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Original poster

Queues in Lidl/Aldi

38 replies

Lykkeli · 10/07/2023 18:05

I just went to Lidl in the city centre, there were without exaggeration around 30 people in the queue, it was snaking all the way down the aisle and round to the bakery.
This isn't new, plus the aisles are narrow and you're constantly having to squeeze through/move out of people's way/struggle to reach items.
I tried going very early in the morning but there were 20 odd people waiting at the door for it to open.
I can sometimes go late at night when it's quieter but not always possible.
Anyway I didn't bother today , just walked out and went to the M and S next door. If course it's a bit more expensive so I had to be careful, however certain products I didn't find more expensive. Nevertheless, it was paradise in comparison, stress-free, could peacefully browse the aisles in my own time, hardly any queue.

Does anybody else find this with certain supermarkets? I suppose I might need to switch to online delivery. Or just going very late at night.

OP posts:
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EmeraldFox · 10/07/2023 22:22

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 10/07/2023 22:16

No! You’re misunderstanding me.

I live in a big city, there’s no massive Aldi or Lidle. They’re all about the same size. No where near as big as other supermarkets.

If they only carry a limited number of itemshow can they be massive? Like Sains and Tesco carry about 10000 items.

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Many of the products in Tesco would only have one of the product at the front of the shelf. So more products but many would only be a narrow box of the product and not taking up much space.

jc12689 · 10/07/2023 22:20

I always do the main shop on a Thursday after work and it never seems that busy in Lidl. The weekends are always crazy whatever time you go.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 10/07/2023 22:16

Housekeeperbatcocoa · 10/07/2023 22:05

Are you usually so pedantic?

They're large stores with wide aisles which makes it easy to get around. I'm pretty sure they also sell more than 2000 products each, especially lidl which has four or five aisles of random stuff

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No! You’re misunderstanding me.

I live in a big city, there’s no massive Aldi or Lidle. They’re all about the same size. No where near as big as other supermarkets.

If they only carry a limited number of itemshow can they be massive? Like Sains and Tesco carry about 10000 items.

Housekeeperbatcocoa · 10/07/2023 22:05

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 10/07/2023 20:46

How can they be massive? They operate on about 2000 products. They can’t be massive.

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Are you usually so pedantic?

They're large stores with wide aisles which makes it easy to get around. I'm pretty sure they also sell more than 2000 products each, especially lidl which has four or five aisles of random stuff

DyslexicPoster · 10/07/2023 22:03

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 10/07/2023 20:46

How can they be massive? They operate on about 2000 products. They can’t be massive.

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Some are. The one in our big town is possibly 6 times the size of the ones in less well off towns. They all stock the same things. They are just better stocked and more spaced out

EmeraldFox · 10/07/2023 21:27

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 10/07/2023 20:46

How can they be massive? They operate on about 2000 products. They can’t be massive.

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Both my local Aldi and Lidl are large stores

HaveYouHeardOfARoadAtlas · 10/07/2023 20:54

My local Aldi and Lidl are all fine. I use about 12 different ones in a 30 mile radius no problems. But yes I’ve been to one in Manchester near Piccadilly gardens and queues were horrendous. Think it was Aldi may have been lidl

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 10/07/2023 20:46

Housekeeperbatcocoa · 10/07/2023 18:10

My local aldi and lidl are both massive so it's not usually a problem. Tesco on the other hand is awful, hardly any tills on which means people have to use the self scan and that seems to create a road block because everyone is waiting to use the same six tills.

How can they be massive? They operate on about 2000 products. They can’t be massive.

Floogal · 10/07/2023 20:44

Never worked in Aldi either

Floogal · 10/07/2023 20:43

I have worked in 2 different supermarkets and one well known convenience store (not Lidl btw) and I'll let you into a trade secret. Majority of the workers DON'T like being on the checkouts. also stock maintenance and filling up shelves is seen as more important by the managers.

DinkeyDonkey · 10/07/2023 20:36

We have a Lidl and Aldi in close proximity. Lidl is poor for queues by. Even at peak times there is often only one counter open and a long queue. Aldi has self service as well as a couple of counters open.

Plumbear2 · 10/07/2023 19:38

I've never had this problem. It's probably because it's in the city centre.

Mylifeislikeaboatrace · 10/07/2023 19:15

honey 'Tesco is no dearer than Lidl or Aldi'? Tbh I find that very hard to believe across an entire shop.

Mylifeislikeaboatrace · 10/07/2023 19:13

My local Lidl always opens a new checkout if there are two full trollies in a queue.
Always shop there for choice, according to my bill today, nearly £70 was free of vat and goods to the cost of of about £11 was £1.90.
It's a no brainer for me personally.

dementedpixie · 10/07/2023 19:12

We use the hand scanners in tesco and asda. My local aldi and lidl don't have self scan tills

honeyandfizz · 10/07/2023 19:10

I hate food shopping and crowds so I shop and scan in Tesco. I would rather pay more than have to queue but then i have never found Tesco more expensive than either Lidl or Aldi. I can be door to door in 30 minutes for a weeks shop.

SunThroughTheCloudsAt6am · 10/07/2023 19:06

And I like the lack of choice. I just want a bloody tin of tomatoes of good enough quality (or whatever)- I don't need a wall of options.

SunThroughTheCloudsAt6am · 10/07/2023 19:04

If there's more than two people waiting they open up new tills in my Lidl/Aldi. It's only really busy when people are heading home (or when they release the summer furniture weirdly).

If it's only slightly busy, people are really nice about letting people with a couple of bits go ahead of them too.

ActDottie · 10/07/2023 18:52

This is why I don’t shop in Lidl or Aldi I dont have the patience. Id rather pay more and shop in sainsburys.

JenniferAllisonPhillipaSue · 10/07/2023 18:45

Lykkeli · 10/07/2023 18:39

Yes, that's the one I was in! I'll try the Ancoats one.

Do you mean the Ancoats Aldi?
If you do, I hope that you only want food and drink. They are hopeless for "Aldi Specialbuys", it's as though they're not interested in anything inedible.

Migrainehaterforlife · 10/07/2023 18:39

I have an m&s really close to me & not much else. If its a small shop for me and my fiancée I'll go there and if we're entertaining get an ocado delivery usually as I find them so reliable. One of my best friends lives about 40 mins away but on a motorway so not too bad and she has a variety of supermarkets to pick from. She's always shocked by how similarly our food shop is priced to hers so I'm not sure the savings are that massive anymore. I love the remarksable value range but should add that I love cooking, will happily try whatever I see in store including offers and don't have to worry about packing food up that's lunch box friendly etc. Either way, my m&s is lovely, well stocked at all times, never any queues and a decent price so it may be worth trying out a new supermarket

Original poster
Lykkeli · 10/07/2023 18:39

Yes, that's the one I was in! I'll try the Ancoats one.

OP posts:
malmi · 10/07/2023 18:27

The Lidl by the Piccadilly Gardens tram & bus stops tends to have massive queues compared to the M&S. But that's because overall M&S costs more. And bluntly people are poor.

Oysterbabe · 10/07/2023 18:27

My Lidl and Aldi aren't like this. It's rare that there's more than 3 people in front of me. The Lidl has 5 self checkouts which probably helps.

EmeraldFox · 10/07/2023 18:25

Pretty much as soon as there are two people waiting behind the belt loading people, our Lidl opens a new checkout. Tesco I use self service for a basket as the normal checkouts are full of massive trolley people. Except self service is only half cash which causes issues with only one queue!