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Re: ALDI to add 70 new stores by next year

Posted: January 24th, 2021, 9:42 pm
by storewanderer
mbz321 wrote: January 24th, 2021, 7:59 pm I would say just the opposite. I don't live around the corner from my nearest Lidl so I'm not there frequently, but their 'special buys' are much more extensive than Aldi (they are also quick to reduce the price of slow-moving items, while with Aldi, it seems to be a rarity). I honestly wish there was one closer as their selection of almost everything is a lot better (except for frozen veggies for some reason...on a Lidl trip earlier this week all they had was their brand green beans and a couple Green Giant varieties with sauce in the package), and prices on many of the things are even less than Aldi. Plus they have self-checkouts.
Does Aldi not have self checkout? I think I saw one with it (but it was not open when I was in the store as I explicitly remember going to the cashier)...

Maybe not.

Re: ALDI to add 70 new stores by next year

Posted: January 24th, 2021, 9:48 pm
by bayford
mbz321 wrote: January 24th, 2021, 7:59 pm (they are also quick to reduce the price of slow-moving items, while with Aldi, it seems to be a rarity).
I've read that that varies a lot by individual store. My local Aldi constantly does markdowns of 5-20% or so on slow-moving or oversupplied items by placing handwritten price tags on the shelves. I've seen other locations put out a clearance bin or cart somewhere in the store

Re: ALDI to add 70 new stores by next year

Posted: January 25th, 2021, 9:49 am
by BillyGr
storewanderer wrote: January 24th, 2021, 9:42 pm Does Aldi not have self checkout? I think I saw one with it (but it was not open when I was in the store as I explicitly remember going to the cashier)...

Maybe not.
Haven't seen that in stores here, but we only have a few and they tend to be older locations, so maybe they would add them to newer stores.

Would make sense, actually, as they are much less likely to need people to help out with a self checkout with less things that can go wrong compared to most stores.

Re: ALDI to add 70 new stores by next year

Posted: January 25th, 2021, 6:34 pm
by mbz321
storewanderer wrote: January 24th, 2021, 9:42 pm
Does Aldi not have self checkout? I think I saw one with it (but it was not open when I was in the store as I explicitly remember going to the cashier)...

Maybe not.
I have multiple newer locations in my area and none have a self checkout (I guess they feel it unnecessary as the cashiers always move fast as it is, but on the flipside, they might only have one or two lanes open at any given time and can be a bit of a wait if everyone has full cartloads of stuff). When I went to Lidl, it was about 45 minutes from closing time and all they had open was the self-checkouts (unless the 'cashier' wandered away from his/her post to do other tasks).

Re: ALDI to add 70 new stores by next year

Posted: January 26th, 2021, 9:06 am
by TW-Upstate NY
Wouldn't self checkouts in that kind of operation sort of defeat their business model of high volume orders? Most people who shop at Aldi buy stuff by the cartful and I don't know about you but there's nothing more annoying than someone at a self-checkout with a full basket and scanning those items one at a time. Self checkout is best suited for customers who only have a few items and want to get in and get out ASAP and as I said that doesn't define your typical Aldi shopper.

Re: ALDI to add 70 new stores by next year

Posted: January 26th, 2021, 11:07 am
by BillyGr
TW-Upstate NY wrote: January 26th, 2021, 9:06 am Wouldn't self checkouts in that kind of operation sort of defeat their business model of high volume orders? Most people who shop at Aldi buy stuff by the cartful and I don't know about you but there's nothing more annoying than someone at a self-checkout with a full basket and scanning those items one at a time. Self checkout is best suited for customers who only have a few items and want to get in and get out ASAP and as I said that doesn't define your typical Aldi shopper.
They would probably work only in a couple ways:
1. Have a limit on the number of items (say 25) - that way those who do make smaller purchases aren't stuck behind those full carts (or having to be waved forward by the cashier).

2. Make it the type of self check that places like BJ's have, with a belt. Those are usually a bit faster, since you aren't bagging while checking out (and, of course, would be best if you had 2 people shopping so one could load up a cart while the other was scanning).

Re: ALDI to add 70 new stores by next year

Posted: March 30th, 2022, 3:17 pm
by arizonaguy
Within the last week Aldi has opened its 1st store in north central Phoenix (14th St. / Bell Rd.).

This is the 2nd store in Phoenix city limits (Laveen was first and opened in January) but is the 1st store in what I would consider Phoenix proper.

The store was clean and well stocked (and as it has just opened had decent traffic). However, I still don't understand the draw of this store (and neither did most of the other shoppers). Aldi has decent selections in some categories but many seem to have an odd assortment or just seem incomplete. Of everyone in the store nobody had carts more than 1/4 to 1/3 full (and that is being generous). Many shoppers were leaving with nothing (could be that they were just browsing). Prices on some items were good but nothing spectacular (WinCo down the street has the same prices).

Aldi built this store next to a busy Fry's Marketplace (which seems to be their strategy at many of their other Arizona sites). Aldi's strategy seems to be to siphon off some business from Fry's and it might work but Fry's prices aren't much higher and shoppers can fill their entire basket at Fry's versus making a separate stop to go to Aldi. Also, a full basket discounter in WinCo is only 1.5 miles down the street (Along with Safeway, Bashas', Walmart, SuperTarget and Sprout's all being within 2.5 miles as well).

As I've said upthread I think they'll do okay in Arizona but I don't think many people are going to shop at this specific store over the more well rounded competition in the immediate area. Trader Joe's is the one smaller format, limited assortment store around Arizona that seems to get full baskets from everyone and high traffic. Aldi is just a weird store with a weird assortment and good prices but lacking in comparison to decently priced competition (or WinCo with the same prices and a much more complete assortment).

Re: ALDI to add 70 new stores by next year

Posted: March 30th, 2022, 4:23 pm
by DFWRetaileWatcher
arizonaguy wrote: March 30th, 2022, 3:17 pm Within the last week Aldi has opened its 1st store in north central Phoenix (14th St. / Bell Rd.).

This is the 2nd store in Phoenix city limits (Laveen was first and opened in January) but is the 1st store in what I would consider Phoenix proper.

The store was clean and well stocked (and as it has just opened had decent traffic). However, I still don't understand the draw of this store (and neither did most of the other shoppers). Aldi has decent selections in some categories but many seem to have an odd assortment or just seem incomplete. Of everyone in the store nobody had carts more than 1/4 to 1/3 full (and that is being generous). Many shoppers were leaving with nothing (could be that they were just browsing). Prices on some items were good but nothing spectacular (WinCo down the street has the same prices).

Aldi built this store next to a busy Fry's Marketplace (which seems to be their strategy at many of their other Arizona sites). Aldi's strategy seems to be to siphon off some business from Fry's and it might work but Fry's prices aren't much higher and shoppers can fill their entire basket at Fry's versus making a separate stop to go to Aldi. Also, a full basket discounter in WinCo is only 1.5 miles down the street (Along with Safeway, Bashas', Walmart, SuperTarget and Sprout's all being within 2.5 miles as well).

As I've said upthread I think they'll do okay in Arizona but I don't think many people are going to shop at this specific store over the more well rounded competition in the immediate area. Trader Joe's is the one smaller format, limited assortment store around Arizona that seems to get full baskets from everyone and high traffic. Aldi is just a weird store with a weird assortment and good prices but lacking in comparison to decently priced competition (or WinCo with the same prices and a much more complete assortment).
For a lot of people, the allure is simply getting basic grocery staples extremely cheap.

Re: ALDI to add 70 new stores by next year

Posted: March 30th, 2022, 5:23 pm
by arizonaguy
DFWRetaileWatcher wrote: March 30th, 2022, 4:23 pm
arizonaguy wrote: March 30th, 2022, 3:17 pm Within the last week Aldi has opened its 1st store in north central Phoenix (14th St. / Bell Rd.).

This is the 2nd store in Phoenix city limits (Laveen was first and opened in January) but is the 1st store in what I would consider Phoenix proper.

The store was clean and well stocked (and as it has just opened had decent traffic). However, I still don't understand the draw of this store (and neither did most of the other shoppers). Aldi has decent selections in some categories but many seem to have an odd assortment or just seem incomplete. Of everyone in the store nobody had carts more than 1/4 to 1/3 full (and that is being generous). Many shoppers were leaving with nothing (could be that they were just browsing). Prices on some items were good but nothing spectacular (WinCo down the street has the same prices).

Aldi built this store next to a busy Fry's Marketplace (which seems to be their strategy at many of their other Arizona sites). Aldi's strategy seems to be to siphon off some business from Fry's and it might work but Fry's prices aren't much higher and shoppers can fill their entire basket at Fry's versus making a separate stop to go to Aldi. Also, a full basket discounter in WinCo is only 1.5 miles down the street (Along with Safeway, Bashas', Walmart, SuperTarget and Sprout's all being within 2.5 miles as well).

As I've said upthread I think they'll do okay in Arizona but I don't think many people are going to shop at this specific store over the more well rounded competition in the immediate area. Trader Joe's is the one smaller format, limited assortment store around Arizona that seems to get full baskets from everyone and high traffic. Aldi is just a weird store with a weird assortment and good prices but lacking in comparison to decently priced competition (or WinCo with the same prices and a much more complete assortment).
For a lot of people, the allure is simply getting basic grocery staples extremely cheap.
They have a weird mix of grocery staples with some categories having what seems like way too much product (shredded cheese / take and bake pizza) while others having an extremely limited selection and some not being available at all.

Re: ALDI to add 70 new stores by next year

Posted: March 30th, 2022, 7:27 pm
by buckguy
They don't seem to do large volumes like Trader Joe's, but they don't have the same level of staffing. They seem to know their customer and manage to find enough of them.