Drifty drift.

I ALWAYS forget to bring a bag when I stop into Aldi.

I got into the habit of using an empty product box that our Aldi has in a pile by the storage room or whatever it’s called.

I stopped doing this when one time, when I got home, a massive cockroach crawled out of a crevice in the box.

Thank God I saw it right away, that roach got stomped and the box went right into the fire pit and I’m never doing that again. I should know better than to do that in the first place.

Aldi is a European chain, and the way they do things is pretty similar to the way things are done in Europe. I actually kind of like it, as they don't suffer self-centered folks slowing up the line for everybody else, and it tends to be very efficient (often, however, at the cost of what we would consider customer service).

The coin in the cart thing is commonplace over there, as is not providing bags...customers are expected to bring their own. When I moved to the Czech Republic back in the early 90s, if you went into a grocery store without a cart, they'd yell at you and throw you out. You have to have a cart or a basket, even if you're only getting one or two items.

If you're not fast enough getting stuff up on the conveyor (or counter) at checkout, you'd get yelled at. If you're not fast enough at bagging your own items as she checks them out, you get yelled at. Most cash register counters had a divider in the bagging area, so they'd shove your stuff down one side, then flip the divider over for the next person and push their stuff down that side. If you didn't have your stuff bagged and out of your side by the time they we're ready for the third person, you'd get yelled at.

You'd also better have exact change, and be quick at getting it out. I frequently saw them yell at out outright refuse to take large denomination bills. And if you were taking too long to get your change counted out (like a foreigner might who's not used to the currency yet), they'd go right in your purse and count it out for you.

In former Soviet Europe, store shops you!

quote:

Originally posted by mcrimm:
We first saw the quarter cart rental about 20 years ago all around Europe. No carts left between cars in the parking lots there. If someone does leave one, it is rapidly grabbed for a free quarter. I don't know why we don't see it around the US.

The quarter thing reminds me fondly of Spielberg's movie The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks.

Their prices had better be dirt fucking cheap if they're going to make me pay a deposit for a shopping cart, not provide handbaskets for small purchases, make me bring my own bags (or charge me for theirs) and bag the shit myself, let alone throwing my shit around like an airport baggage handler and fucking it up. I patronize two discount grocers regularly and they don't do any of that.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: egregore,

They need to have cashier school like they had in the past. Covered math, operation of conveyor belt, customer greeting and proper grocery bagging. Even had uniforms that all matched. I bet V tail remembers that well.

quote:

I got into the habit of using an empty product box that our Aldi has in a pile by the storage room or whatever it’s called.

^^^^^^^^^
The liquor store has the best boxes. They tend to not have roaches, and if so they are easily disposed. Its the roach EGGS that are the problem

Hmmmmm. All the Aldis in OKC have both paper sacks and plastic bags available to purchase.

IIRC the large paper bag is 5 cents and the large plastic bag is 10 cents.

It’s just a total non event here.

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:

The quarter thing reminds me fondly of Spielberg's movie The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks.

I think of that movie every time I go to Aldi.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:

The quarter thing reminds me fondly of Spielberg's movie The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks.

I think of that movie every time I go to Aldi.

A good friend of mine named Cliff Clavin, said it's a well known fact that Aldi started in Krakozhia, before the war.

I've watched them throw stuff too, usually into the cart.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

I've watched them throw stuff too, usually into the cart.

Sometimes they miss the cart. "Cleanup at register four."

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
They need to have cashier school like they had in the past. Covered math, operation of conveyor belt, customer greeting and proper grocery bagging. Even had uniforms that all matched. I bet V tail remembers that well.

when I learned years ago , training was 3 days, (full 8hr days) and we were one of the first stores in RVA to have scanners,

scan scan bag,
build the bag, cans and boxes on the bottom, soft of top, etc etc,

fill the bag up


then plastic bags came out and everything went to shit

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:

You’re the one that bucked the system by using bags for your groceries instead of using a cart.

Yes, no, and maybe. If I'm just getting a few items, it is faster and easier for me to forego the cart. I get through the aisles faster, and there is much less temptation for impulse buys; when carrying things instead of dumping them into a cart, I tend to stick with the list of items that I had intended to buy.

Believe me, at 82, with physical limitations, I do not hand-carry a big bunch of things, so when I just have a few things to grab it is not worth getting a cart.

As far as planning ahead and having a quarter in my pocket, I rarely, almost never, have any coins in my pocket, and it's not easy to plan ahead for those instances when I'm on my way home from work and get a text from my wife asking me to get a couple of things. Carnac might be able to do it, but I'm a little out of practice.

You can keep quarters in your car. Aldi's is a discount grocery store with limited service. You got what you paid for. I shop at Publix just for that reason.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
I think I’m glad we don’t have Aldi,

First time I went. I hated the store. Second time I went. I hated the store. Didnt step foot in the store again for a few years. Now? I love the store. I understand the concept, and it saves me at least 40% a month on my grocery bill.

Buy everything you can from Aldi, but the rest of the stuff you need from Publix or Walmart.

Its a money saving store for sure. And I can see why they have opened so many in such a short time. They will eventually put most other grocery stores out of business. Kind of like Amazon, either compete and adapt, or just be like Sears and Kmart and Circuit City and go out of business.

quote:

Originally posted by bubbatime:


Buy everything you can from Aldi, but the rest of the stuff you need from Publix or Walmart.

I find that Aldi is the best place for any dry goods like canned items, pasta, baking supplies like flour and sugar and dairy items like milk, eggs and butter.

The same exact things cost oftentimes twice as much at the regular big supermarket chain around here (Giant).

Produce is kind of hit or miss but they will often have avocados for like 89 cents each where they are $2-3 each at the supermarket.

Haven't been that impressed by their meats.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

You can keep quarters in your car. Aldi's is a discount grocery store with limited service. You got what you paid for. I shop at Publix just for that reason.

He's baaaaack!

I got what I paid for? I don't think I paid for the cashier to break a dozen eggs. Where are you getting these ideas?

Hey, I'm still waiting for you to back up the statement that you made about me. When I asked you for some proof, you used a cop-out of leaving the country: https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...730065264#8730065264

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I find that Aldi is the best place for any dry goods like canned items, pasta, baking supplies like flour and sugar and dairy items like milk, eggs and butter.

The same exact things cost oftentimes twice as much at the regular big supermarket chain around here (Giant).

Produce is kind of hit or miss but they will often have avocados for like 89 cents each where they are $2-3 each at the supermarket.

Haven't been that impressed by their meats.

Agreed, to all of the above.

They usually have plenty of good, affordable imported cheeses too.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I find that Aldi is the best place for any dry goods like canned items, pasta, baking supplies like flour and sugar and dairy items like milk, eggs and butter.

The same exact things cost oftentimes twice as much at the regular big supermarket chain around here (Giant).

Produce is kind of hit or miss but they will often have avocados for like 89 cents each where they are $2-3 each at the supermarket.

Haven't been that impressed by their meats.

Agreed, to all of the above.

They usually have plenty of good, affordable imported cheeses too.

At least at the one my mother goes to, they have all kinds of European import stuff, so it isn’t just limited to cheese. The last time I visisted, she had picked up some German beer that I looked up that I’d never seen before. Canned and dry goods also from various parts of Europe.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

You can keep quarters in your car. Aldi's is a discount grocery store with limited service. You got what you paid for. I shop at Publix just for that reason.

He's baaaaack!

I got what I paid for? I don't think I paid for the cashier to break a dozen eggs. Where are you getting these ideas?

Hey, I'm still waiting for you to back up the statement that you made about me. When I asked you for some proof, you used a cop-out of leaving the country: https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...730065264#8730065264

You put the eggs in a bag with a bunch of other stuff...…where it's not common to bring a bag and hand it to the cashier......the aldi near me has a conveyor belt you put your food on individually....….all in a place where the cashier, flies through the order.

I did leave the country for 9 days to places in the Bahamas that have no cellular internet or incredibly slow and was too busy working to get on the internet for more than a few mins when I did have internet.......… Nassua 1 night, Cave Cay 1 night, Staniel Cay 3 nights, Warderick Wells 1 night, Shroud Cay for 1 night, Highbourne Cay, Fort Laud.

Now I'm busy picking up on all of the work that's stacked up since I got back...worked today until 8pm.....have to work tomorrow at least 10 hours, probably a lot more due to the ocean being rougher than hell...then have to get all of my monthly billing done for my monthly customers that was supposed to go out on the 31st.........have to work Monday....….then leaving again on Tuesday for another trip and back on the 15th.........….so when I get a chance to breathe, I'm not going to waste my time satisfying your crazy infatuation with trying to correct every little typo or whatever in every single post that I write. I'm willing to bet that everytime you log on, you do a search for the posts I've written to.

All good things come to those who wait. One day, I'll have time to waste and look it up and respond!

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

I'm not going to waste my time

Hmmmm . . . You had no problem taking the time to state that I had said, "numerous times," that I order salad from fast food places.

False statement on your part, dude. I asked you to back up your bullshit statement and now all of a sudden you don't have time to do that. Interesting. Very interesting.