Aldi v. Lidl ?

[Georgyporky]

I buy some things from Aldi; their laundry & cleaning products are good, meat & fish are good & cheaper than Sainsbo or Waitrose but a very limited choice. F&V seem to go off very quickly, so I stick to S or W.

Lidl will be opening near me soon. Anyone use both shops & can make comparisons, please ?

I prefer Lidl, I like that it's more 'continental' iykwim?

There are more 'branded' products available, not that I bother with brands though.

I've never had problems with fruit and veg use by, I use it quickly anyway. I've never really understood the claims that fresh produce from the value shops goes off more quickly, how long is it hanging about?!

I prefer Lidl. I like the fact that it has retained much of its interesting, quirky ‘Germanness’ while Aldi has gone native & become a cheaper version of a normal British supermarket.

I shop at Lidl because I like their theme weeks, authentic German cooked meats & chocolate and the in-store bakery. Being able to stock up on cheap, good quality basics at the same time is a bonus. And the ‘middle of Lidl’ is amazing, of course!

I've been using both in the UK for over 20 years and while I'd take either of them over the Big Four, I much prefer Lidl.

As pp have said, Lidl is much more continental than Aldi is nowadays. If you're terribly British you might find Aldi's locally-sourced food (and, especially, the Christmas ranges) more to your tastes but for almost anything imported Lidl is usually better. I also find Lidl's FMCG products (non-food things like detergent, cleaning stuff, clingfilm, toothpaste, batteries) vastly superior.

Lidl has a much higher proportion of loose fruit and veg, and I find it slightly cheaper too. Never had an issue with shelf life.

As mentioned above, their themed weeks are good. The instore bakery is peerless.

Watch out for weekend (Fri/Sat/Sun) special offers. Each weekend there's always a heavily discounted wine which is usually worth stocking up on too, although for full price wines it's going to depend on your tastes and budget. Aldi has the more interesting permanent range in the £5-£10 bracket, Lidl's cheap wines are better value, and Lidl also have a two-or-three monthly "Wine Tour" of stuff from outside their regular range which can be absolutely excellent.

I wouldn't bother with Lidl.

Rows of empty shelves, demoralised/indifferent staff, and nothing but bullshit and lies from management.

"Iberian" week started yesterday and neither of my local branches have three quarters of the stuff advertised in the weekly flyer. Nobody from the area manager downwards has the remotest idea when/if they will be delivered; based on past experience it probably won't be.

To give an example, this is the third Iberian week of 2021, and the third time they have advertised Super Bock lager from Portugal in the flyer. It's the second time none has been available.

Thanks for your replies, I'll check it out when it opens.

@SweetLidlLies I think your complaints more so have to do with Brexit than Lidl itself.

@SweetLidlLies

I wouldn't bother with Lidl.

Rows of empty shelves, demoralised/indifferent staff, and nothing but bullshit and lies from management.

"Iberian" week started yesterday and neither of my local branches have three quarters of the stuff advertised in the weekly flyer. Nobody from the area manager downwards has the remotest idea when/if they will be delivered; based on past experience it probably won't be.

To give an example, this is the third Iberian week of 2021, and the third time they have advertised Super Bock lager from Portugal in the flyer. It's the second time none has been available.

Your username 😂 You’ve really got an axe to grind there

I found Lidl disappointing, their vegetable offer more limited than Aldi and honestly, as someone who cooks mostly from scratch, I found it difficult to find enough uncooked meats or vegetables even for simple things. I thought it was like an American version of the old Neto.

But, I suppose that it all will depend on where you live as supermarkets do not do the same stuff in all the stores, it is all about demand. There are two Aldi’s in my city, one in the outskirts and the other one in the middle of a student/expat area. I found the one in the more international area much better, you can find enough variety of vegs and ingredients whether you are cooking Thai or Vegan, they have more cheeses in offer and I suppose they have either colder fridges or more footfall therefore more product rotation as everything remains fresh for much much longer than when I buy the same from the other Aldi.

I prefer Lidl, I feel like they have more choice whereas Aldi tends to just have one version of anything (could just be my local one though).

The Lidl plus app is also pretty good with offers, when I remember to use it.

@SweetLidlLies

I wouldn't bother with Lidl.

Rows of empty shelves, demoralised/indifferent staff, and nothing but bullshit and lies from management.

"Iberian" week started yesterday and neither of my local branches have three quarters of the stuff advertised in the weekly flyer. Nobody from the area manager downwards has the remotest idea when/if they will be delivered; based on past experience it probably won't be.

To give an example, this is the third Iberian week of 2021, and the third time they have advertised Super Bock lager from Portugal in the flyer. It's the second time none has been available.

I could have written that word by word, that’s a fair description of all the Lidl’s I have been to. Never made it to their themed weeks so can’t comment on themed week products.

I think it depends where you are. My parents love their local Lidl, but the one nearest to me is pretty rubbish in comparison.

Lidl has a better range of bakery goods.

Aldi has a better ‘middle aisle’ selection.

Fruit & veg from either don’t keep as well as from Tesco / Morrison’s.

It’s all trial and error, go and give it a try.

Lidl.

I have found they vary from store to store. both have a good variety of wines and beer. The fruit and veg in our new Lidl is better than the local Aldi. Cold meats seem better and more varied in Lidl. The Aldi mini Stollen is addictive, and their cheese selection is better, particularly the soft cheeses. I am also very fond of the antipasti in both stores, particularly the mini stuffed red peppers.

We only have an aldi in the nearest town and have never had any problems with fruit and veg going off - and I will keep things weeks past the use by date! Keen to go further afield and try a Lidl just to see how it compares.

100% prefer Lidl.

Don’t have a Lidl but the Aldi near me is good for a few items but not for an entire weekly shop.
The fruit and veg is normally empty when I go in the evenings and when I do get some it definitely doesn’t last like Tesco’s or Co-op does. It simply doesn’t.
I don’t normally bother anymore.

Lidl. I find Aldi much less consistent in their quality and much more expensive overall. Lidl usually carry a far better range of options and their own brand products are excellent across the store. Never had an issue with freshness of veg or meat.

However Lidl have definitely been hit hard in the current climate and are clearly struggling to fill the shelves and fridges. I'm still a loyal customer, just having to top up the shop occasionally at the moment.

And I fricking love French week.

Another Lidl Lover here. Their Loyalty Card is really good as well. Got £10 off my last shop.

[quote JingsMahBucket]@SweetLidlLies I think your complaints more so have to do with Brexit than Lidl itself.[/quote]
Actually, they don't. I have an email from Lidl Customer Services apologising for not getting Iberia week products they had widely advertised on to the shelves due to "unforeseen supply issues" from the first time I lost my patience and complained to them.

It's dated 17th April 2015. Widely advertising something in a themed week and then not actually selling it is a long-standing problem with Lidl which long pre-dates the referendum, never mind Brexit itself. It happens so often with Iberia week stuff you'd be forgiven for thinking it's quite deliberate. No German being paid those kinds of salaries can be that incompetent and still in a job.

Don't ever raise your hopes of buying kitchen appliances from them either. In the last two years they have not stocked electric slicing machines on three of the four occasions they have advertised them, and not stocked advertised electric rice cookers at all.

However Lidl have definitely been hit hard in the current climate and are clearly struggling to fill the shelves and fridges.

In the north west, in the branches which are served by Lidl's regional distribution centre in Runcorn, these issues go back before the current driver shortage and pingdemic although they are now many times worse. I have cultivated good relationships with many of the shop floor staff over the years (contrary to what some might think, I do shop there a lot) and they all barely disguise their contempt for Runcorn. The supply problems in Lidl go back years.