To have been stressed out by Aldi

[Loveweekends10]

Just done a food shop at Aldi to save some money. It stressed me out. There was trolleys and pallets all over the place. At one point there was a backlog of people with trolleys who couldn't get down an isle. The food seemed to be stored in such a random way that I was back and forth. Then oh my god at the checkout he threw the food at me and it took 20 minutes to distress and sort my trolley out.
I cannot do that every week. AIBU?

[CharlotteBronteSaurus]

it's worth the stress for the cost:quality ratio
and it's easier to manage now you know what's ahead.
I always line my trolley with those large, stiff, rectangular based shoppers so as i chuck the shopping in it lands in a bag. Fragile items at the end of the trolley. Occasionally i need to take two minutes at the side of the store to re-jig things, but not often

[VivaLeBeaver]

i WENt to Aldi with dd yesterday, normally shop in Tesco but have been to Aldi before.

Its got a small carpark and there were no spaces. We were driving about and dd sighed and said really mardily "there's too many bloody poor people"

[SamSmalaidh]

It depends what time you go, because they restock during opening hours - so if they are in the middle of restocking then there are boxes everywhere.

I prefer Aldi, it's cheaper than Tesco etc plus they pay their staff so much better than the big supermarkets. The pay off is fewer staff was you do have to pack your own bags.

[Badgerdad]

Aldi WAY cheaper than the big 4, no need to look for the offers. Word of warning I bought a joint of meat there last week which was AWFUL!

That said if you can cope with the checkout concept & accept you cant do a full shop there its a winner for me!

[whois]

YANBU, I think it takes a few shops to get used to the lay out and the check out speed. You've got to be on the ball about what is actually cheaper and what isn't, and generally have a top-up shop for some stuff in a 'eeal' supermarket.

[SamSmalaidh]

I wish I could like your post Maryz - I hate slow packers!

[RooneyMara]

Mary, I feel realy upset by your post. I am a fast packer, generally - I do it pretty well. I'm not 'slow'.

It's justthey scan everything very very quickly in Aldi and Lidl, and that makes it hard to keep up.

I usually end up paying so they can get on with the next person, then having to throw everything into bags and it is all a mess, which is difficult to manage especially with children around that you have to corral into the right place and keep from running out into the car park etc.

I think you're being really unfair.

[SamSmalaidh]

Rooney, I hope you don't pack at the till! Put it in your trolley and go to the shelf

[DowagersHump]

It's cheaper because they employ less staff (but at good rates of pay). It depends whether you want a pleasant shopping experience or a lower bill - according to a recent study by http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/companies/discounters/aldi/full-shop-at-aldi-cuts-40-from-grocer-33-basket/233180.article Grocer magazine, equivalent shopping is 40% cheaper at Aldi than other shops. I think that's enough of a difference to put up with having to pack your own shopping.

I do admit it's a bit of a shock the first time you go!

[RooneyMara]

I generally pack on the floor as I don't normally buy more than a couple of bags worth, so I don't have a trolley.

[SamSmalaidh]

Why on the floor Surely you shove everything in a bag and then repack at the shelf.

[RooneyMara]

Because as I was trying to explain, they don't give me enough TIME to shove everything into bags.

Seriously, they don't.

[SamSmalaidh]

Maybe you'd be better using a trolley then, even for just a few items. Then you can keep bolting children in the seat too.

[RooneyMara]

They normally ask for payment when I have filled about one large bag. The rest is sitting there.

I hate holding people up so I pay, then scoop stuff up and try and do it on the floor which is hard work at 8 months pregnant.


But hey, I don't annoy people like you and Mary so I must be doing something right...

[DowagersHump]

Link fail - try this

[RooneyMara]

Yes I think I will have to, Sam. I find trolleys really hard at the moment but if that's the protocol, I'll have to do it.

[RooneyMara]

Mary, I'm not slowing anyone down, as I have just explained. They are getting on with their transaction while I am on the floor.

[DowagersHump]

Why don't you get a trolley if you're 8 months' pregnant?

There is a long counter at the front of the store designed for you to sort your shopping

[JackThePumpkinKing]

You don't pack at the til, take a folding crate, stick it in the trolley and put everything straight into that - no need to repack then!

(i do pack at the til if I have a basket - no choice, they take the baskets off you. I'm v quick though)

[RooneyMara]

Because I have quite bad SPD and pushing something heavy is really bad for that and hurts more than carrying a basket.

[fedupofnamechanging]

I bought Blackforest stollen in there yesterday. How can a shop which sells such a thing, possibly be bad?

OP, the good thing about Aldi is that they don't fuck with the layout, so once you learn where everything is, it tends to stay there, so shopping is easier.