Any Lidl shoppers around? What do you buy from there and what do you avoid?!

[Misspiggy]

A new Lidl store recently opened in the village so I had a nose around today. I've never shopped in there before and couldn't believe some of the prices,especially as we are on a major economy drive for the New Year (how un-original!)Any tips? TIA

The fruit and veg in ours is excellent and normally half priced. The bakewell tarts are even better than Mr Kipling. The nappies (Cien) are IMO better than pampers or huggies.
The rye bread, the instant noodles, the rooibos tea, the stollen, the frozen spring rolls and the yoghurts are all frequently in our trolley.
Plus the special offers are great. DS got some excellent boots for just over a fiver

Fruit Juices are good.
Better than other stores value ranges.
1.5L carton dit nicely in my fridge

Yoghurts are good. Creamier than most

Gherkins :D

Wine is good.

Cleaning products are pretty decent.

Fruit and veg is cheap but doesn't seem to last as long as supermarkets - ;ess preservatives I'm told.

Xheap tools sometimes.

Meat is all pretty good too.

Washing powder, much better than tescos own brand, and dishwasher tablets too.
toilet rolls, household cleaners, some fruit and veg although I find our one it goes off quit quickly.But I get an organicn veg box so fruit and veg are not normally bought from supermarket.
Rye bread too

Must admit the fruit and veg looked lovely - much nicer than the massive Tesco's nearby..where I did a big shop yesterday, typical! They also had cranberries which I couldn't get in Tesco (in prep for the Sunday Times GI diet starting tomorrow )I didn't notice the rye bread as DH was breathing down my neck (wanted to get home for the 2nd half of the football) but I love that so that can go on my list. Funny you should say that about the juices Misty, I bought an apple juice to try and just said to DH what a good fit it is in our fridge!

Sausages also good, 95% pork, I think.

the wines are excellent! the cotes du rhone for £2.79 is delicious!

washing liquid and softener are really good and some of the chocolate is a bargain and much nicer than other supermarket cheap stuff Eggs are free range and really cheap abd cat food iss good too

I get fruit juice,
pasta,
pesto,
sauces,
bleach,
bum wipes,
cleaning wipes,
cheddar cheese,
cold meat,
breads,
biscuits,
whisky,
wine and the fruit and veg normally look OK.

I now avoid cheap tin tomatoes,
cream cheese (I think it was just the type I bought it was tasteless),
cheapo cereal (sorry its just not the same), frozen mince and ready meals.

I normally pop in to see what the non food weekly bargains are and pick up a few food items.

Remember a £1 for the trolley and pick up a few empty cardboard boxes as you go round or take your own bags as you have to buy them. I prefer boxes as there isn't much room or time to fill bags at the check out, most people fling it in the trolley then sort it out at the shelf at the window. I put the boxes in the bottom of the trolley and fling it in as best as i can.

Somebody tell me WHY it is so cheap? I really enjoyed my few visits to Lidl, although it is a bit of a trek for me. DH is convinced it must be poor quality. I need some sound reasoning why it is not!

Smaller range, less flashy stores in less prosperous parts of town therefore sites cheaper, fewer staff etc. Not poorer quality.

My permanent list:

pressed apple juice
small aj/oj cartons
tinned tuna
tinned toms
passata
tricolour pasta
washing-up liquid (the concentrated sensitive one)
peanut butter
jam (tall jars)
instant coffee
ice cream
frozen curry
light bulbs
binliners
microfibre cloths

my mind has gone blank, I'll be back though!

Very few staff, Catbert - at the one I go to there seem to be a maximum of 4 visible staff at any one time. They pay high wages for a supermarket - £7-8ph for multi-skilled checkout - staff are pretty good as a rule.

The food is v good quality. Some of the Stuff is a load of old tat, but some of that is excellent too.

Some stuff is pretty poor but so is some of the cheapo ranges in the big stores. My MIL says its just like shopping in france. You are probably going to make some duff purchases but the prices are worth it.

They save on staffing, displays etc.

DP is part German/part Belgian so we find its great for things like the rye bread, cold meat, pickles like gherkins that he was brought up on (none of which I like!).
We also get jams, marmalades, peanut butter, pesto, fruit juices, parmesan, dishwasher tablets, J-cloths, chocolate (although some of the German ones are pants!).
These things all seem to be much cheaper yet much better than the other supermarkets.

I have to say I went before Christmas and most of the stuff I got was fine but I got some sausages and they were horrible. Really fatty and tasted disgusting. Put me off buying any more meat there. Fruit & veg were fine though, as was cheese, tinned stuff & fruit juice.

The best sausages are the Niersteiner (??? or is that wine? anyway sort of miniature Bratwurst) German ones - tiny short pale ones, about 95% meat, in a divided plastic tray. They look wierd, and smell funny when you open them, but they're gorgeous - you'll have to trust me on that!

I buy:

Washing liquid and conditioner
Pull ups (as good as any I've tried and half the price)
Fruit juices
Chocolate

and am gradually adding to my list as I try more and more things from there.

Well avoid the potato salad - is foul, but there are so many other things which are good like the little satchets of cat food for around 22 pence ,my cat likes, good foods are the quiche, frikadellen, ham, bacon, sausages and fruit juice, their veg is okay and there is often an assortment of cheap things like at a market to root through, sometime you find gold lol!
the sweets and chocolate is okay and theri beer is good as it is European, my dh says anyway. their nappies are just like any other cheap anppies but not really good through the night and their wipes are good and some of the toiletries appear luxurious in the bathroom but are cheap as chips

Brilliant - thanks for all the tips so far! Skribble, we got caught out with the carrier bag thing but only had 4 items (one was a bottle of wine that we're trying tonight Expat!) so managed to get to the car with no problems. That's good about the dishwasher tabs, washing liq etc as we get through loads so I'll definitely try those.Catbert, my DH was saying the same about quality etc but, as Janh said, one of the ways they keep down costs is by employing very few staff who have to be willing and able to everything from being on the checkout to helping with deliveries (I used to work in the jobcentre where we did Lidl's recruiting) but the wages are v good for a supermarket - think they deserve it! Hausfrau - I got very excited when I saw Frikadellas (sp?) as when we used to go and see my friend in Germany she used to do those and I love them (bet they're not on the GI diet ) but DH wasn't keen..oh well! Another thing she used to buy was Maracuja, a peach flavoured wine which was abosolutely gorgeous and deadly at the same time but they didn't seem to have any. It's probably for the best...

Cheesy Snacky Sticks... I think they are called... are always a useful with-glass-of-wine nibble to keep in the cupboard. Agree chocolate, esp. the dark chocolate - if you like bitter choc, their 74% is ace. I always succumb to the snacks in Lidl but agree rye bread, washing products, tins and "Stuff" (self inking stamp with removable lettering anyone? at only £1.99?) come home with us.

Those sausages sound good Janh, I'll look out for them as both DSs love them. Their household goods looked good, there was a metal clothes airer which was huge, ideal for the utility room, for a fiver - might go back for one on Mon.

Huge clothes airer for a fiver, Missp? Thanks for that, I need to go soon anyway so I'll try to go on Monday and hope that mine a) had them in the first place and b) still has some (distribution tends to be a bit patchy!).

I just looked at the website, it didn't show it but did have these "pet carriers" (we keep goldfish and stick insects in ours) (not in the same one!) for £2.99 - excellent price, they were £5.99 at our pet shop, but I'm wondering why they put a mouse in one with a quarter melon

Misspiggy-DO NOT buy milk and yoghurts there!!!

I get stuff like vegetable oil,tomato puree,tinned toms.
The boxes of tissues in double packs are dirt cheap ,good quality and great for dd and ds colds( and you dont need to use about 10 at a time,one fine!)