[MISTERCHEAP]

Originally Posted by smokeydiamond I read an article about them in the St. Pete times. From what I read, they only have 15 employees, 12 cashiers and 3 managers. The cashiers also stock shelves(and probably clean the store as well). Probably not likely to be the happiest/friendliest cashiers. You have to *rent* a shopping cart, bag your own groceries, they have limited hours, limited items. I'll pass.

You are entitled to your opinion, however, I think you should never pass judgement on something until you check it out.

1. The grocery cart rental is simply a quarter that you get back at the end of the shopping trip when you return the cart to the cart corral so carts aren't left all over the parking lot.

2. Aldi's is a "staples" type operation, if you use staples (flour, eggs, produce, canned items, pasta, etc) I'd hardly call their selection limited. What's limited are the prices and the brands, most are their own brands, but the types of "staple" items they carry will surprise you. Much more sophisticated than you'd imagine.

3. Sure you take a box or bring your own bags and do it yourself, but it's no big deal if you've only got 10-20 items. And if you buy a boat load, just bring lots of bags with you. The idea is to help you save money by keeping their overhead low.

4. Aldi's employees are paid pretty well actually and get profit sharing. They use the approach of doing all types of jobs so everyone understands the operation and how to best make it run.

I'm not comparing them to Publix or any upscale supermarket because that's not what they are. They are a "what you see is what you get" operation with low prices and good quality products. If you want a bag boy to wheel your cart to your car and not rent a cart for a quarter that you get back, then, yes, don't go to Aldi's.