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Post by jno on Oct 30, 2015 4:46:41 GMT
Suggested by: yoyopicklesAldi vs Lidl - who would you prefer to shop with? A very brief history... AldiAldi's name comes from Albrecht Diskont - the two founders were Karl & Theo Albrecht. In 1971, Theo Albrecht was kidnapped at gunpoint for 17 days - an interesting tale worth a read. Aldi actually consists of two separate groups Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd. In the UK the Aldi group there is the Aldi Süd group - the first shop opening in 1989. In Germany these groups are more obvious as you see slightly different signage: In Austria & Slovenia Aldi (Süd) is known as Hofer. Same shops just different signs. LidlLidl is the newer of the two. A man called Dieter Schwarz is behind Lidl and the name Lidl is the surname of a former business partner of Josef Schwarz (Dieter's father), Ludwig Lidl, a retired schoolteacher, Lidl first appeared in the UK in 1994. Over the years Lidl have arguably had the worse press of the two with various stories about staff mistreatment. However, it was announced in September 2015 that Lidl will become the first supermarket to raise its minimum pay above the national living wage which comes into force in 2016. The budget chain will give a pay rise worth £1,200 a year for more than half its workforce from 1 October - so it's not all bad news. All that aside, this week's question - if it's a straight choice, based on where you live who would you prefer to shop with?
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Post by Terry on Oct 30, 2015 6:07:07 GMT
Weird topic...
We use all of them. Lidl is in town, some 200mts away, so we use it the most. But here in the "Bergisches Land" we live on the socalled Aldi equator....we have both Aldi Süd and Nord within 5 kms which comes in handy as we can access both their special offers. Choosing which Aldi, we prefer Nord, it has more choice.
When in the UK we use none of them as we prefer Asda and the likes for all the real british products. No point in going to the UK and buying German food...
Are there native british discounters like A and L available?
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Post by plasticpenguin on Oct 30, 2015 8:02:34 GMT
Not Lidl. I copped a friggin parking ticket from my local Lidl.
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Post by daz on Oct 30, 2015 8:20:08 GMT
difficult one. Me and the Wife have shopped at them for years, long before they were popular.
I have to go for Lidl, slightly better fresh produce and they sell individual items of fruit and veg, whereas Aldi is all bagged, the Lidl Bakery sections are top notch also.
As for supermarkets to work for, I worked for Asda, Sainsbury and Safeway/Morrisons over a period of 8 years, couldn't say any of them were pleasant to work for, but Sainsbury by far the worst, the place which inspired me to jack it in and go back to college.
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Post by newishminderfan on Oct 30, 2015 18:19:02 GMT
I would say Aldi, their choice of wares could give Arthur Daley a run for his money.
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Post by jno on Oct 30, 2015 18:41:10 GMT
Billy No Mates is back. If I had to pick one, where I am Lidl is marginally better. Hofer (Austrian name for Aldi Süd) always has a funny smell in it. Their low fat milk is pretty good but this packet chicken breast in Lidl is absolutely superb: Lidl always seems to have more in it where I am including deals on popular brands of washing powder and liquid. When there's a sale on I stock up and take it back with me to the UK as my relatives tell me that Austrian washing powder/liquid prices are so much cheaper than in blighty.
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Post by ace5150 on Oct 30, 2015 18:55:49 GMT
Mrs Ace and I visit ALDI a lot, impressed they are now getting known brands in now. However, a few years ago, Lidl had some excellent guitar stands at £3 each! As I have many guitars, I went and brought all the stock they had (8 items) ALDI seem to employ some foxy cashiers as well, which is nice.
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Post by mrschisholm on Oct 30, 2015 19:10:35 GMT
We don't have a Lidl here, but there is an ALDI and I like it a lot.
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Post by Terry on Oct 30, 2015 19:37:54 GMT
@jno these chicken breasts are available here as well, I find them pretty bland, they're not salted enough. I prefer the ones containing chili or paprika or sth like that.
But overall I agree, measured by the prices the overall quality is superb with our German discounters.
But again, as it seems to be ommitted as yet, are there no native UK discounters?
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Post by jno on Oct 30, 2015 19:49:27 GMT
But again, as it seems to be ommitted as yet, are there no native UK discounters? In the UK there's Poundland, Pound World, 99p Stores, B&M and Home Bargains. These are pretty good discounters if you ask me. Both these stores have improved considerably since I first went in 'em in the 90s.
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Post by yoyopickles on Oct 31, 2015 10:23:33 GMT
As it was me who suggested this debate, via a hungover post 40th birthday haze, I should add my 2 pence/ cents worth, I go for Aldi, as i think the quality is better, and the stores seem cleaner, and better organised
Back when I had my caravan, i picked up a nice £39.99 free to air satellite system for my caravan,at the local Aldi. I prefer their bike week, to Lidl's as the bike lights and clothes last longer, plus my local Lidl has a room full of former "promotion week non food stocks", where they sell off the stuff they could not sell during the promotion week, such as t-shirts, sandals, sun cream, toasters and so on , but the room is dirty and messy and looks like a jumble sale! I did get some very cheap (50p for 2) England car flags, left over from the world cup, that I will sell on EBAY just before the EUR0 2016 for £1 each.
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Post by Terry on Oct 31, 2015 15:13:35 GMT
I did get some very cheap (50p for 2) England car flags, left over from the world cup, that I will sell on EBAY just before the EUR0 2016 for £1 each. Too late, too late, will be the cry, when the man with the bargain has passed you by... Two weeks ago I bought two of them as I always have one on the rooftop of my garden shed, where it gets regularly torn off when its gale force weather...shame, could have bought yours ....
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Post by daz on Oct 31, 2015 19:50:40 GMT
I did get some very cheap (50p for 2) England car flags, left over from the world cup, that I will sell on EBAY just before the EUR0 2016 for £1 each. I got the Scotland ones cheap and looking to make a fortune when we eventually get to a major finals...Probably be getting them priced on the Antiques Roadshow by the time that happens though Our local Lidl is so busy at the moment that they haven't got enough staff to keep the shelves stocked. They just pull the pallets through and let folk help themself, it is carnage. PLans to knock down the stores and rebuild them twice the size. I can remember the days when we used to be the only ones in the shop some Saturday afternoons.
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Post by jno on Oct 31, 2015 21:49:31 GMT
Lidl have rebuilt several stores where I am, fully renovated and usually with some sort bakery included. What I really dislike about these these two shops is the mean lack of space directly after the till which makes the bag loading area. Meanwhile at my local Aldi today there was major agro with these snow blowers! :
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Post by Portland Road on Nov 1, 2015 9:59:36 GMT
I use Aldi from time to time - I like their schitzel-type meats and sweet breads.
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Post by ltd on Nov 1, 2015 16:16:51 GMT
Got a Lidl in town where I live, a bit of a faff to get to and the car park's always jammed these days but I still make the effort to go there. By and large I think they have a better range of stuff than Aldi. I like the beer they do from Rhymney brewery. There's an Aldi round the corner where I work but I rarely do a full week's shopping there, just pop in at lunchtime if I'm short on something. I am rather partial to their Highland Earl cheap blended scotch, great for a hot toddy if you've got a cold.
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Post by Arch Stanton on Nov 1, 2015 17:49:30 GMT
Aldi
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Post by jno on Nov 2, 2015 20:02:22 GMT
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Post by barrythebook on Nov 2, 2015 22:14:01 GMT
I haven't been in Aldi more than half a dozen times (only because there isn't one in my town) but Lidl is just down the road and is a very decent shop imo. They have a lot of brand name products at very good prices and some of the products brought across from mainland Europe are excellent, namely the cold meat/sausage selection, chocolate, muesli, beer, tinned fish and pastries. Only gripes I would have is the amount of time you spend at the checkout as they never seem to open enough tills for the amount of shoppers present and the fresh veg section isn't chilled which does impact on the produce's shelf life once you get it home. Overall 8/10
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Post by KarinB on Nov 3, 2015 5:15:28 GMT
Only have the Aldi stores, no Lidls in Australia.
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Post by gustav on Nov 3, 2015 11:35:57 GMT
It is the opposite in Northern Ireland, we only have Lidl here, no Aldi. Mind you it is only relatively recently we have got Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda.
Thank you jno for the historical background at the top of this thread, I wasn't aware of that.
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Post by jno on Nov 3, 2015 17:38:56 GMT
It is the opposite in Northern Ireland, we only have Lidl here, no Aldi. Mind you it is only relatively recently we have got Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda. Thank you jno for the historical background at the top of this thread, I wasn't aware of that. You're welcome. As it 'appens I've been to Lidl in Portrush in NI. I went here one morning and a local restaurant owner had a major amount of baguettes and fruit & veg. He'd clearly bought to resell and use in his own place. I have seen this here in Austria where I live. Ok if you can do it but bulk buying as they open is frustrating for regular customers who might come at different points throughout the day.
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Post by Terry on Nov 3, 2015 19:40:48 GMT
We also buy stuff for my brothers restaurant there....it's financially too attractive not to. Why pay more?
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Post by jno on Nov 3, 2015 20:03:27 GMT
We also buy stuff for my brothers restaurant there....it's financially too attractive not to. Why pay more? Agree - the only thing that is a little annoying is that LIDL and ALDI both have this "first come first served" race type model as they only stock a certain amount. This is a little annoying for those who show up at 10am only to find they have sold out of something since the shop opened at 8am or even earlier. At 0740 I see endless queues of Austrian lined up outside Aldi (Hofer) in particular when I drive to work.
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Post by jno on Nov 3, 2015 21:18:17 GMT
...and when you do finally get served the rush is on to get your victuals back in the trolley or bag it as the cashier is under instruction to beep beep like crazy which is very very annoying. We have a little a trick here in Austria to stop this - tear/rip a barcode half way down the conveyer. As the cashier struggles to get a beep you play catch up and put your stuff in a bag or in your trolley at YOUR OWN leisurely pace!
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Post by Terry on Nov 4, 2015 6:59:58 GMT
We also buy stuff for my brothers restaurant there....it's financially too attractive not to. Why pay more? Agree - the only thing that is a little annoying is that LIDL and ALDI both have this "first come first served" race type model as they only stock a certain amount. This is a little annoying for those who show up at 10am only to find they have sold out of something since the shop opened at 8am or even earlier. At 0740 I see endless queues of Austrian lined up outside Aldi (Hofer) in particular when I drive to work. Ok, this is extremelY bad everytime they have childrens clothes on offer. The "Muttertiere" are turning mad everytime... But that doesn't affect restaurant buys, because they are more regular stuff like pasta and chips and stuff...
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Post by jno on Nov 4, 2015 7:24:39 GMT
I think it is funny that restaurants buy chips and whatever at a knock down price in Lidl and then resell them at a profit two streets away. I just wonder if people go to a restaurant do they really ask each other "oooh, I wonder if they do those Lidl chips in here?"
It seems that Aldi are winning this by "a nose"
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larchlapriley
On Wages
"Larchlap Riley is not a fence. He is an honest businessman" Arthur E Daley
Posts: 64
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Post by larchlapriley on Nov 4, 2015 10:04:53 GMT
I'm voting for Lidl on the basis that their Christmas TV advert in the UK is quite amusing - "The Lidl School of Christmas". I've also picked up a few useful bits and pieces there over the years like a box of screws, nuts and picture hooks etc that comes in handy from time to time and has not fallen apart yet.
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Post by Terry on Nov 4, 2015 15:48:52 GMT
@chips Believe me, all restaurants do it. Especially if you cant tell a difference. Bet you wouldnt be able do differentiate Lidl chips from McCains at thrice the price....
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Post by barrythebook on Nov 4, 2015 22:09:34 GMT
...and when you do finally get served the rush is on to get your victuals back in the trolley or bag it as the cashier is under instruction to beep beep like crazy which is very very annoying. We have a little a trick here in Austria to stop this - tear/rip a barcode half way down the conveyer. As the cashier struggles to get a beep you play catch up and put your stuff in a bag or in your trolley at YOUR OWN leisurely pace! Tactics Will try this one myself
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