What/What Not to Buy at Lidl/Aldi

I have a Morphy Richards breadmaker and have the same problem, the hole in the bottom of the loaf where the kneading blade embeds itself in the dough while baking causes the bread to break up and is not suitable for cutting properly - put me off using the breadmaker completely. I heard the breadmaker can be quite useful for kneading the dough and then just baking it in the oven.
 
I bought a tub of croissants and a tub of bread rolls (th ones you twist, cut, roll and bake) in Aldi recently and they were absolutely devine! Much better than overprices Danone product you can get at Superquinn or Tesco.
 
I have been getting stuff in Lidl and Aldi since they came to ireland, had used them in other countries before then and had also used Hofer in Austria (same as Aldi). They don't tend to have the same negative reputation in these countries as the competition has managed to give them here. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, Lidl and Aldi have a reputation as some kind of poor people's supply stores, and a lot of shoppers are still reluctant to admit that they shop in them.

In our house we wouldn't go anywhere else for milk, washing powders, Brioche (aldi), bottled waters, potatoes, most veg, cheeses, ham, frozen pizzas, luxury ice cream, and a lot of other products. However, has anyone noticed the huge difference between Lidl prices in Ireland and Lidl prices in Spain, Gemany etc? If they can afford to sell at these low prices in those markets, they must be making an absolute killing in Ireland.

For example, a six pack of small bottles of drinking water is about 1.70 euro in Lidl in Ireland. In Spain the same product is less than a euro. Similar differences in many other products.
 

Spanish wages are half of what they are here. Taxes are generally less (VAT), rates and insurance would be less, Land prices and rent would be alot less too..
 
Aldi/lidl operate warehouse type stores with small staff numbers. In addition, management teams are well paid in all territories including Spain. Land costs are actually higher in many of their locations in Germany than in rural Ireland for instance, and stores are built on a modular basis that levels costs more or less no matter where they are.

In my own view, the reason why we pay more for products in their stores here is because they can achieve these prices and still be competitive in our overpriced market. Indeed I don't blame them for that -- they are not in the charity business and they just have to be a bit lower than the rest in order to capture market share. My comments are more a reflection on the high prices we have historically been paying to the other companies, Irish and foreign, that dominate the market here -- these are the ones that set the benchmark for prices.
 
In my experience fruit, veg, fish and meat are often a lot better quality and cheaper from the likes of stallholders and butchers/fishmongers than the supermarkets - including deep discounters such as Lidl/Aldi and more established players like Tesco/Dunnes.
 
Mr Bear worked for a large wholesaler who are pan european and supply LIDL and ALDI abroad, however Tesco and Dunnes threatned to ceace trading with this company of they supplied them here in ireland!

This company has also seen a downturn in Irish profits sice L and A came to Ireland and are effectively powerless to do anything about it.
 
pinkyBear said:
This company has also seen a downturn in Irish profits sice L and A came to Ireland and are effectively powerless to do anything about it.
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Surely they have the power to manage their costs better to increase profits?
 
Surely they have the power to manage their costs better to increase profits?
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Hi Clubman,
Yes you are right I was incorrect in saying they are powerless, while they are not letting people go they're not replacing staff. There is also the possible decralisation of services abroad.
But what I did find surprising that the multiples could club together against this company in preventing them from supplying LIDL and ALDI..
 
Then you are naive. I 'd imagine that Dunnes have been at this for years, presumably also Tesco.
 
The company should make a complaint to the [broken link removed] if they suspect others of operating a monopoly, cartel or engaging in other anticompetitive practices.
 
Dunnes are infamous, look what happened to Whelans - Whelans won the court case, but lost the contract to Dunnes - hense shut down in Feb...
Any way I think I have steered the thread off point - I think I might just start a new thread on the power of the multiples here in Ireland....
 
The main reasons lidl/aldi are more expensive here than in germany are because most of their goods are imported and as auto says there is less competition pricewise from the other supermarkets.
Also i think stallholders ,for example fruit and veg are under serious pressure from lidl`s low prices.....after all most comes from abroad anyway and it is not nice to buy out on the street in the rain.
In London it is the poor that flock to lidl etc and the queues are very long...with usually poor immigrants all over the shop..... people are barely able to move along the aisles with the crowds....the people not on the breadline prefer the relative comfort of tesco etc for a nicer shopping experience and also some good deals and also reduced prices on bread etc.
My local lidl/aldi is relatively quiet and they have some fine foods etc....however i suspect that because they have a lot of unbranded produce it is not quite top quality....their cereals vs kelloggs for example.
THE PLUS POINTS is the good selection of groceries,maybe not found in other stores,at a cheaper price. One pays their money and takes ones choice
 
sunrock said:
however i suspect that because they have a lot of unbranded produce it is not quite top quality....their cereals vs kelloggs for example.
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I disagree. In particular did you read this post (and followups) about the recent Irish Times price/taste test that gave joint first place to Dunnes/Lidl over Kelloggs?
 
I got a half duck for €2.99 in Aldi here in Germany.
And a block of spinach (I think 500g) for 30-something cent.

It is a grim shopping experience though - they don't even provide baskets to cut costs.

VAT is 19% in Germany so it is a bit lower than Ireland but comparable.
 
dontaskme said:
And a block of spinach (I think 500g) for 30-something cent.
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Frozen? I was looking for frozen spinach recently and Lidl didn't seem to stock it here. Do Aldi?
It is a grim shopping experience though - they don't even provide baskets to cut costs.
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They do provide small and large trollies here or you can always resort to the joys of trying to balance your groceries in a free non durable cardboard box if you like a bit of entertainment while shopping.
VAT is 19% in Germany so it is a bit lower than Ireland but comparable.
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It's 21%, 13.5% or 0% on most groceries depending on what you buy here.
 

Yeah, Superquinn have fruit and veg with "market value" on it implying that you do get better value.
Personally I've never been in Aldi or Lidl and have no desire to. Any experience I've had with their products has been negative.
 
KalEl said:
Yeah, Superquinn have fruit and veg with "market value" on
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Sounds like a meaningless phrase that has no specific food labelling status?
Personally I've never been in Aldi or Lidl and have no desire to. Any experience I've had with their products has been negative.
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I am surprised that that has been you experience.
 
KalEl said:
Yeah, Superquinn have fruit and veg with "market value" on it implying that you do get better value.
Personally I've never been in Aldi or Lidl and have no desire to. Any experience I've had with their products has been negative.
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Do you mind me asking how have you had a bad experience if you have never been there? (sorry if I sound smart assed.)
 
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