Re: Observations after shopping at Aldi today....

kivah · ‎03-11-2010

@Porcelain wrote:
@kivah wrote:
There's a brand new Aldi 5 min. from my house. You have to put a quarter in the slot of the cart (it gets returned when u put the cart back) - so I brought a few plastic bags with me. I put 3 loaves of bread in a bag - then 2 packs of cream cheese and milk in the other. I have a bad back and I dropped everything on the floor - in order to rearrange the items as I was in a lot of pain. I wanted to buy more - but couldn't carry more. I went to the checkout - and the cashier rang up each item - taking them out of my bags. So - I had to put everything back in the bags. No More of Aldi for me!!!!! I understand the quarter for the cart -- but I'll keep going to the small Walmart, which is 15 min. from my house.

I can see how shopping at Aldi would not be fun with a bad back. I'm sorry you had a hard time.

Costco has idiosyncracies to get used to too. You can't use whatever credit card you want. You have to have a membership to go in. You have to bring your own bags. They check your cart on the way out...

I've been shopping at Costco for over 25 years and I use their Citibank credit card. I have 3 plastic containers in the trunk of my car - and put my groceries in them. Very easy. With COVID - I don't want to go to Costco - I'm high-risk - and in a week I'll be 80 yrs young. A few times, one of the workers walked the cart to my car and placed the items in the trunk for me. During the last year, I've ordered groceries 5 times from Costco - thru Instacart.

Anonymous032819 · ‎03-29-2019

I have a question.

As I said, I have never been to Aldi, and I understand from reading here, that it costs a quarter to get a cart, and you get your quarter back when you return the cart.

I just wonder how many people just forgo getting their quarter back, and leave the cart in a cart coral in the parking lot?

Are there cart corals in the parking lot?

Sorry for my stupid questions.

The Sky looks different when you have someone you love up there.

occasionalrain · ‎03-10-2010

There are no cart corals and I've never seen a cart abandoned in the parking lot. Some people return their cart but don't take their quarter back; they leave the cart for someone who may not have a quarter.

sunshine45 · ‎03-09-2010

@Anonymous032819

at our aldi we do not have cart corrals. there is a cart area adjacent to the main entrance where you pick up and return your carts. you can get your quarter back or not. yes, some people do leave their carts in the parking lot

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"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." - Albert Einstein

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@Porcelain wrote:
@kivah wrote:
There's a brand new Aldi 5 min. from my house. You have to put a quarter in the slot of the cart (it gets returned when u put the cart back) - so I brought a few plastic bags with me. I put 3 loaves of bread in a bag - then 2 packs of cream cheese and milk in the other. I have a bad back and I dropped everything on the floor - in order to rearrange the items as I was in a lot of pain. I wanted to buy more - but couldn't carry more. I went to the checkout - and the cashier rang up each item - taking them out of my bags. So - I had to put everything back in the bags. No More of Aldi for me!!!!! I understand the quarter for the cart -- but I'll keep going to the small Walmart, which is 15 min. from my house.

I can see how shopping at Aldi would not be fun with a bad back. I'm sorry you had a hard time.

Costco has idiosyncracies to get used to too. You can't use whatever credit card you want. You have to have a membership to go in. You have to bring your own bags. They check your cart on the way out...

@Porcelain I've never taken a bag to Costco. They have lots of empty boxes you can use to put your stuff in. But, usually we just roll the cart out to the car and put all the stuff in the trunk or back seat. We only get a box if we're getting a lot of stuff.

NYC Susan · ‎03-13-2010

@Anonymous032819 wrote:
I have a question.

As I said, I have never been to Aldi, and I understand from reading here, that it costs a quarter to get a cart, and you get your quarter back when you return the cart.

I just wonder how many people just forgo getting their quarter back, and leave the cart in a cart coral in the parking lot?

Are there cart corals in the parking lot?

Sorry for my stupid questions.

I've never seen carts just left in the parking lot. Many times people hand carts off to each other. I do that if I see someone approaching the store. Most people return the carts and get their quarter back, but some just return the carts and don't bother getting the quarter. The leave the little chain as is, so the next person can just take it.

I don't go to Aldi's often, but I do go from time to time, and it's nice not to have carts all over the parking lot, potentially ramming into my car if it's windy or whatever And the store doesn't have to pay someone to go all over the parking lot and get them all inside.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

Sprouts here looks messy and disorganized, they don't have much that is organic, and I can't get the other groceries I normally. To me their stock of basics is woefully inadequate.

Aldi's? No because I like to buy what I know is good and not mess around with unknowns. And the stuff in the middle doesn't interest me, checkout is a pain and it's almost insulting to have to pay a quarter to use a cart.

novamc1 · ‎07-02-2015

@Sooner

You don't "pay" to use a cart at Aldi. You insert a quarter to USE the cart and get the quarter back when you return the cart to the rack.

I like Aldi for certain things that I have grown to appreciate for their quality and low price, such as extremely fresh lettuce, carrots and celery, and bananas that aren't already too ripe.

Their checkout process is so fast that I often need to catch up with the cashier.

Many times, I've gone into Aldi with my own bags, thinking I'm only buying a few things, but usually regret not having the convenience of a cart. So I've learned to appreciate the 25-cent cart rental.

Also, returning the cart is easy because at the two Aldi stores near me, I can always find parking spots near the cart-return rack, unlike at major grocery stores.

Maestra1 · ‎03-28-2019

@Kachina624 wrote:
Why does anyone shop at this store?

Aldi's near us is inexpensive, has organic fresh vegies, canned soups are excellent (esp. for lockdowns), DH like their deli selections and dips (we eat some of these w/apples, pears and other seasonal fruits for lunch), much less expensive than even Walmart , which is next door.

Aldi's also doesnt finacially donate to certain political groups that Walmart and Target do; we oppose that ideology, and as such we put our money where our mouth is.

Maestra1 · ‎03-28-2019

@occasionalrain wrote:
There are no cart corals and I've never seen a cart abandoned in the parking lot. Some people return their cart but don't take their quarter back; they leave the cart for someone who may not have a quarter.

This is common practice at our Aldi's-a form of 'paying it forward' or good karma.