Any ALDI shoppers out there

[PridenJoy]

Did I mention I had a lot of ALDI tools? Best value for money tools you can get.

[LG17]

Originally Posted by PridenJoy

Did I mention I had a lot of ALDI tools? Best value for money tools you can get.

Seriously?
Are they that good?
I'm tempted to go and buy some!

[sprintman1]

Originally Posted by tempted

I dont think like that at all, and I wish I had the best of everything.

I just wouldn't stoop to the level of shopping at Aldi and I'm sure there's plenty of people out there who feel the same.

Obviously you have never been in an Aldi. But then you wouldn't appreciate quality organic yoghurt or Swiss chocolate going by your posts on other threads..

[PridenJoy]

Originally Posted by LG17

Seriously?
Are they that good?
I'm tempted to go and buy some!

Definitely. I can't even keep track of how many ALDI tools I have bought, but just as an example they were selling spanner set from size 5 to size 38 comes in a hangable box $50, very capable Torque wrench $25, and much more stuff i have in the shed and use all the time and never let me down. Only trouble is once they're sold they're gone and don't really come up again so have to stay on top of their 'special buys'.

[Pis-ton broke]

its amusing to see some comments, to many old people and bogans, picking the food to pieces. i think the point of aldi is value for money, not the best, not the flashest people, not the best service. some people are too precious. i shopped at coles woolies, but changed to aldi because it is heaps cheaper and good value for money. i find aldi good for the basics. i shop at aldi and pick up other stuff at coles woolies.
p.s. bogan isn't contagious.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by tempted

Spesking from my experiences with them I would say its about 90% negative to 10% positive.

I think you are the exception and not the norm...

Thank God.....

[sprintman1]

Aldi will be selling a very decent 3D printer and accessories next week for $499.00
Try finding one at Woolies or Coles...

[Random Ranger]

Originally Posted by tempted

Spesking from my experiences with them I would say its about 90% negative to 10% positive.

Car forum members are a really fussy lot, outside of this thread I've heard very few negative comments about Aldi, most I know do their bulk shopping there and top up at one of the other chains, for the stuff Aldi either doesn't stock or simply prefer another brand.

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by PridenJoy

Definitely. I can't even keep track of how many ALDI tools I have bought, but just as an example they were selling spanner set from size 5 to size 38 comes in a hangable box $50, very capable Torque wrench $25, and much more stuff i have in the shed and use all the time and never let me down. Only trouble is once they're sold they're gone and don't really come up again so have to stay on top of their 'special buys'.

The Aldi spanners aren't fantastic BUT for Bill Bob n Ben the weekend warrior they represent reasonable value for money, and are no worse than the no brand stuff they sell at the so called spare parts stores

I have a set of their AF ring spanners and combination spanners in my boot for get the **** out of dodge type road side repairs and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them for that with the added bonus if some one knocks off my tools out of my boot I've lost less than $100 worth

(I don't have the 5mm the 38mm) just 3/8 - 1" a set of screw drivers and some other bibs n bobs)

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by tempted

Aldi tools are only good as kids toys. Anybody serious about their tools doesn't buy second rate amateurish garbage from Aldi.

Congrats. You win the 'Oh Derrr' award for the week.

Of course they are not trade quality and 90% who buy them know that

I have bought $20 drills, hammers, spanners that are still going and also have $500 ones which have not .... and vise versa.

What other negativities can you discover today ?

[sprintman1]

Originally Posted by tempted

Aldi tools are only good as kids toys. Anybody serious about their tools doesn't buy second rate amatuerish garbage from Aldi.

I was right about you...

[nstg8a]

Nasty third world crap? Isn't 90% of their food products made in Australia now?

[xxx000]

The third world crap that's mostly from Australia ?

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by tempted

Ford should seriously look at employing Aldi's marketing team. If they've managed to successfully suck so many people into buying their nasty third world crap, imagine the wonders they could work for Ford's sales!

Haha third world crap

Aldi is a German company started selling German Products, I think compared to stuff you get in Germany most stuff here is third world crap.

Now most of the products sold here are now are made in Australia, it's the exact same stuff you buy in Coles, just without the price tag

[sprintman1]

Originally Posted by tempted

Ford should seriously look at employing Aldi's marketing team. If they've managed to successfully suck so many people into buying their nasty third world crap, imagine the wonders they could work for Ford's sales!

So Britain, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark etc are now 'third world' in your parallel universe? You are a funny fella indeed

[Franco Cozzo]

Mum got me a set of their 'Workzone' ratchet spanners once when she went out to Aldi once on a shopping trip (shout out to Mum ).

I have SP Tools and Gearwrench ratchet spanners in all sizes, but you know how it is your 'workmates' end up thieving your tools over time, abuse or lose them, kept them for the more intricate jobs where you need the better ratchet mechanism.

That 13mm Workzone ratchet spanner put in the sirens of around 100 odd Victorian Ambulances I helped build back a few years ago and its still going, good stuff to have in the car for when poo hits the fan and you're on the side of the road, its cheap, its better than no ratchet spanner and not so attractive to prospective thieving 'workmates'.

If your car gets done over or some bastard steals them at work, $17 for a set and boom back in action again.

[sprintman1]

Originally Posted by tempted

Only a handful of selected items they stock are actually from Europe.
Just because most of their products are Australian made doesn't automatically mean they're good, it's still generic crap made to a price, just like the generic home brand crap in the major supermarkets.
The vast majority of their appliances, electronics, tools and gimmicky variety items are straight out of a shipping container from China and are on par quality wise with items you would find at a $2 shop or an Asian variety store.
I had an A/C installer out at my place to install a split system and he was telling me what a joke the Aldi split systems were quality wise and how many call outs he had for these pos units.

I thought we were talking about food items of which they have a large and ever changing range (weekly). Obviously I wouldn't buy a split system from them either but then personal experience with Fujitsu and Daikin makes me wonder how much worse they could actually be

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by tempted

Only a handful of selected items they stock are actually from Europe.
Just because most of their products are Australian made doesn't automatically mean they're good, it's still generic crap made to a price, just like the generic home brand crap in the major supermarkets.

...... bought some bananas from there last week, some potatoes, lettuce and some milk. Couldn't tell the difference. Wierd.

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Yes, they don't satisfy 100% of your needs, what store does?

In all honesty the fresh food people do for me. They have all the products and brands I like, the ready made soups and risottos in the deli are yummo and great for a mid week dinner. Heaps of variety and my local store is always clean and well presented. Unlike Aldi I get served pretty quick, they are open much much later, and they actually have baskets and bags! I couldn't care less how they do things in Europe, this isn't Europe its not worth me going to Aldi to save a couple of dollars if the food isn't as good and the experience lacklustre.

[nuthin' fancy]

Originally Posted by Auslandau

...... bought some bananas from there last week, some potatoes, lettuce and some milk. Couldn't tell the difference. Wierd.

Your taste buds are finished if you can't tell the difference between bananas, potatoes, lettuce and milk

Originally Posted by tempted

Only a handful of selected items they stock are actually from Europe.
Just because most of their products are Australian made doesn't automatically mean they're good, it's still generic crap made to a price, just like the generic home brand crap in the major supermarkets.
The vast majority of their appliances, electronics, tools and gimmicky variety items are straight out of a shipping container from China and are on par quality wise with items you would find at a $2 shop or an Asian variety store.
I had an A/C installer out at my place to install a split system and he was telling me what a joke the Aldi split systems were quality wise and how many call outs he had for these pos units.

Your criticism is general. My experience is that their products are good for the price. The $27 paper guillotine I bought is as good as $70 ones elsewhere, their shredder has, so far, lasted ten times as long as the Dick Smith one I bought a coule of years ago (we're at 10 days now against 1 day for the Dick Smith oneand the Aldi one was 30% of the cost).

I'm not sure how your criticism about 'crap made to a price' can't simply be applied to everything. The higher the price, the better the crap.

My experience of shopping there over a long period of time is that, for many items (but not all), Aldi provies a vaue proposition not matched elsewhere.

Wait unti Lidl gets here, you'll see a basic retail propositon then.

Originally Posted by Boosted8

What about eggs? Surely Aldi stock them. I go through between 5 and 7 dozen a week. atm I'm buying them at IGA.

I said "it would be interesting to see if I could save at Aldi." I never said they had exactly what I'm looking for but it would still be nice to compare their prices first-hand.

Aldi are cheaper, $2.99 from memory for 700g cage eggs and the egg area is always cleaner than my local Woolworths.

And before you flame me for cage eggs, so called 'free-range' eggs would come from densities of 15,000 birds per ha if the eggs producers had there way. The chickens don't roam free as the photos would have you think. It is just a definition to make you feel better.

[Feathers]

I love that Aldi stores look exactly the same everywhere.
Like Subway stores all smell the same around the world...

I enjoy looking through the catalogues, and have picked up a number from things from their special buys. The sleeping bag I took overseas last year was one of theirs, though it wasn't brilliant in the Arctic Circle (in the middle of "summer"), that was only one night, and with an extra layer on, it wasn't awful. But it rolled up and packed down small, which was the more important thing.
You just have to be quick when the specials come out, as things sell out fast.

[Boosted8]

Originally Posted by nuthin' fancy

Aldi are cheaper, $2.99 from memory for 700g cage eggs and the egg area is always cleaner than my local Woolworths.

And before you flame me for cage eggs, so called 'free-range' eggs would come from densities of 15,000 birds per ha if the eggs producers had there way. The chickens don't roam free as the photos would have you think. It is just a definition to make you feel better.

That seems like a good price to me. I'm usually paying $4-$5 for the same product. I'm not particularly concerned about cage vs. free-range eggs.

[sprintman1]

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

In all honesty the fresh food people do for me. They have all the products and brands I like, the ready made soups and risottos in the deli are yummo and great for a mid week dinner. Heaps of variety and my local store is always clean and well presented. Unlike Aldi I get served pretty quick, they are open much much later, and they actually have baskets and bags! I couldn't care less how they do things in Europe, this isn't Europe its not worth me going to Aldi to save a couple of dollars if the food isn't as good and the experience lacklustre.

Lettuce on special at the Fresh Food Peope this week, they have heaps!

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

Aldi is a German company started selling German Products, I think compared to stuff you get in Germany most stuff here is third world crap.

Now most of the products sold here are now are made in Australia, it's the exact same stuff you buy in Coles, just without the price tag

Aldi (and Lidl) are the supermarkets that would be at the bottom of the list of what you'd visit in Europe. Coles and Woolworths would be somewhere near the bottom if they were over there. The only food products of any quality in Australia are meat, fruit and vegetables. The processed stuff is just terrible compared to what's available in Europe and the prices here are astronomical.

Given such a choice here, you basically go to Aldi first for the best prices for stuff that's perfectly reasonable by local standards and then top up at Coles or Woolworths. That way, you don't have such a hole in your pocket. I've lived in both continents.

The best thing about Aldi coming here is that it's broken the duopoly that was previously ripping us off left right and centre. That duopoly managed to see off any cheaper and better quality local competitors like Franklins, but they can't beat Aldi because it's a huge German multinational. Aldi's not the best but it's decent enough by Australian standards and thank god it's here for that reason alone.

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

In all honesty the fresh food people do for me. They have all the products and brands I like, the ready made soups and risottos in the deli are yummo and great for a mid week dinner. Heaps of variety and my local store is always clean and well presented. Unlike Aldi I get served pretty quick, they are open much much later, and they actually have baskets and bags! I couldn't care less how they do things in Europe, this isn't Europe its not worth me going to Aldi to save a couple of dollars if the food isn't as good and the experience lacklustre.

Is that Woolworths you're talking about, the company that makes disastrous commercial decisions and jacks up your grocery prices to recover some of the damage?

Because we live in the country we use home delivery quite a lot and get to directly compare Woolworths and Coles. Woolworths are overall more expensive and they have the very unpleasant habit with home deliveries of sending you stuff that close to its use-by date if not at or past it. Coles never does that.

If you complain to Woolworths they will refund but then they do the same again next delivery and the one after that etc. You get the impression that their packers are instructed to choose close to shelf life and they rely on not being caught out, but if they are they refund to try to stay in your good books.

Deal with a company like that? No thanks. Lucky Aldi is there to keep the others relatively honest.

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by tempted

Aldi tools are only good as kids toys. Anybody serious about their tools doesn't buy second rate amatuerish garbage from Aldi.

With all due respect (there's not a lot due to be honest)

How the hell would you know if you never go to Aldi

Have the same 6 or 7 people who told you Aldi shampoo makes your hair fall out also told you that Aldi tools are made of rubber and squeak when you squeeze them?

You won't set foot in an Aldi and that's your foolish choice to make I respect that, but your really just voicing your opinion that is based on nothing more than what some ****ed bloke down the bowling club told you in the smokers area while drinking a flat xxxx. Do you honestly believe the **** your typing here?

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by tempted

Only a handful of selected items they stock are actually from Europe.
Just because most of their products are Australian made doesn't automatically mean they're good, it's still generic crap made to a price, just like the generic home brand crap in the major supermarkets.
The vast majority of their appliances, electronics, tools and gimmicky variety items are straight out of a shipping container from China and are on par quality wise with items you would find at a $2 shop or an Asian variety store.
I had an A/C installer out at my place to install a split system and he was telling me what a joke the Aldi split systems were quality wise and how many call outs he had for these pos units.

Would you not rather Support Australian farmers when grocery shopping?


I suppose if you big name veggies from Turkey that's fine because you know they are in a brand name bag from a duopoly store good for you.

As for ,Aldi AC units in 2010 I got 4. 2 were installed in my old house that was demolished last year and they worked faultlessly summer and winter in a non insulated fibro shack
1 was installed at my brother In laws place still going well as of last night when I had dinner there

The last one at my mums that ones not working but it died in an electrical storm that also took her fridge the fridge was a maytag btw

[LG17]

Originally Posted by Auslandau

...... bought some bananas from there last week, some potatoes, lettuce and some milk. Couldn't tell the difference. Wierd.

Bananas are usually a yellow, crescent shaped fruit, potatoes are those browny coloured things covered in dirt, lettuce are those round green things you feed to the chooks and milk is a white fluid.

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by sprintman1

I thought we were talking about food items of which they have a large and ever changing range (weekly). Obviously I wouldn't buy a split system from them either but then personal experience with Fujitsu and Daikin makes me wonder how much worse they could actually be

They are what they are a cheaper AC, they work ok, but back in 2010 when i got mine they weren't inverters and I think had like a 1 1/2 star energy rating

In my new house I researched long and heard and decided on Mitsubishi heavy industries units, we're still in their 1st summer but I'm really happy with them

[sprintman1]

Originally Posted by tempted

I have been to Aldi plenty of times, tried and compared many of their products personally and have also seen, sampled and tested Aldi products that other people I know have bought.
My opinion comes from personal experience and is not just ****ed pub talk as you put it. Ok the bit about the shampoo was hearsay but I did also state that I could not confirm the validity of the claims. You obviously don't believe or don't want to believe anything I say, so I'm not going to waste my time explaining it to you any further.

That's good, the discussion will now have some relevance..

[new2ford]

Aldi food products are no worse than those from the duopoly and in some cases better as well as cheaper (e.g. the German chocolates). The wines are very good indeed and win national awards, they're quite well known for it. They employ a very talented bloke choosing the wines apparently, he's been in the press. They're cheaper than the normal brand wines and about the same price Australian brand wines sell for in Europe. I could buy Australian wines in European supermarkets for half to 2/3 the price they are in Australian bottle shops. Go figure (who's being ripped off then)? If you want to sample export quality Australian foods for cheaper go buy them in Europe.

Speaking of which, I brought home a supermarket docket from our last big shop in Kaufland (a German chain) in Plzen when we returned to Australia at the end of 2012 - about 60 of our typical shopping items for about $90. After we picked ourselves up from the Australian price shock heart attack at Sydney airport we did our first shop back home. Similar 60 items - as usual first we went to Aldi where we bought 36 of the items for $136, then finished off with 24 items from Coles for $151.

That's $287 for the similar 60 items we paid $90 for in Europe. I calculated that if we'd bought them all from Coles they would have cost $375. That's the difference having Aldi makes. Still expensive but somewhat less financially wounding.

Before somebody says it, the ratio of disposable income between the various countries doesn't explain the difference. We're being ripped off here. The countries we were in in Europe each had about 7 to 10 competing supermarket chains. No duopoly. It wouldn't be rocket science to figure that might have something to do with it.