Good Eats

Speaking of seeing the light, a number of Aldi food stores finally opened in my neighborhood and I'm in lurve. The stores are modest in size and therefore have a limited number of any one product, mostly store brands, but I'm really impressed by both the quality and the prices (especially compared to Walmort). I'm particularly ecstatic about their store brand orange juice. Visit their web site to see their latest weekly sales flyer.

If you happen to not like one of their products they have a "Replace the product and refund the money" guarantee on all their goods.

To save money and time they do things a little differently at Aldi. First, the shopping carts cost a quarter to use, but you get it back when you return the cart to the line in front of the store. I've yet to see a cart standing in the parking lot so the system must work. (I haven't used the cart system yet as I prefer to just use my bags.)

Second, they don't sack your groceries for you so be sure and bring recyclable bags or boxes. The practical effect of this is that there are no long waits at the check-out stands as all they do is scan the goods, put them back in the cart, and take your money. It's like super-crazy-unbelievably-ninja fast. The actual bagging occurs at a nearby bagging station, a long counter, where you can take your time. (Note: If you arrive bag or box-less you can also purchase paper or plastic bags at the checkout counter for a very minimal fee.)

From what I've read, the company takes good care of their employees, who always seem happy in their jobs, so if one of these stores opens in your area definitely give it a try.

I know this seems like a naked plug for Aldi but I'll happily sing the praises of any company that takes a chunk of wind out of Walmort's sails, especially when the product is so superior.

=Lefty=