’t cheated, that they always get the best quality for the lowest possible price. Food products can’t be fresher as they don’t stay long in the shops what with the many customers. A housewife who has bought 50% of all goods at ALDI for over 20 years, “I’ve raised my kids on ALDI products and one of my sons is the German Jiu-Jitsu youth champion. They can’t be so bad, can they?” If a product is qualified as worse than ‘satisfying’ by an independent organisation, it’s immediately thrown out. The supplier has to come with lorries and take it away at his own costs. “To go and report to ALDI is worse than confessing one’s wife an extramarital affair,” says a businessman who’s in the know. ALDI gives a 100% guarantee to take back the goods which don’t satisfy. No arguments. The customer comes, complains and gets his money back. No vouchers or some such nonsense. ALDI has NEVER spent a single cent on advertising. No posters in the streets, flyers in the letter-boxes, ads on the radio or TV, nothing. Once a week the local newspapers publish a page under the headline ‘ALDI informs’ on which the latest special offers are shown. When, say, computes are on offer, people start queuing in the wee small hours. Do I buy at ALDI? No, I don’t. The shop is too far away from where I live. Our household is small and it doesn’t make sense to spend money to get to a shop where I can save money. But yesterday I read in the local newspaper that ALDI plans to move into our neighbourhood, so . . .
33 people like this
26 responses
@marlina (154163)
• Canada
7 Apr 18
I don't think that we have a ALDI store in Canada.
3 people like this
@marlina (154163)
• Canada
4 Nov 18
@MALUSE , We will wait and see if and when they open here in Canada.
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111942)
• United States
7 Apr 18
We are in process of one here. Going to give a lot of the Market competition.I have never been to one.
3 people like this
@sprite1950 (30453)
• Corsham, England
7 Apr 18
There is great excitement in our town at the moment as we are getting a new Aldi which is due to open in May. At the moment I shop at both Lidl and Aldi which are around 6 miles from where I live in a neighbouring town. When I first started to shop in these stores I wasn't sure because I didn't know a lot of the brands but now I recognise that they are just as good as well known brands at half the cost.
2 people like this
@MALUSE (69388)
• Germany
7 Apr 18
Of course, they're good. As I've explained, products of sub-par quality are eliminated.
2 people like this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
7 Apr 18
Lidl we have here, I shop there regularly. Aldi not here - not in Northern Ireland anyway. In the nearest big town in Donegal, Aldi and Lidl sit opposite each other on the same street almost... I have shopped in Aldi in Germany and in Spain, I had no idea about the one-way mirrors, I shall have to watch more closely next time I am in such a shop.
2 people like this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
7 Apr 18
@MALUSE I should have said "I shall pay more attention"... Everything is noticeable, if you are observant. That many do not notice things goes a long way to explaining why we're in such a state today, and not just in the UK or Ireland either.
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69388)
• Germany
7 Apr 18
What do you want to watch? You don't notice these mirrors.
2 people like this
@NJChicaa (116679)
• United States
7 Apr 18
We have Aldi stores in this area and some people really love them. I've never gone. I heard that you have to bring your own shopping bags because they don't provide them. I do love Trader Joe's though. The closest one is 30 minutes away.
2 people like this
@MALUSE (69388)
• Germany
7 Apr 18
I know that people in other countries get mad about not getting shopping bags at ALDI's. I find this decision very good. Everybody is able to bring a bag from home. How much money is saved in this way! What's more: how much plastic is saved!! If you read how much plastic is swimming in the oceans, you can only weep.
2 people like this
9 Apr 18
@MALUSE Aldi provide plastic bags and jute bags for a price at the checkouts in England. 5 pence, 9 pence or 99 pence, depending which one you get. Obviously we always take our own!
2 people like this
@MALUSE (69388)
• Germany
10 Apr 18
@Poppylicious If only more people did that. Before plastic bags were even invented, people managed to get their groceries home, too.
2 people like this
@Ronrybs (17978)
• London, England
7 Apr 18
There is an ALDI only a few minutes walk from me. I don't use it much as they never seem to have enough staff and the queue at checkout is rather long. Interesting how the name came about
2 people like this
@MALUSE (69388)
• Germany
7 Apr 18
You can now show off with your knowledge about the name! :-)
2 people like this
• United States
10 Apr 22
We have an Aldi in our town. There are two other supermarkets, three if you count Walmart. I tend to shop where I can get the best bargain. I do like all these for their produce. Some of the other items are relatively cheaper than the supermarkets we have in town.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
7 Apr 18
I would love it if ALDI came to my part of the country! When I lived in the Midwest there was an ALDI very close to me and I loved saving money there on quality goods. I did not know about the bags and the clerk was very nice about it, gave me a few bags at no charge. I remembered to bring bags from then on! Apparently ALDI is planning on opening some stores here in Arizona. They already have a lot of stores in California, our neighboring state. I hope so! It's hard for any food stores to get a foothold here in Phoenix since the big chain stores dominate the market. I hope I will be visiting an ALDI store soon!!
1 person likes this
@sabtraversa (13140)
• Italy
7 Apr 18
It seems like Aldi is present in Italy (of course) but not in my region, and surely not in my city. We have plenty of Lidl here instead, I shopped there a few times. I've heard it's cheap/inexpensive, especially when it comes to sweet snacks.
2 people like this
@MALUSE (69388)
• Germany
7 Apr 18
Lidl is indeed cheap but not only when it comes to snacks! Lidl and ALDI are competitors, of course.
2 people like this
@Madshadi (8841)
• Brussels, Belgium
7 Apr 18
I am their regular costumer. I get chocolates, sweets, nuts, cheese and soda for ridiculously cheap price. The cost would double in other shops like Carrefour
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (75035)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
9 Apr 22
Glad to have found this post, I order groceries online once a month when my SS arrives, I used to order only from Publix and then one day was glad to see Aldi had arrived here in Florida not far from me, Now I can order more groceries for a lot less and I love their variety,
1 person likes this
@Fleura (29268)
• United Kingdom
9 Apr 22
We have both Lidl and Aldi around here, for several years now. Generally I prefer Lidl but I'm not a snob, I go to any supermarket which is convenient!
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69388)
• Germany
9 Apr 22
Aldi is nearer for me than Lidl. So Aldi wins.
1 person likes this
@MALUSE (69388)
• Germany
9 Apr 22
@Fleura Sainsbury's seems to exist only in the UK.
@Fleura (29268)
• United Kingdom
9 Apr 22
@MALUSE our nearest supermarket is Sainsbury's so we mostly shop there.
@nela13 (55846)
• Portugal
30 Sep 21
It opened in my city a year ago, I shop there often, it has great products at a very good price.
1 person likes this
@Starmaiden (9311)
• Canada
7 Apr 18
ALDI would have a fight on their hands if they bring their chain to Atlantic Canada. Sobey's is the major grocery distributor for the Maritime Provinces and most competition who step on their toes gets oasted out quickly. They forced Walmart out of the Mall when Wal-Mart started selling groceries.
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
10 Apr 18
Interesting. I used to shop at Aldi's with my family back when I was growing up. There is none around here. But there are a few Trader Joe's we utilize from time to time.
@MALUSE (69388)
• Germany
10 Apr 18
If you shop at Trader Joe's, your money will also land in the coffers of the ALDI family. :-)
@jstory07 (134834)
• Roseburg, Oregon
26 Oct 18
Sorry I have never heard of the store before.
@MALUSE (69388)
• Germany
26 Oct 18
No need to be sorry! :-)
@LeaPea2417 (36769)
• Toccoa, Georgia
10 Apr 18
The closest Aldi is about an hour away from where we live.
@Tampa_girl7 (49412)
• United States
10 Apr 18
I've heard of both ALDI and Trader Joe's, but I've never been to one. They're not here.
@just4him (311360)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
3 Aug 19
Some of this information I knew because I read the Aldi story on the store site. A lot I didn't know. Thank you for the information.
@MALUSE (69388)
• Germany
3 Aug 19
Now you can impress people with this information!
1 person likes this
@just4him (311360)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
4 Aug 19
@MALUSE I will.
• Philippines
8 Apr 18
It would be impossible for ALDI to reach here in our place!
@MALUSE (69388)
• Germany
8 Apr 18
Nothing is impossible for ALDI. It can already be found in Australia.
@MALUSE (69388)
• Germany
8 Apr 18
@MrsPumpkins You can see all ALDI countries in this article. As ALDI is still expanding, your country may get some shops in the future.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Aldi ALDI Nord (Left), ALDI Süd (Right) Type Private Industry Retail Founded 23 June 1913; 104 years ago (23 June 1913) 10 July 1946 (split in two parts in 1960, renamed to Aldi Nord and Ald
• Philippines
8 Apr 18
@MALUSE but not in the Philippines ??