ALDI vs Meijer – I was reluctant to try ALDI. As a creature of habit, I always figured I might save a few pennies there but it wasn’t enough to sway me from shopping at Meijer (my go to). Plus, I never understood the bags situation, the cart situation. The ALDI shopping experience just seemed so foreign to me.
After hearing SO MANY things about the cost and the savings, I finally tried ALDI about a year ago. The one closest to me for years was actually in Shelby Twp. I’m glad they finally made it to Rochester Hills. I’m hooked on ALDI shopping even though I still “have to” shop at Meijer for some things. The savings you can achieve at ALDI is remarkable.
If you’re as unfamiliar with Aldi as I used to be, here’s an ALDI Vs Meijer comparison.
ALDI vs Meijer
I was shocked to see how much of a savings I could get by shopping at ALDI. I average $50-$70 in savings each week now that I’m splitting my shopping between Meijer and Aldi. By splitting, I mean that ALDI doesn’t have quite everything I need and I still need to go to Meijer. But, for what they do have, they are lower in price. Sure, there may not be the brand names you’re looking for on every item, but the products are all good and the same quality you’d find elsewhere. They have an organic section in the grocery aisle…smaller than at Meijer, but I can still pick up a couple items. Item after item, it truly adds up! For example, I can buy the basics like eggs and milk for way cheaper at ALDI…sometimes the eggs are .32! And, a gallon of milk averages about $1.50. The prices fluctuate a bit, but still never go higher than what you’d find at the competition.
ALDI is now one of the fastest growing retailers in the US. Here’s how they’re doing it
ALDI vs Meijer – The Carts
Carts – the ALDI shopping carts are stacked away neatly near the store entrance. You insert a quarter to unlock one, and you get your quarter back when you return the cart. This helps ALDI keep their prices low because they don’t spend time cleaning up the parking lots and retrieving the carts. Also a nice bonus on a windy day as there’s no worrying about carts smashing into your car. I know the quarter
is not much, but it’s probably the concept in place that really helps the process because everyone uses it! You won’t find carts littered throughout the parking lot at ALDI. It’s a quirky system, but it works
ALDI vs Meijer – The Bags
Bags – they get a huge savings here…shoppers bring their own bags or purchase ALDI bags at checkout (choose from reusable, paper, etc.). The cheapest are the .07 paper bags. After shopping, the cashier puts all of your groceries back into a cart as they are scanned, and then you wheel your cart to your car to load it into your bags, or you bring the bags into the store for your shopping trip and use the counter space in the store to bag your groceries before leaving. It seemed strange the first time I did it, but not really much different than self-checking at Meijer.
ALDI vs Meijer – The Variety
Select Assortment – ALDI sells only the common grocery must-haves (which is why I still need to go to Meijer). Most of these must-have items are their own store brand. So, there are savings there, as well as in having a smaller store to house smaller inventory. This contributes to lower prices as well. I have no problem with the ALDI brands I’ve tried and actually prefer them to name-brands.
ALDI vs Meijer – Limited Hours
Select Hours – a typical ALDI store stays open only during the most popular shopping hours (mostly closing by 8p), helping to keep labor costs down and hence, prices lower. You just can’t beat the convenience of Meijer when it comes to hours.
ALDI vs Meijer – ALDI Guarantees
ALDI brands are made of the same, or even higher quality than national brands. I’ve tried them and my whole family loves them. ALDI claims that by switching to ALDI-exclusive brands, you save up to 50% over national brands on the things you buy the most. ALDI is so confident in their products that they offer the Double Guarantee. If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with any product, ALDI will replace the product with something of equal value AND refund your money. Just return the product packaging and any unused product back to the ALDI store.
ALDI vs Meijer – This and That
ALDI carries wine and beer, as well as non-grocery items such as knives, blankets, dog beds…you never know what you’ll find. You can also sign up to receive the ALDI sales flyer to be informed of their weekly sales offerings.
OAKLAND COUNTY MOMS BLOG ENTRIES
I’m happy to report that a new ALDI grocery store is now open (much closer to my current Miejer location) in the old Kmart plaza at the corner of Rochester and Avon roads in Rochester Hills.
There are many ALDI locations throughout Oakland County – Troy, Wixom, Walled Lake, Waterford, Clawson, Oak Park, Ferndale… and one nearby in Shelby Twp. – so there are options, but this is in a major location, and ready to compete with the nearby Meijer, Kroger, and Wal-Mart.
For the ALDI vs Meijer verdict, I like ALDI more but it won’t ever replace what I “have to” get from Meijer.
I agree that Aldi saves me a lot of money. But you failed to mention that a big plus for Aldi’s is the friendly fast cashiers and the cleanliness of Aldi’s. I find the Meijer cashiers to be slow and the stores dirty. Rochester Rd especially so. Staff there are rude as well. Aldi doesn’t have everything you need but I am reminded every time I go to Meijer how much I appreciate Aldi.