Things you refuse to buy in Lidl and Aldi....

scarlett Pimpernel · 09-05-2012 4:30pm

fishy fishy wrote: »

you don't understand their system.

I get you now! have to say dont like that system. find dunnes much better, you can pack at ur leisure and dont have to pack items into the trolley again and then move and then pack into bags. very strange

SerialComplaint · 09-05-2012 4:33pm

Shenshen wrote: »

In the trolley?

fishy fishy wrote: »

you put you items on the conveyer belt - you move your trolley and affix it to the end of the counter where the till is - when you item is scanned it is placed on the end of the counter (what you think is the packing area). You put your items back into your trolley - you then walk over to the bench and pack at your leisure.

That's a bad process. Out of trolley - then back into trolley - then out of trolley again - then back into trolley again once packed. Too many ins and outs.

Shenshen · 09-05-2012 4:33pm

tiny_penguin wrote: »

That does kind of annoy me - unless you are throwing the stuff into the trolley and damaging fruit and veg and bread etc. you cant keep up with the cashier anyway - it is as quick to put the stuff in bags as it is to get it into the trolley without throwing it.

Dunnes often have people packing the bags for charity at the weekend so there is rarely a delay - and if not, if you are packing as they scan the cashier will usually help you if you are not done by the time they finish scanning - so there is usually minimal delay. A lot of people will pack at the end of the belt in lidl/aldi too. The worse hold up in all places is people putting money back in purses/wallets and purses/wallets back in bags/pockets.

I would buy most things in Lidl/Aldi but I tend to shop in all my local shops to get the best deals and everything i need, some things are actually cheaper in dunnes/tesco. Tesco have started price comparing on the shelves. Monthly shop i go to Aldi first, then lidl, then dunnes. But when i just need a few bits I just go to the closest shop to where I am.

I cannot say I've ever had that problem. I tend to put items on the belt in the order I want to put them back into the trolley, and eventually pack them. Maybe I'm being too German there, but I find I'm usually ahead of the cashier with removing things.

Also, one of the big, BIG advantages of Aldi and Lidl is that there never ever are charity people stuffing your tinned tomatoes on top of your eggs and lettuce. That's a practice I've hated from the very start here.

Shenshen · 09-05-2012 4:36pm

scarlett Pimpernel wrote: »

I get you now! have to say dont like that system. find dunnes much better, you can pack at ur leisure and dont have to pack items into the trolley again and then move and then pack into bags. very strange

Well, you seem to enjoy the time you spend in the shop, so a system to spend more time there may be an advantage for you.

For me, I usually want to buy the stuff I need, and spend the least amount possible in the queue and at the checkout. Aldi and Lidl provide me with the quickest way to shop, pay and leave, whereas checkouts in Dunnes, Tescos and elsewhere have a tendency to drive me up the walls as people will take all the time in the world packing their stuff and making others wait.

dearg lady · 09-05-2012 4:36pm

tiny_penguin wrote: »

Dunnes often have people packing the bags for charity at the weekend

I hate this, drives me crazy, things get thrown into bags, eggs at the bottom, heavy stuff at the top, shower gels upside down etc, I'll pack my own thanks. Also 'charities' yeah right, in my local supermarket they're usually collecting money to buy costumes for some local dance troupe or some nonsense.

Shenshen · 09-05-2012 4:37pm

SerialComplaint wrote: »

That's a bad process. Out of trolley - then back into trolley - then out of trolley again - then back into trolley again once packed. Too many ins and outs.

Maybe, but it's quicker than anything Tescos or Dunnes can do for you, so I perfer it.

tiny_penguin · 09-05-2012 4:40pm

dearg lady wrote: »

I hate this, drives me crazy, things get thrown into bags, eggs at the bottom, heavy stuff at the top, shower gels upside down etc, I'll pack my own thanks. Also 'charities' yeah right, in my local supermarket they're usually collecting money to buy costumes for some local dance troupe or some nonsense.

a lot of them are really good, and if they arent as long as you are packing with them and watching for the key dangers its grand. Still faster than packing on your own. I'm quite anal about packing the bags and never have an issue with it.

murpho999 · 09-05-2012 4:46pm

Don't get this packing problem at all.
I just try to put stuff on belt in an order.

So large items first and breads & eggs last.

Go to end, as stuff is scanned I have the reusable bags open in trolley and pack as they are scanned, this way I usually end up at same pace as they are being scanned. Pay and gone, all very simple.

As for Supermarkets, with charity packers. Hate that, you feel sort of pressurised to do it and when you say 'No thanks' you have to pack your bags whilst they stand beside you and you look like a tight oul git.

Anyhow isn't there supposed to be new tech coming that you pack stuff into bags as you shop and the products emit a signal that is read as you walk through the checkout and you just pay and go? So no physical scanning?

kynzvart · 09-05-2012 4:47pm

I don't like their tea bags, coffee, and bread, but everything else is not to bad.I do my shopping in Morrisons or Asda, both of which are very good supermarkets.

Onthe3rdDay · 09-05-2012 4:51pm

tiny_penguin wrote: »

.

Dunnes often have people packing the bags for charity at the weekend so there is rarely a delay - and if not, if you are packing as they scan the cashier will usually help you if you are not done by the time they finish scanning - so there is usually minimal delay.

One of the great bonuses of shopping in Aldi/Lidl is the lack of these individuals at the weekends. On several occasions on a Saturday I've avoided Dunnes and Tescos for this reason alone.

Lidl version of TUC crackers are pretty good as are their low fat crisps.

Backstreet Moyes · 09-05-2012 4:59pm

kynzvart wrote: »

I don't like their tea bags, coffee, and bread, but everything else is not to bad.I do my shopping in Morrisons or Asda, both of which are very good supermarkets.

McGraths tea bags are the nicest tea bags around and cheap. Their bread is freshly cooked all day cant beat it. Uncles a butcher so buys meat off im but must try their steak everyone says its lovely. Fruit and Veg lovely but dont like the pizzas.

Charles Dickens · 09-05-2012 5:03pm

Nuts102 wrote: »

McGraths tea bags are the nicest tea bags around and cheap. Their bread is freshly cooked all day cant beat it. Uncles a butcher so buys meat off im but must try their steak everyone says its lovely. Fruit and Veg lovely but dont like the pizzas.

I really must concur. I find the brew to be surprisingly refreshing and gay.

dearg lady · 09-05-2012 5:03pm

Nuts102 wrote: »

McGraths tea bags are the nicest tea bags around and cheap.

Just recently bought those McGraths teabags for the first time, really good! a third of the price of Barrys teabags, nice

tinyk68 · 09-05-2012 5:08pm

newbee22 wrote: »

I would buy fruit, veg, bread and dairy products. I haven't tried anything else there, definitely would not try the toiletries.

I used to say I wouldn't buy the toiletries but then my husband lost his job and I had no choice. I was amazed by the quality. The moisturisers, body lotions and deodorant are as good, if not better than any of the branded ones. People need to get over their prejudices and actually try the stuff.

Snowie · 09-05-2012 5:20pm

There wet suits there not neoprene but industrial pipe insulation.... :pac:

No really they are we tuck a stanly knife to one and measured the bubbles in a square inch from 4 different panels.. then looked at a rip curl suit that was 10 years old difference was immense in terms of quality alone...

jupiterjack · 09-05-2012 5:32pm

was a bit wary of certain products but word of mouth made me try some of them and now i would buy all products there if i needed them, some i find are even far superior then the so called market leaders.

K-9 · 09-05-2012 7:14pm

scarlett Pimpernel wrote: »

I get you now! have to say dont like that system. find dunnes much better, you can pack at ur leisure and dont have to pack items into the trolley again and then move and then pack into bags. very strange

Just throw the goods into the trolley and pack at your own pace away from the till, you can keep the toddler amused in your own time.

Cantona's Collars · 09-05-2012 7:52pm

SerialComplaint wrote: »

That's a bad process. Out of trolley - then back into trolley - then out of trolley again - then back into trolley again once packed. Too many ins and outs.

It's actually very handy,nobody glaring at you as pack at the till while holding up half the store.Just pop the stuff into the trolley as soon as it's scanned and pack at your leisure on the counter behind the tills.

As an example,if I shop in Dunnes/Tesco I could end up standing in a queue for 10 minutes or more,in Lidl/Aldi it's more like 2 minutes max.

@Stifler2, one of the wealthiest men in the South East shops in Lidl,if their stuff is good enough for him it's good enough for the rest of us.Although I do know one woman who won't shop there but her other half is quite happy to.

tiny_penguin · 09-05-2012 8:04pm

zerks wrote: »

As an example,if I shop in Dunnes/Tesco I could end up standing in a queue for 10 minutes or more,in Lidl/Aldi it's more like 2 minutes max.

.

The lidl and also close to me never have enough cashiers on when I go, one or 2 at most. Considering I shop for one I rarely have much stuff, but there is no differentiation in the queue. I usually queue much longer there. Doesn't put me off going but it is the way it is. But I am in and out in tesco with the self service tils and dunnes with the express tills.

Also you may save the time queueing but you are going to spend it packing after you leave. So you are in the shop mich the same time And as I said before why is it quicker to put the stuff back into the trolley then it is to put it directly into bags you have open and waiting?

I do get why people don't like the tills in lidl/aldi but I don't get why it would be in anyway a deciding factor where you shop.

Cantona's Collars · 09-05-2012 8:13pm

tiny_penguin wrote: »

I do get why people don't like the tills in lidl/aldi but I don't get why it would be in anyway a deciding factor where you shop.

Our shopping bill is roughly €40 a week cheaper by shopping in Lidl/Aldi so anyone who uses their dislike of the tills there as an excuse should do a like for like shop compared to Dunnes,Tesco,whoever and look at how much they saved.

hattoncracker · 09-05-2012 8:28pm

Shenshen wrote: »

Well, you seem to enjoy the time you spend in the shop, so a system to spend more time there may be an advantage for you.

For me, I usually want to buy the stuff I need, and spend the least amount possible in the queue and at the checkout. Aldi and Lidl provide me with the quickest way to shop, pay and leave, whereas checkouts in Dunnes, Tescos and elsewhere have a tendency to drive me up the walls as people will take all the time in the world packing their stuff and making others wait.

I will say one phrase that makes my blood boil:

TROLLEYS IN SELF SCAN..

applehunter · 09-05-2012 8:29pm

Pros

Lidl are great for fruit and Veg.

And they match the rest for everything else.

By all accounts they have very few complaints from suppliers.

Cons

Skeleton Staff

Not Irish.

hattoncracker · 09-05-2012 8:32pm

applehunter wrote: »

Not Irish.

Are you talking about the staff, or the produce?

Gummy Panda · 09-05-2012 8:33pm

ibarelycare wrote: »

The staff at the checkouts in my nearest Aldi (Santry) are by and large very friendly and they always have a smile for you. I was surprised because before I moved I only ever shopped in Lidl and I didn't find them nice at all.

Aldi santry is a nice shop. I like their apple pies and shandies but they stopped selling them

Reminded me of 330ml cans of Club Shandy

Ghandee · 09-05-2012 8:35pm

applehunter wrote: »

Pros

Lidl are great for fruit and Veg.

And they match the rest for everything else.

By all accounts they have very few complaints from suppliers.

Cons

Skeleton Staff

Not Irish.

In fairness to them, (Aldi anyway) they use more Irish suppliers for their products than Tesco do, whom are also 'not Irish'.

Besides you left out another pro: price!

applehunter · 09-05-2012 8:36pm

hattoncracker wrote: »

Are you talking about the staff, or the produce?

Lidl/Aldi are German companies.

Supervalu, Dunnes = Irish owned.

egan2020 · 09-05-2012 8:52pm

My sister works in a lab that test foods for different bacteria and shelf life etc. They test samples of food across the board, e.g. meat, fruit, veg, bread, cakes. She says they often get in cuts of meat from a well known company. The cut of meat is basically cut in half - one has an Aldi sticker and the other a Superquinn one. She compared the prices herself in the two stores. Aldi was 2.80 and Superquinn was charging over 4.00 for the same product.

I came across this article from the Irish Times which backs up what she says. It's covered from the 12th paragraph onwards.

Sorry don't know how to take extract from article.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/pricewatch/2011/0822/1224302803354.html

Merch · 09-05-2012 9:08pm

scarlett Pimpernel wrote: »

I will only buy in Dunnes. I might go into lidl for a nose around but after five minutes i usually get annoyed and hate the small area ur given to pack ur bags. Extremely hard to manage if your there with a toddler. They have no decent hair products/ bathroom essentials etc. And no way would i feed my dog the dogfood there! My husband likes to go in and look at the deal section. nothing cud sway me from my lovely big dunnes in ennis!

Why not? has he refused? after they stopped growing, I fed my cat and dog from there range exclusively. They always eat it all.
The big tins with the chunks in them smell ok.
Good way to make a place competitive is to not make them think they have you, if they have to vie for your custom, for that alone I'm happy Aldi/Lidl are around, the others have to compete.

Lockstep wrote: »

Surprised at the negative rep that their toiletries get.
Aldi hair gel is better than any brand name stuff IMHO and their toothpaste, shaving foam, razors and so on are pretty awesome although their deodarant and aftershave isn't as nice as can be gotten elsewhere.
Their sweets, biscuits, fruit and veg are all excellent and Lidl's thai barbecue sauce gets a special mention.

I tried their cheapest brand, I didnt like the razors, but that is quite individual

scarlett Pimpernel wrote: »

nope down here if you have a trolley full your packing on a tiny space and if u have kids its a nightmare. you have to pack as quickly as the checkout operator scans cos there is no room

SerialComplaint wrote: »

That's a bad process. Out of trolley - then back into trolley - then out of trolley again - then back into trolley again once packed. Too many ins and outs.

just lay it out in the order you want to bag it, and into the open bags/trolley or move to the bench and sort it out, I dont think we get the method as I try do it all in one go at the till, think really we are supposed to put it in the trolley and go to the bench and sort it out.

kynzvart wrote: »

I don't like their tea bags, coffee, and bread, but everything else is not to bad.I do my shopping in Morrisons or Asda, both of which are very good supermarkets.

These are some of the great things, I use their tea bags and the ground coffee in the machine, tastes ok to me, Im sure there is better coffee but the McGraths tea is nice.

Snowie wrote: »

There wet suits there not neoprene but industrial pipe insulation.... :pac:

No really they are we tuck a stanly knife to one and measured the bubbles in a square inch from 4 different panels.. then looked at a rip curl suit that was 10 years old difference was immense in terms of quality alone...

You bought it to test it? if you're an infrequent user their stuff is great, even if you are a moderate to frequent user, it is useable, never heard complaints from anyone using the wetsuits? same with their ski gear, zips on them are probably the weak point, but for the money its good if you are only trying or using few times and they are still better/comparable than the price and condition of rented gear.

jupiterjack · 09-05-2012 9:18pm

scarlett Pimpernel wrote: »

nope down here if you have a trolley full your packing on a tiny space and if u have kids its a nightmare. you have to pack as quickly as the checkout operator scans cos there is no room

did you not say earlier that you only go into lidl for a nose and that you would not buy anything there and now you are saying you have a trolley load. as for taking your time packing in dunnes thats what also drives me mad, stuck behind someone who has no consideration for other shoppers. i find the lidl way the best as it keeps everything moving.

iguana · 09-05-2012 9:29pm

I wish all supermarkets ran their checkouts the Lidl/Aldi way, even if they weren't cheaper I'd choose to shop their for their sensible packing policy.

As for the thread topic, Aldi runners are something I won't be buying again. I got a pair in January and they were crap. Under the insole was a piece of cardboard above a thin grid of rubber, within two weeks they were unwearable as the cardboard collapsed into the holes in the grid. They were useless as runners to just walk around in, the fact that they were selling them with running clothing and so implying that they were in anyway useful for exercise was a joke. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people who bought them buggered up their knee/ankle joints from them.

Irishchick · 09-05-2012 9:30pm

Why is that some people feel the need to constantly defend Lidl and aldi. You'd swear they were being payed!

If people think the food is crap presumably they've tried it and have their reasons to think this. Others insisting that they're "actually great" won't change anyone's opinion!

Thwip! · 09-05-2012 11:44pm

Irishchick wrote: »

Why is that some people feel the need to constantly defend Lidl and aldi. You'd swear they were being payed!

If people think the food is crap presumably they've tried it and have their reasons to think this. Others insisting that they're "actually great" won't change anyone's opinion!

see you would be inclined to think that but there are plenty of people who've never shopped in aldi or lidl and refuse to do so on the basis of their own speculative arguments of "ITS NOT IRISH, IT'S NOT AS GOOD AND THEY'RE TAKING IRISH JOBS"
Their arguments (with regards to most of aldi's stuff i've tried) is just outright wrong. There are a great amount of irish products in aldi and the quality standards alone (without taking price into account) would make them first preference for me. I've made many a tasty lasagne or poached salmon dishes etc thanks to aldi ingredients.
Pricing is fantastic
And a lot of their staff are irish too (to counter that last point in the aldi haters' arguments), which quite frankly should be irrelevant as i dont care where the person serving me is from as long as they were the best candidate interviewing for that job

dmcronin · 09-05-2012 11:53pm

I'd be slow to buy any gadget that uses consumables, ink cartridges etc. Never know where a refill/replacement is gonna come from...

The returns policy is good, if something stuffs up or it just doesn't suit.

Food is fine, only the fresh veg portions are huge, I'd never be able to use them before they start to turn

Queues can be mental, half doz. checkouts and ONE staff member.

saa · 09-05-2012 11:54pm

applehunter wrote: »

Not Irish.

Well neither is Tesco and the Irish supermarkets really need to improve.

Aldi is great for shopping healthy on a budget, those half baked mini multigrain rolls are to die for, red pesto is the best but green is nasty.

The strawberry bio yogurt drinks have that horrible acidic cheap strawberry flavour.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 10-05-2012 12:06am

Proably been mentioned (not tracking back though 240 posts) but beer out of a plastic bottle.

skafish · 10-05-2012 12:13am

RE the origion of fresh food:
Most foods have an oval shaped label on the back showing where it was produced. The number is a unique factory code; the letters show the country of origion.

Most of the stuff in Aldi is great. However, bought "Irish" chicken there a coupleof weeks back, got it home and found it was produced in Northern Ireland.

Nothing wrong with what they were doing, I suppose, but I thought I was supporting local.

Tasted fine though

skafish · 10-05-2012 12:18am

forfuxsake wrote: »

Aldi does a lovely wholemeal toasting pan. It's as thick and crunchy as any I have tasted. it costs €1.19

Benny_Cake wrote: »

Coffee, tea, ketchup, mayonnaise, cat food (nobody has told cats that we're in a recession). Apart from that I find most stuff is as good if not better than branded items.

Cat food on toast is fine. Gives me bad breath, though, and sandwiches made from their dog food makes me fart:D:D

KKkitty · 10-05-2012 12:21am

I'd be picky with some meat products. I like both of them to be honest. Their cleaning products don't be great. Got Aldi conditioner for clothes and the clothes came out smelling of wet dog.

PandaX9 · 10-05-2012 12:22am

Don't know why but I really don't trust meat products in either..

With one exception: they have this amazing kielbasa which is incorrectly labelled as a "salami" for western Europeans which is just ahhh.. Incredible.

So yeah, bar the one specific kielbasa, I don't know why but there's something about the look of the meat packaging that I don't like $:\$

klose · 10-05-2012 12:24am

Do aldi still do 12 cans of galahad for 8 quid?

Stuff would blow the face off ya!

hattoncracker · 10-05-2012 12:28am

I had hoi sin spare ribs from aldi for dinner tonight..

Amazeballs.

RWCNT · 10-05-2012 12:56am

Are you people stupid or something? As long as condoms havn't passed the durex's expiry date they're going to be fine. All condoms regardless of brand have the same success percentage, it's all down to taste.

MistyCheese · 10-05-2012 1:01am

RWCNT wrote: »

condoms - it's all down to taste.

I Need The Sun · 10-05-2012 1:08am

Most of the stuff in Aldi is great. However, bought "Irish" chicken there a coupleof weeks back, got it home and found it was produced in Northern Ireland.

Tasted fine though[/Quote]

Ha ha! Class... British meat masquerading as Irish in contravention of Trade Description, or perhaps this is covered by the Good Friday Agreement.

I know a good few farmers and they'd have taken the double to you if u said they were British. Anyways, I thought 'British' would have been a better sales angle nowadays.

I ramble. I would not buy bacon or sausages or most meats from Lidl. Never been to aldi. I am a happy shopper.

hcass · 10-05-2012 1:10am

I wouldn't shop in either of them. Never have, never will. http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,543485,00.html

I Need The Sun · 10-05-2012 1:13am

hcass wrote: »

I wouldn't shop in either of them. Never have, never will. http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,543485,00.html

That looks like dodgy journalism to me but I'm sure this sort of mis management happens everywhere.

hcass · 10-05-2012 1:16am

I Need The Sun wrote: »

That looks like dodgy journalism to me but I'm sure this sort of mis management happens everywhere.

"female workers who have their periods may go to the toilet now and again, but to enjoy this privilege they should wear a visible headband".

From The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/27/germany.supermarkets

There's plenty more stories about the disgraceful treatment of staff. Just google.

I Need The Sun · 10-05-2012 1:19am

hcass wrote: »

I Need The Sun wrote: »

That looks like dodgy journalism to me but I'm sure this sort of mis management happens everywhere.

"female workers who have their periods may go to the toilet now and again, but to enjoy this privilege they should wear a visible headband".

From The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/27/germany.supermarkets

There's plenty more stories about the disgraceful treatment of staff. Just google.

Oh right, that's outrageous if it's true. Unbelieveable, staggering. Haven't time to read now but I'll take your word for it. If this true the place should indeed be boycotted and prosecuted.

AskMyChocolate · 10-05-2012 1:21am

Just a few things:

I think we're all agreed that their baked beans are rank (turn to mush).

Don't know about Lidl but I don't think Aldi do a Worcestershire sauce and I love me Lea & Perrins.

Tartare sauce: Nowhere near as nice as Colman's. (Very cloying. Not enough vinegar and very few capers.)

Razor blades. (Can't beat Gillette.DISGUSTINGLY expensive, but they are much smoother and last a lot longer so, no point in a false economy.)

Apart from that I buy pretty much everything in Aldi.

Top-Tip: Don't buy the cheap coleslaw or orange juice. Spend a few extra cents (still ridiculously cheap) and get the luxury coleslaw and the not-from-concentrate orange juice.

As for the tills, as was said earlier, put everything on the belt in the order you want to pack them. Racing the cashier is way more fun than aerobics and is about the only work-out I get during the week.:pac:

Just forgot check out their gravy granules. The packaging is a complete rip-off of Bisto's and it's called Quixo.

Capt'n Midnight · 10-05-2012 1:29am

skafish wrote: »

Most of the stuff in Aldi is great. However, bought "Irish" chicken there a coupleof weeks back, got it home and found it was produced in Northern Ireland.

Did it have a tricolour on the package ?

I've noticed that in different retailers 1L cartons of milk are NDC approved whereas the 2L plastic ones may be just labelled Ireland.

So I'm spending that extra 1c a litre for cartons,
also they take less space in the recycling bin

Which of Dunnes / Tesco / Supervalue / Spar / Centra have NDC own brand milk ?

Things you refuse to buy in Lidl and Aldi....

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