To not like the atmosphere in Aldi?

[Beansandvodka]

Can’t quite put my finger on it but there is something I find a-bit off putting. I went the other day and I really wanted to like it but there was a chaotic atmosphere and the people were so loud. I’m aware I don’t have to shop there but wondering if anyone else has encountered this?

I don’t think you can judge any shop chain based on one visit to one shop , they all vary , I find my local Aldi really pleasant , clean and well presented stock , the staff are friendly , polite and fast on the checkouts. The Aldi a few miles up the road is a different layout and I like that less but also it’s in the middle of town so much busier and an older store and slightly tatty around the edges compared to the first one which is pristine and less than a year old , however the staff are still lovely and helpful and the products are the same as every branch

I'm in Aus, we got our Aldi maybe 2 years ago and i've only been there maybe 3 times despite liking it. My younger sister who is usually with me hates it so we never go there to shop, she can't quite put her finger on why she doesnt like going in there but theres something about it that makes her really anxious/feel off and ours isnt particularly busy.

Most definitely it is the lighting/acoustics.
Waitrose has softer lighting, and more luxurious stuff.
However, the dog beds are amazing when in stock. I saw them flagged on a Sighthound page ''Aldi donut beds are in stock, and everyone was getting to their nearest Aldi to grab one..I thought they looked a bit naff, but bought one, and dog absolutely adores it!
It's synthetic, but very warm and supportive, like a nest, and she can ''Bodge'' stuff down the sides with her nose to save for later. {Sticks, toys &c}

Just go to Waitrose.

Much more civilised.

My ALDI which is not local to me is a no nonsense shop selling what I want and sometimes I buy what I do not need (middle aisle).
The staff are great and helpful and you shop and go.
I pay a lot less than I do elsewhere and that makes me happy.

As for the customers in there - no problem but I was once shouted and sworn at by a woman in the car park because I was waiting for a car to come out of a spot and she wanted to pass me. It was awful. She called me an effing bitch. I honestly thought she was going to get out of her car and hit me.
When I shop there now I make sure I am away from other cars. It's no big deal really

I find supermarkets really vary from area to area, I've been to some Aldi/Lidl/Tesco/Asda that are really nice and some that are horrid. It's a bit like Primark or TK max, some are in buildings with good lighting, well laid out, staff keep everything looking good and others are like a jumble sale with stuff piled up everywhere and all looking a mess.

I see your point. Have noticed a rushed, chaotic type of atmosphere. I go at a snails pace so it can be stressful.

I feel like this in the Big Asda, never noticed it in Aldi though.

I think they could balance the layout better to improve flow. There is always a blockage in the fruit and veg bit as soon as you come in the store, which is tedious. I haven't noticed any shouting etc, and now they have automatic tills the queue time is much better.

My local one isn't.

Full of pushy older people.

The one a few miles away is civilised, which is oddly near a Lidl. The same customers tend to shop in both.

I just hate when it's packed and you can barely move down aisles, have 6000 people staring at the pre packaged sandwiches, and then a 25 minute queue because they've got one till open.

My local Aldi is no different to my local M&S in terms of atmosphere.

I have always found Tesco to be a soulless supermarket tbh

I find Aldi and Lidl bloody depressing. I totally understand they may be cheaper on some things and why people use them, but unless my budget dictates I need to shop in them, I won't - I find most Tescos pretty depressing places too

If the car parks were bigger and didn't have huge queues I don't think I'd go anywhere else. They feel simpler and not like they're designed to suck you into some sort of time vortex where you wander aimlessly. Something about the bigger sainsburys where I lose focus and end up wandering and getting overwhelmed.

I live between 2 Aldi's and they are quite different. Can't put my finger on it completely, but they do seem to differ in line with the area they are located, one feels classier, smarter, tidier, etc, and is in a better area. I swear I notice more finest type products there too.

😂Aldi 'atmosphere' isn't something I've ever given even a single fleeting thought to , to be perfectly honest, but if that's all
that's occupying your thoughts, I'd say you're living a great life tbh ! 😂😉

Really? I guess all branches are different. I've been in louder libraries than ours and it's so nice that there is no piped music. Lidl is lovely and calm as well.

I know what you mean OP

Although I don't think it's to do with the customers I just find the atmosphere quite cold.

I "enjoy" shopping in sainsburys the most but the prices are ridiculous for the quality

I like Waitrose but it's the only place I've been shunted in the bum with a trolley- on more than one occasion. Full of grumpy old men.

When did you visit ? It's much calmer during the week

Yes. It’s busy (with stuff, not people) it’s chaotic. it’s cheap and you get what you pay for. I’m not going out of choice, but it’s manageable. It’s better than Asda, which feels like a poorly lit warehouse. Or Tesco which is so huge I feel like I’ll never make it out alive and where they’ve clearly gone for the ‘bombardment’ style of advertising.

I popped into Waitrose the other day after almost a year of shopping at Aldi. It was so soothing. I could have stayed all afternoon. Oh well. Any port in a storm.

This is down to the policy of allowing entry to the working class.
They are always loud and vulgar, it’s well known.
😁😁

I find this with some Aldis and some Lidls (but not all). A new one has just opened up near a family member and I went along to do them some shopping there, so it's not just older ones. There is something about the combination of the layout, lighting, acoustics, cashiers (not very well trained), sometimes lack of cleanliness, that isn't very pleasant.

There's several Aldi's and Lidl's near me, some nicer than others, but all worth a visit for a change, DH loves the middle bit. I just don't find them particularly cheap, they used to be, but not now.

not like they're designed to suck you into some sort of time vortex where you wander aimlessly.

There's no actual need to wander aimlessly around any supermarket of any size though is there really? But if large supermarkets don't work for your personality that's fair enough - either make a plan before you go and a route around the shop that suits what you need, or go elsewhere (as it sounds like you are doing).