ALDI brand products vs name brand?

[Sayjac]

Got an Aldi circular this week in the mail comparing the pricing of a bundle of Aldi brand food items to name brand pricing. Being super bowl week, the items are mainly on that theme, snack related etc.

My question is for those who shop or have shopped at Aldi, how do the Aldi brand items compare taste and quality wise to the name brands to which they are compared? The items containers and names 'look' similar to name brand. And obviously the circular shows a significant savings over the name brands.

While Aldi stores have been in the area for some time now and I've been in a store a time or two, I just never took to the marketing with no name brands and the Aldi shopping experience. They recently opened a new store right across the street from the store I normally shop, Harris Teeter. Aldi also has a relatively new distribution center not far from here too.

Just wondering if Aldi is worth giving another look?

 

[bullwinkle]

They're decent, some of their brands are shared with Costco (Kirkland), others are no-name versions of name brand products, such as their baked goods which are from Nickles, and their dairy which comes from Meyer (Dean Foods in this area). Just have to know your prices, you can save some money there.

 

[Sayjac]

Quote:
They're decent, some of their brands are shared with Costco (Kirkland),......

I have seen Kirkland in Aldi ads and was wondering if it was the same as the Costco Kirkland items I have seen advertised.

 

[fdcg27]

I've found their products to be as good as any other store brand, which today is pretty good.
Snack items are typically a good deal.
The shopping experience isn't bad and checkout is usually really quick.
Certainly better than Walmart.

 

[dwcopple]

Aldi is truly an amazing deal. Especially on chips and condiments. Coffee too. I shop there several times a week. Just don't go in expecting friendly service. The workers at my local store will hardly even smile at you. Oh well, I like the savings and the convenience. In and out in minutes once you remember where the stuff is you get there...

 

[spasm3]

The canned vegetables and the like are fine. You have to read a lot of labels. Some things are fine, others like peanut butter have a lot of pure saturated fat/ Hydrogenated fat compared to common brands.

 

[GrtArtiste]

I seldom go there as the location is not convenient for me. Driving any additional distance would eat away the savings, and Aldi is 15 mi whereas Kroger is only 7. There are savings to be had at Aldi, especially if yours is a larger family. I never had any problem with quality at Aldi, I'm just not enthralled with the shopping experience. Not sure I understand the logic of paying for a cart, even if you do get the $.25 back at the end nor do I like bagging my own. I still want some service when I shop and I don't mind that someone else has a job because of it. I don't like being forced to pay with cash or a debit card at Aldi. I wouldn't expect them to take checks, but Kroger does and that's a big convenience for me. Typically, I go to Kroger on Wednesday (senior day) and get an additional 5% off and also fuel points which results in another 40 or 50 cents off on a gallon at least twice a month. One of the two Krogers near me is a new store that is almost as big as a Wal-Mart and has an incredible variety of things so it usually makes for one-stop shopping. Advertising seems to be another thing which Aldi does at a minimum. So, be prepared to actually go to their store or make an effort to look at their web site to find out what they have and what it costs.

 

[spasm3]

The .25 for the cart, ensures that none are in the parking lot rolling into cars. They don't have to pay anyone to keep the carts stacked in the store.

 

[sciphi]

They've been okay. Around me they have few people operating the checkout no matter how busy the store is, so the lines are often 10-15 minutes long. Compare that to Wegmans where waiting in line is 3-4 minutes at the busiest times and the prices are very comparable.

 

[bullwinkle]

The ones here in Cincinnati have had a $1.99/gallon milk special for several months, my family goes through it quick, the savings on 6 gallons of milk more than covers the gas to get there & back.

 

[Tdbo]

I have found (particularly in our local Aldi's) that it is hard to beat their prices on canned goods. Their produce is much nicer than most of the stores in our area for a fraction of the cost. The thing that I always buy is the small carton, 6 pack of OJ ( I have one for breakfast in the car every morning)which is 1/2 the cost of anywhere else in my area. I go in twice a month and stock up.

 

[JHZR2]

The stuff I've gotten there is Made in Germany Christmas cookies/snacks and were quite good. I also got some collier's cheese made in Wales that was really a good flavored cheese.

I've always found generic stuff from anywhere a hit or miss, like it's a 90% match on flavor with the real brand. Sometimes it makes it better, sometimes worse, and sometimes irrelevant. Unfortunately it's kind of trial and error. Some things you can't really mess up, like corn chips, should be a safe bet.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
They've been okay. Around me they have few people operating the checkout no matter how busy the store is, so the lines are often 10-15 minutes long. Compare that to Wegmans where waiting in line is 3-4 minutes at the busiest times and the prices are very comparable.


Wegmans is very pricey and they too have long lines, though not as long as Aldi at busy times. Still nothing to write home about compared to the other major and cheaper supermarkets.

We try to avoid any supermarket on the weekend, which helps.

 

[Kruse]

The nearest Aldi store is about an hour away from me, so I don't go there unless I'm just passing by. However, we've never had any problems with any of their canned goods and the quality seems to be pretty good. When at an Aldi store, we stock up on the milk, as it's a lot cheaper than any of the other stores. The shopping cart experience is puzzling the first time, and you must be prepared for the cash-only registers, but that only helps speed up the process and it's actually a bonus.

 

[MinamiKotaro]

Aldi quickly became my favorite store. Their brands are just as good as or better than name brands. I get the same groceries at Aldi for about 1/2 to 1/3 as much as Kroger.

 

[[email protected]]

I am fortunate to have 2 Aldis within 10 miles of the house. I ALWAYS get our milk there. Its $1.89/g now but was $1.49 all summer/fall. Compared to $3.49/g everywhere else around, its a no brainer. Plus their milk tastes good (Im a milk snob) lol

Dairy products (sour cream, dips, cheese, milk) the prices cannot be beat. Chips, canned goods, frozen goods, sweets either. Ive been hooked on their dark chocolate biscuit cookies for a while. $1.49 at Aldi; $3.99 at Target. I swear on my Mother its the same cookie, just different label.

I buy their refrigerated salsa there when I have parties and its the SAME EXACT salsa as the "Toms Fresh" brand they sell at Kroger or Meijer - its even in the same container with a slightly different label. Oh, but its $2 cheaper. They also have a cracker entertaining assortment that is really good and I always pick up for parties.

 

[[email protected]]

Originally Posted By: Kruse
you must be prepared for the cash-only registers, but that only helps speed up the process and it's actually a bonus.


The Aldi's around here arent cash only, I wonder if thats a regional thing?? I always pay with debit at my Aldi.

 

[Sayjac]

Thanks to all who contributed here, some good information. The closest Aldi store (older) is actually closer than the HT store I mentioned in the OP. As mentioned by a few, the shopping experience with the cart rental, self bagging, cash only (at that time) was something that didn't particularly appeal to me. I don't remember long lines, but if waiting in line ~15 minutes is SOP, I'd have difficulty with that, not a good line wait-er at all.

One can do ok at Harris Teeter shopping weekly specials, double/triple coupon promos and weekly e-vic specials, nice shopping atmosphere and experience too. Admittedly I'm partial to name brand items too, though I will buy some HT brand items especially on special. And the HT meat dept. is very good imo.

Based on the comments here though, think I will take a stroll through the new Aldi next time I'm over that way and check out the prices and some of the items specifically mentioned here.

 

[sciphi]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: sciphi
They've been okay. Around me they have few people operating the checkout no matter how busy the store is, so the lines are often 10-15 minutes long. Compare that to Wegmans where waiting in line is 3-4 minutes at the busiest times and the prices are very comparable.


Wegmans is very pricey and they too have long lines, though not as long as Aldi at busy times. Still nothing to write home about compared to the other major and cheaper supermarkets.

We try to avoid any supermarket on the weekend, which helps.



Some of the stuff at Wegmans is pricey. $15/lb lobster spread comes to mind. At least around me, for most everyday items such as breakfast cereal and coffee, they're cheaper than everybody but Aldi. Wal-Mart is pricier on staple foods like bread and milk, and Tops is downright ridiculous on most things compared to Wegmans. Then again, Wegmans is headquartered here.

 

[rshaw125]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
I've found their products to be as good as any other store brand, which today is pretty good.
Snack items are typically a good deal.
The shopping experience isn't bad and checkout is usually really quick.
Certainly better than Walmart.


I agree. I now go by Aldi once a week. Never more than 5 minutes to check out. A lot of $ saved. As for Harris Teeter. I stopped going in there when I started going to Aldi. HT's prices are amazingly high.
Also once you're prepared to shop at Aldi it's much easier. Keep quarters in the car and boxes in the trunk.