Aldi opened its 25th Twin Cities store in Columbia Heights today at 5025 Central Avenue. I've been a fan of Aldi supermarkets ever since the German company opened its first store here in 2003, but I suspect that a lot of metro residents have never been in one or visited one never to return.
That seems odd to me in these days where consumers shop low and high--Target and Kowalski's, for example. And I know many people who shop Cub/Rainbow and Byerly's. But I'm surprised at the number of people who don't like Aldi and say they won't go back.
I agree there are some problems: the stupid quarter deposit for a shopping cart for example. I solve that by never buying enough to need a cart. I bring my own reusable bags so I won't have to buy grocery bags for a dime. Others say the checkout lines are too long. Ya got me there. With minimal staffing, the lines ARE long, but Aldi's cashiers could win any speed contest. Others are probably put off by the lack of brand names, but private label brands are selling better than ever and Aldi's quality is high.
So let me be Aldi's champion for a moment and suggest what the holdouts are missing.
1. Savings of 20 to 40 percent compared to Cub and Rainbow. Even more savings compared to other stores such as Festival, Lunds and Kowalski's.
2. A double guarantee in which a customer can get a replacement and a refund if he or she is dissatisfied. A receipt is always best, but I have successfully returned items w/o a receipt that were clearly from Aldi (its own private label).
3. A smaller, more manageable store size. The layouts are similar at every Aldi and most items are easy to find.
4. A coupon haters' paradise. Aldi doesn't accept coupons, but since the prices are so low, it's no big loss. Only serious couponers can probably spend less at Cub or Rainbow by using coupons and buying on sale.
