to not understand why people go to Aldi & Lidl...

[TheBeautifulVisit]

… it's such a horrible shopping experience.

It reminded me of being in a co-op in my very small hometown circa 1977. And then when you've got a trolley full of their stuff and queue up to pay there's that humiliating bit at the end where they don't give you sufficient time to pack your groceries. They just expect you to very quickly remove your groceries and go and pack them elsewhere, with no bags.

I feel assaulted.

Can you please tell me

1. how far away is your Aldi or Lidl & why do you go?

2. what do you miss about your old supermarket? (which one was it)

3. how much do you spend there each time you go

It was cheaper than my normal shopping but actually I didn't buy my normal shopping: no fresh chives, no fresh ginger, no butternut squash, no purple sprouting broccoli, no green peppercorns, no little tubs of anchovies & olives from the Waitrose deli. I travelled much further to get there.

And there's no delivery.

Why why why?

Are you worried about catching common? BINGO! Lol

I love Lidl. It's way cheaper, smaller and less bewildering. I always pack at the checkout, didn't realise this was frowned upon . I think the food is pretty good too.

GREEN peppercorns are SO last year...

Yes thelyingwitch, they match my Himalayan rock salt!!!

Lying not the!

Please don't be beastly to the OP. I think she's great to be getting the holiday project done so soon. I always left mine until the last minute.

Ours is about 10 miles away from where we live (as are all other supermarkets). We go about once a month to stock up for the freezer. I really like Lidl streaky bacon and it's very cheap, their ribeye and fillet steaks are great, I like their single-clove garlic, sweeteners are VERY cheap, so are large jars of Nescafé Gold Blend. The big pots of Greek yoghurt are better than anything I can get anywhere else, and they sell Bratwurst, which my husband loves. The packing is a non-issue, makes sense to sweep it all into the trolley and then pack at leisure afterwards. I suppose we spend about £100 a time, including a few bottles of cheap wine and/or vodka.

I don't miss my 'old' supermarket(s) because I still use them for the stuff I can't get in Lidl - just seems silly to spend more on basics than I have to. I sometimes shop in Tescos and Waitrose too, plus specialist shops (like Taj, the Asian grocers) for specific ingredients. I thought everyone did this?

I chuck my shopping in the trolley according to a rough system

Non food furthest front in trolley
Storecupboard stuff next bit
Fridge stuff next
Frozen next

Olives/fresh herbs and poncey veg on top

Then it's quicker when you're bagging it up after, and unpacking it in the kitchen.

But you've probably got staff for all that.

I thought we were posh with Malden smoked salt! It all comes from marrying a masterchef fan!

It's raining and I'm bored, it's either this or accounts on my day off!

Where I live we have Lidl directly opposite a massive Tesco. I remember when it opened (4 or 5 years ago) there was uproar. We were too high class for a Lidl. On opening day it was heaving. Now it's a bit quieter and doesn't seem to be all that busy.

I shop in there and have no problem doing so BUT I would struggle to do all my shopping. It's mainly as my other half is diabetic so can only have certain brands. I can't just pick the first thing off the shelf.

What I love in Lidl is the bakery stuff - their apple turnovers and almond croissants are the best I have ever had (45p!) and I love their washing powder. I also like the checkout experience and think its much easier to put everything back in your trolley and then pack it at your own pace.

I don't save any money as I get what I can from Lidl and usually spend £20 or so and then go to Tesco where I spent another £70. But it's the choice I like.

Wheredipark,

You can bath in it too!

Really please! Would it leave a smokey flavour?

No the rock salt

Unfortunately it came from sainsbury's not waitrose I feel so lower class!

Oh dear...
You can find the lovely pink salt in any self respecting Whole Foods

I go because I really like a lot of the stuff, it's cheaper and it takes up half the time I'd spend in Tesco or Asda. Aldi nappies are the best I've found so far. No leaks.

I know what you mean about feeling assaulted.

I agree, it's an awful experience as far as custoer service goes - especially if you are new there and don't know the ropes. I could never shop exclusively there, product range too limited, but I love an occasional rummage around as they do have some excellent quality products at really good prices. I tend to stock up on the specific stuff I like and not go back again for about three months.

I'll send one of my people, it'll make me feel better about cleaning up the baby piddle!

i think customer service in our local lidl beats the other supermarkets hands down - they are all cheery and friendly - ok so they fling your shopping thro like there's no tomorrow but hell it saves time.

Oh dear rumbled. I'm preparing an article for Fat Smoking Drinking Poor People With Poor Dental Hygiene And Persistent Bacterial Vaginitis Weekly.

I was asking about distance because petrol isn't exactly cheap and time is a valuable commodity for most people. You have to factor those things into the cost-efficiency.

The media would have us believe the middle classes are deserting the supermarkets (even Waitrose) in their droves, to shop with the German discounters. So I was wondering if there was something other than cost savings.

I quite like the absence of too much choice to be honest. I don't need to choose between 6 different types of passatta. But it didn't work for me as a shopping experience. Saving £20 a week but having to spend money on petrol getting there. Plus more time. Plus no free paper and no free coffee. And if I'm really short of time I can shop online and have it all delivered with Waitrose. I find we waste much less if I buy online as I've sort of menu-planned for the week, whereas going to a shop and seeing what's on offer seems to result in those days where there's lots of stuff but nothing to eat in the fridge. And lots of waste.

The way we shop is very complicated.

we have an Aldi and a Lidl next to each other. Unfortunately my memory is so shite I can never remember how much things cost to compare.

The elusive OP reminds me of a certain entitled DM/MoS columnist with a complex interminably dull love-life and an obsession with animals and overpriced food & clothes.

Xpost - not so elusive!!

Oh and thank you to all the posters who answered sensibly. I'm glad that I'm not alone in feeling it wasn't a very nice experience.