Any real difference between supermarkets?

[CPC464 10]

I agree that there are sometimes things you need to go to other shops for, just because Aldi don't stock them - but this is getting better gradually.

 

I don't accept that it's not fair to compare them because they don't have customer toilets or a crap cafe or you have to queue a few minutes longer. If you think that makes it worth wasting 1/3rd more on your shopping go ahead, but it doesn't stop them being a 'real supermarket'. Tesco are now finding out that all those extras are not helping them.

[top4718 838]

All well and good but there are some other factors to think about. The big stores spend millions on their buildings and environment, they provide toilets, cafes, cash machines, pharmacies, deli counters, in store bakery, cake shops, butcher and fishmonger counters.

 

They provide staff on the shop floor more than 4 at a time. Waitrose and M&S up until recently used to offer bag packing at the till. They offer home delivery services, clothing and household ranges (in stock for more than a few days).

 

They open 24 hours which, as far as I know Aldi doesnt.

 

That all costs money. Us customers want it. Us customers have demanded it. Where do we think it gets paid from?

 

Also, lets not forget that both Aldi and Lidl have done very nicely out of blatently ripping off establish brands. Just take a look at some of there products next time you wander around. Look familiar?

 

They have clearly copied the branding, colour, idents/logos and even characters on their boxes and packets. That's branding that the big boys have spent years of time and millions of pounds to develop, that's a huge saving.

 

Maybe if the discount retailers did their own budget version of marketing they would not have the success they do. "ALDI WHITE CHOCOLATE" written on a plain white packet might not look so attractive.

 

Where your argument falls down is that the big supermarket chains offered all the services you mention for years and that was before they got incredibly greedy and increased their prices to ridiculous levels, Aldi emerged at the right time and gave them (Tesco especially) a bloody nose, it's good to see their greed may be their undoing.

[cgksheff 44]

Aldi Bratwursts are great, probably the same ones you can buy from street vendors in Berlin. Never seen an Aldi sell sauerkraut though, at least not in the UK

 

Probably the very same bratwursts sold on fargate 'continental' markets at £5 a pop.

 

I've bought tinned sauerkraut in Aldi. It's not always there, but it definitely has been.

[SavannahP 10]

Aldi white chocolate (100g) 97p

Tesco Milky Bar (100g) just under £2. Aldi chocolate tastes just as good.

 

Tesco Everyday Value White Chocolate Bar 100G

 

£0.30

 

And tastes just as good as Milky Bar.

[GLASGOWOODS 10]

Tesco Everyday Value White Chocolate Bar 100G

 

£0.30

 

And tastes just as good as Milky Bar.

 

Hmm!

 

I shall have to go and buy a bar and put it to the test.

[ubermaus 10]

Aldi and Lidl often come out top in blind taste tests. This is often reported in comparison tests in newspapers and magazines etc.

I also hate to burst anyone's bubble, but a lot of products, (washing powder for instance,) all come from the same factory. It's simply put into different packaging for different companies, but is exactly the same.

 

Toothpaste is a good one. Mcleans whitening at £2.99 from tescos has exactly the same active ingredients as the unknown german brand one from lidl at 59p.

 

Judging by the falling share prices I think people are slowly realising Tesco's are ripping us off and giving farmers / manufacturers / customers a raw deal.

 

The sooner they go out of Business the better.

 

---------- Post added 02-11-2014 at 09:57 ----------

 

Where your argument falls down is that the big supermarket chains offered all the services you mention for years and that was before they got incredibly greedy and increased their prices to ridiculous levels, Aldi emerged at the right time and gave them (Tesco especially) a bloody nose, it's good to see their greed may be their undoing.

 

Yep, it's great to see competition. My only gripe is the supermarkets are so dull and robotic these days. Systematically people are being fired and robots / automation is taking over. In 50 years time I don't think we will have supermarkets like we know it now, it will all be automated.

[GLASGOWOODS 10]

I really think you are missing the point.

 

I dont consider that the big 4 are deceiving their customers at all. They offer far far more than the discount retailers and that costs money.

 

Not everything in Aldi and Lidl is excellent value. Not everything in Aldi and Lidl is the cheapest around. I also know lots of people who love Aldi and Lidl but still find themselves going to the big 4 to get "...a few bits...." because the product range is simply not big enough.

 

You dismiss the packaging thing as if its not relevant but I ask again. Would their products be as desirable if say Aldi did everything in plain white unmarked packets - after all the quality and price would be the same right? Surely if that's the case, why on earth do they go to such lengths to look the same (in fact almost identical) as the branded stuff?

 

Just like Poundland, 99p Stores, Job Lot and the many many others = they have a good business model and good marketing. They know their targets and know how to make "good value" look just like that.

 

Its a good thing that we have some competition out there. But I do not consider them like for like. Neither offer the same service as any of the big 4 and until they do, they cannot really be considered a proper supermarket.

 

I don't think it would make a blind bit of difference if Aldi's products were packaged the way you state. Most of their products have foreign names that customers aren't familiar with anyway.

 

I grant you that Aldi and Lidl don't stock anywhere near the amount of products the big 4 do, but this is one of the reasons why they can undercut the big 4. Aldi may only sell 700+ different products, where the big 4 stock over 5000. Who needs dozens of different brands of kitchen/bathroom cleaners? Or 30 odd different varieties of bread, and so on. Who's bothered about promotional signs hanging over every aisle.

 

The big 4 do deceive their customers for sure. Wine half price £5. It was never worth a tenner in the first place. Family bags of crisps on offer (sounds like a good deal) until you realise each bag weighs 15g, unlike individually sold bags weighing 20-25g. Pringles crisp (BOGOF) £2.49 a tube. Yeah, right! Not exactly BOGOF at that price. Oh! Aldi's taste just as good. The list is endless. Sadly though most people don't realise they're getting ripped off.

[Doonoobial 10]

Aldi does not sell brands like the major stores it's like brands but to be honest some of them are better than the original brands especially the chocolate bars lol

[Super Hans 10]

Nah that's why they all find a way of saying they're the cheapest. They all pick certain items which are cheaper in their stores and so all go on TV adverts claiming to be cheaper than the rest.

 

If you get the same things week in week out, you can easily find the cheapest place for you, but it will be different for everyone.

[Doom 10]

When I go shopping it's not just about getting the food, it's also about enjoying the experience.

 

I enjoy shopping in Morrisons at Cortonwood. There's plenty of car parking space, the aisles are wide enough to be able to manoeuvre around the store, the place itself feels clean and modern and there's plenty of choice on the shelves.

 

I've only been to Aldi a few times, but I've never really enjoyed the experience. I think it's probably a mixture of lack of choice, the place itself feels more down market and some of the other customers put me off.

 

I've never been particular about specific brands at Morrisons, so I'll tend to look for which fish or pizza is on offer any particular week and that combined with the money off schemes tends to keep the prices down.

 

Maybe I need to do a full weekly shop at Aldi and that may change my opinion, but past experiences of picking up odds and sods from there hasn't particularly inspired me.

 

Regards

 

Doom

[poppet2 13]

When I go shopping it's not just about getting the food, it's also about enjoying the experience and some of the other customers put me off.

 

I agree, that's why I really enjoy shopping at Waitrose, happy staff and a different type of customer with well behaved children!

[Womerry2 10]

Both Aldi and Lidl had quite a bit of bad press in Germany about the way they treat their staff and their suppliers. And the range is more limited. I use them, but I wouldn't like to have no other choices.