Comparing the supermarkets

Green eyed girl regarding staff conditions at Aldi the pay is over the national wage and their shops close over Boxing Day and New Year’s Day Unlike the others.
I wrote to Sainsbury’s chairman before Christmas to request their staff were given Boxing Day off especially after the stress on staff this last 18 months of COVID, but got no reply and Sainsbury’s remained open over the festivities.
So much for valuing their contribution to Sainsbury’s profit.

Our weekly shopping bill was reduced by a third when we switched to Lidl (having been recommended their Greek yoghurt which is escellent). The only thing that lets it down can be the fruit and veg - doesn’t last long, Everything else, especially wine, great and and so cheap.

Always enjoyed Aldi, first came across the shop in their home country, my sisters local too, but having enjoyed the German produce, was slightly disappointed on my first shop in UK, no German wine, very little other German produce. Better now though, as my sister pointed out ‘they have to cater for local tastes’ ? silly me.

I love Lidl and pre covid, when I did my own shopping, I used to go to Lidl one week and another supermarket the next (either Waitrose or Morrisons). Be prepared to find something you want is out of stock and don't be snooty about their own brand despite the strange names. I love their greek yoghurt, chocolate, actually I find the fruit and veg is very good value. They also have venison and calves liver but infrequently so I buy a load and stick in the freezer. I spend a lot less on a Lidl shop so tend to stock up on the basics.

Lin52

Always enjoyed Aldi, first came across the shop in their home country, my sisters local too, but having enjoyed the German produce, was slightly disappointed on my first shop in UK, no German wine, very little other German produce. Better now though, as my sister pointed out ‘they have to cater for local tastes’ ? silly me.

I think they have a policy of sourcing produce as locally as possible which is laudable.

We have Aldi just over the road, so I don't go to Lidl which is further away and would probably mean taking the car as it would mean carrying shopping back uphill too, but I love the smell of their bread, freshly baked.
Both Lidl and Aldi will save you money and the quality is good. Aldi now often have brand names too, though not consistently. We get a Morrisons delivery of staple and heavy store cupboard items, including brand names, so Aldi is for milk, some veg and top ups of anything, plus the Middle Aisle of surprises.

I often pick up non-food bargains I didn't know I wanted in Lidl and Aldi.
Love Lidl bakery especially the Portuguese pasteis de nata mmm!

My son visited Lidl for the first time two weeks ago. Store just opened nearby and he had a flyer advertising a little paddling pool he thought would be good for the dog in the hot weather. He went in for that one item and came out with 5! Couldn't resist the middle aisles. Think you will be mystified at first but soon learn to stick to the items you really want and avoid all the temptations Lidl and Aldi provide.

The thing with Lidl is that it has a relatively small range of branded stock, but their own brand is a fair bit cheaper but good quality. I don't think I have been disappointed in anything!
If they have an in store bakery, their jam doughnuts are one of the best I've had!

I guess it’s a personal preference, you won’t know till you go and look for yourself.

Have a Lidl here and have used it often. However at the checkout they move you through as if you were speeding in an F1 race and if your limbs are not being compatible your shopping piles up before being able to be even ‘shoved’ back into the trolley. ? And I most certainly agree that the fruit ? and vegetables ? have to be treated with some caution. Not all good.

Rant for the day over!!!! The sun is shining ??‍♀️ ☀️

No need to be snooty about shopping in Aldi or Lidl a recent survey showed the income of many customers is averaged at £110.000 per year per household.. No matter what your financial situation we all love a bargain.

I alternate between Tesco and Lidl. Lidl have a better selection of wines and I like their cleaning products, which are a lot cheaper than Tesco.

But I agree with langelei the checkout can be a bit daunting. I think you're meant to chuck your purchases back in the basket and pack leisurely at a shelf near the window.

I don't know about other Lidl stores but our local one is good but a pain. Certain things are always where you expect them, i.e. Fruit and veg, frozen department but there is no system to the rest. Pasta in 2 or even 3 different aisles for instance. Cleaning products are great but checkout a bit to fast for me if it's a big shop.

I have tried Lidl a couple of times in the past but find them very disorganised (maybe that's to make you wander more?) and scruffy. The fruit and veg started to "go" after a couple of days; the doorbell I bought broke after 3 months. The cupboard stuff was full of all kinds of things that I didn't expect them to contain - for eg a bought a jar of tartare sauce and was amazed at the additives in it (not in my usual Colman's). Would rather pay a bit more and have the quality. Not for me - sorry.

Lidl is great if you like continental meats and cheeses. I always spend a fortune there when they have an Italian week - so many things we don't normally see in English supermarkets.

I like Lidl but can’t get everything from there.

Personally, I prefer Tesco and Asda but do pop my head into Sainsbury's for a few bits I can't get in the others. I have an Aldi right on my doorstep but only use it if I only need milk and/or bread. If I'm passing Lidl I'll pop in for a couple of their fresh sandwich baguettes (22p each). I refuse to buy fruit and veg in Lidl and Aldi purely because they don't last beyond the next day.

A friend popped into Aldi for some teabags and came out with a drum kit. I’m a bit of a supermarket tart and use them all randomly.

Do check “The Ballad of Lidl and Aldi” on You Tube or Google, lyrics or performance.

Just brilliant

From your post, NanKate, I am guessing that you were a Waitrose shopper (forgive me if I am wrong). I regularly shop in Waitrose and have tried Lidl. I don’t think I could do my whole weekly shop in Lidl, and although their fruit and vegetables are very much cheaper than other supermarkets, I found that they didn’t last very long, whereas Waitrose fruit etc lasts well over a week.

I mostly shop at Lidl but because they don't deliver I ordered most of my food from Waitrose during lockdown. I like Waitrose. They are more expensive but their quality is normally very good but I sometimes had a cauliflower or some tomatoes which I would not have selected as they seemed to be on or beyond their sell by date. I suspect this is something you have to expect when you get a delivery from any supermarket. It has been good to go back to Lidl and chjose my own fruit and veg which always last well.

Lidl is my local supermarket and it sells the best steaks and has lovely Scottish cheeses made in Dornoch which I can't get elsewhere. It is true that you can't do a full shop there so I go to Waitress to top up.

I like lidl and aldi, and most of their goods are of equivalent if not superior quality. I get my veg and fruit from my local greengrocer so can't really comment on them, but funnily enough, the worst place I found in the past for fruit and veg going off quickly was Waitrose. Lidl bread is lovely, and we always stock up on ground coffee in Aldi. The one supermarket I just don't like is Tesco, hard to pinpoint why, perhaps it is the reports (on R4) of their policy of withholding payments to suppliers until the very last minute or beyond, perhaps it is how they exploit my friend's son (learning difficulties) who has worked there faithfully for years.