Low Cost Grocery Stores - US

[shyvas]

Aldi, Sprouts, Fresh Thyme, WinCo, 365: New Low-Cost Grocers

 

[Amy SF]

Any chain expanding to Southern California stands a very good chance of failing. Look at what happened to Haggen. So, I'll be VERY surprised if Aldi succeeds where others have failed. The chain's business model is different enough that it might confuse and turn off shoppers. However, if prices are low enough, shoppers could get used to a different way of shopping.

Sprouts has very little in the way of organic produce, which is something I prefer to buy, so any low prices on their produce comes with a caveat. Some time ago, I noticed that they had a deep discount on one particular produce item, I can't remember which. When I got to the store to check it out, I found out why the item was deeply discounted: The produce was in bad shape, and I didn't want to buy any of it. Most of what I've bought at Sprouts has been non-produce items.

I noticed the article said that the Whole Foods 365 market is opening up in Santa Monica. It must be in a different part of the city from where I live, because there are three regular Whole Foods markets near me. Still, when it does open, I might check it out.

 

[Calliegirl]

I love Sprout's produce, it's the main thing I go there for, everything else is too expensive. I wish there was one a little closer to me, there's one about 30-40 minutes away which negates any savings on the produce. I rarely buy organic, I can't afford it, unless I only want food for one week out of the month.

Aldi's will be interesting to try out.

I like Winco's bulk selection, and some of their produce, but most of it seems to go bad really fast.

 

[ledboots]

Aldi's is very inexpensive, so is worth the trip for me once a month or so.

 

[Mr Crunchy]

Haggen was closing stores in Oregon when I moved from there over a year ago. I didn't understand why the were trying to expand to the Southwest when they weren't making it in the Northwest. With Haggen going under, that's about 1/3 of the grocery stores in this area (all the former Vons and Albertsons). It's a tough market.

New Grocery Outlet just opened nearby. That's a possibility.

 

[Mr Crunchy]

I noticed the article said that the Whole Foods 365 market is opening up in Santa Monica. It must be in a different part of the city from where I live, because there are three regular Whole Foods markets near me. Still, when it does open, I might check it out.

I miss Mrs Gooch's, but that was like, two decades ago...

 

[Amy SF]

I miss Mrs Gooch's, but that was like, two decades ago...

I liked Mrs. Gooch's, too. They were bought out by Whole Foods.

 

[MadamSarcastra]

Whole Foods is losing millions of customers to what was once an unthinkable threat: Kroger.

The chain has its own line of organic goods under the "Simple Truth" brand, and it's prices are about 15% cheaper than Whole Foods' prices, according to a study last year.

Whole Foods is facing its worst nightmare after an unexpected threat stole millions of customers

Well, I know I love MY Kroger! And they reopened a year ago with an updated produce section & "Nature Market" area.

 

[silva]

I now have a Fresh Thyme and love them! Great sales, fresh produce with a slant on organics. The meat is in a corner so it's easy to overlook.
I go to Aldi a lot and Trader Joes about every couple months.
Trader Joes has great prices on tempeh, good extra firm tofu, Tofurky Italian sausage, soy chorizo. I like their organic moisturizer-Midsummer night cream or something. They now have a very good nutritional yeast

 

[Naturebound1]

There aren't too many cheap stores in my neck of the woods, but Aldis came a year or so ago. I REALLY need to get over there and check them out!

 

[Mischief]

We buy the bulk of our food from Aldi. In my estimation, it saves us about 25% over buying from traditional grocery stores. The veg*n stuff we can't find there we get at Trader Joe's or Fresh Thyme.

Fresh Thyme's regular prices aren't that low, but they do have great sales.

 

[PTree15]

We don't have any of those stores nearby, though I've seen Aldi in parts of my state. We have Price Chopper, which is supposed to be cheaper for a lot of things, but I haven't been impressed.

 

[Andy_T]

The interesting thing (to me) is that Aldi ("Albrecht Discount") is actually 2 chains ... "Aldi South" and "Aldi North" in Germany, who are owned by the heirs of the founders, the Brothers Karl Albrecht (Aldi South, richest man in Germany before his 2010 death) and Theo Albrecht (Aldi North, second richest man in Germany before his 2014 death). They split in 1961 over the question whether or not to sell cigarettes.

While Aldi USA is managed by Aldi South, Trader Joe's is owned by Aldi North (but not part of the "Aldi" brand).

 

[MadamSarcastra]

There aren't too many cheap stores in my neck of the woods, but Aldis came a year or so ago. I REALLY need to get over there and check them out!

We've had an Aldi's here for many years... I've never been there, though. I think I'm scared to go, but I can't pinpoint why.... LOL

 

[silva]

We've had an Aldi's here for many years... I've never been there, though. I think I'm scared to go, but I can't pinpoint why.... LOL

All this time, and you have an Aldi! Go!
It takes time getting around, I hated it my first times until I found items I really liked. I had just gone vegan and was feeling like there would be no dessert things I could buy that was the same price as usual ones-and I looked at their strawberry fruit jel cups -and they were made with locust bean gum instead of gelatin. That made me ridiculously happy! They cost .99 cents a four pack. I don't even buy them, but damn.
They have unsalted nuts, dried fruits, different kinds of hummus, great produce prices and organics, big packs of organic and regular spinach, baby kale, mixed greens I buy their balsamic vinegar salad dressing which just has sugar down the list of ingredients. Sometimes they have vegan croutons. Different salsas. Organic blue corn torilla chips. Quinoa and grains at good prices. 4 lb bags of Jasmine white rice I like. Brown basmati rice I like. All kinds of pastas including gluten free. They have a lot of gluten free-haven't tried. Their chocolate chip Benton brand cookies are vegan.I like their chamomile tea. OHHHHHHH they have organic fair trade coffee at $6.99 a 12oz bag. Ground medium or dark, and different origin whole bean. Dark chocolate thats vegan and sometimes they have fair trade chocolates. Whole grain flatbreads and torillas. Organic apple cider vinegar with mother, coconut oil, flaxseeds, chia seed, unsweetened, sweetened plain, vanilla and chocolate almond milk, soy milks, sometimes coconut milk......

 

[shyvas]

All this time, and you have an Aldi! Go!
It takes time getting around, I hated it my first times until I found items I really liked. I had just gone vegan and was feeling like there would be no dessert things I could buy that was the same price as usual ones-and I looked at their strawberry fruit jel cups -and they were made with locust bean gum instead of gelatin. That made me ridiculously happy! They cost .99 cents a four pack. I don't even buy them, but damn.
They have unsalted nuts, dried fruits, different kinds of hummus, great produce prices and organics, big packs of organic and regular spinach, baby kale, mixed greens I buy their balsamic vinegar salad dressing which just has sugar down the list of ingredients. Sometimes they have vegan croutons. Different salsas. Organic blue corn torilla chips. Quinoa and grains at good prices. 4 lb bags of Jasmine white rice I like. Brown basmati rice I like. All kinds of pastas including gluten free. They have a lot of gluten free-haven't tried. Their chocolate chip Benton brand cookies are vegan.I like their chamomile tea. OHHHHHHH they have organic fair trade coffee at $6.99 a 12oz bag. Ground medium or dark, and different origin whole bean. Dark chocolate thats vegan and sometimes they have fair trade chocolates. Whole grain flatbreads and torillas. Organic apple cider vinegar with mother, coconut oil, flaxseeds, chia seed, unsweetened, sweetened plain, vanilla and chocolate almond milk, soy milks, sometimes coconut milk......

We don't get most of these food items in neither Aldi's or Lidl's.

 

[silva]

We don't get most of these food items in neither Aldi's or Lidl's.

In US or UK?
Thats not the reason I like them so much. I like Aldi because it's simple and efficient. Carts are corraled and you get one with a quarter you get back when you put it back, or give to someone putting their cart back. Every thing is shelved with is carton. Barcodes are LARGE so scanning is quick, and they don't have price checks or take checks, or coupons- lines move fast! They're small, with limited selection. You get in. get out.
And...they have wonderful special stuff of high quality for short times. I got my nutribullet pro knock off for $30, and many other things of their own brand

 

[Andy_T]

We don't get most of these food items in neither Aldi's or Lidl's.

In Aldi Germany, they also do not have most of those "luxury" items, but rather focus on cheap basic necessities. They have few vegan items, no milk or dairy alternatives at all, and only one mixed vegan box containing a mix of some packages of Tofu, vegan sauages, vegan burgers and vegan cold cuts. The cold cuts are quite nice and their price is ok, so those are normally the first item to go out of these mixed boxes (so that there is only the tofu left which nobody wants to buy, but until that is also gone, they will not put a new box there).

Their produce and bread are ok and cheap, but the selection is not great, either. Still, by first going to Aldi for the "basic necessities" and only afterwards to the more expensive supermarket, you can save some money every week, which is a good thing.

 

[shyvas]

In US or UK?
Thats not the reason I like them so much. I like Aldi because it's simple and efficient. Carts are corraled and you get one with a quarter you get back when you put it back, or give to someone putting their cart back. Every thing is shelved with is carton. Barcodes are LARGE so scanning is quick, and they don't have price checks or take checks, or coupons- lines move fast! They're small, with limited selection. You get in. get out.
And...they have wonderful special stuff of high quality for short times. I got my nutribullet pro knock off for $30, and many other things of their own brand

France.

Lidl and Aldi are very similar. We also get the same set up but don't get hardly and of the items that I have put in bold on your list. The ones over here do have a lot of produce, tinned stuff and mainly meat, dairy and cheese. They also have quite a huge selection of sweets, chocolates and biscuits.

I did go to an Aldi's in California and it was quite different to the ones that we have over here. It was far cleaner, had huge freezer compatiments with glass doors, customers toilets and the staff were very friendly.

 

[shyvas]

In Aldi Germany, they also do not have most of those "luxury" items, but rather focus on cheap basic necessities. They have few vegan items, no milk or dairy alternatives at all, and only one mixed vegan box containing a mix of some packages of Tofu, vegan sauages, vegan burgers and vegan cold cuts. The cold cuts are quite nice and their price is ok, so those are normally the first item to go out of these mixed boxes (so that there is only the tofu left which nobody wants to buy, but until that is also gone, they will not put a new box there).

Their produce and bread are ok and cheap, but the selection is not great, either. Still, by first going to Aldi for the "basic necessities" and only afterwards to the more expensive supermarket, you can save some money every week, which is a good thing.

Absolutely unheard of over here…….