I have shopped ALDI's for years now. It all started with "Big Tom" ketchup. We were a very brand loyal "Heinz" ketchup family and would not ever consider anything else on a burger. But a bargain hunting uncle of mine loved to shop at Aldi's and he would share the wealth with family. He gave us several "Big Tom" ketchups from Aldi's. Oh well, I can use them in meat loaf or something, I thought.

When we tasted the "Big Tom", it was GREAT! We liked it just as well as the Heinz. Since it was half the price, we converted. That made the 2004 presidential Heinz ketchup boycott much easier to stomach! (Big Tom is now called "Kyder".)

So, for those of you who have never ventured into an Aldi's, here are 25 of my favorite products and prices. I think you will see that Aldi's prices are much cheaper, sometimes by 100%. I would say the quality of these products is as good if not better than familiar name brand choices.

I will start in the upper left hand corner.

Clarissa Bath Tissue - 12 double rolls - $5.29 Compares to Angel Soft

Clarissa facial tissue - 160 count - $0.99 box

Kirkwood frozen skinless boneless chicken breasts - $5.49 (3#, I think)

Frozen talapia - $3.99  24 oz.

Zip sandwich bags - $1.99

Happy Harvest vegetables - $0.45 (I use them in the beef stew when "cabining" at Nat. Park, green beans for 3 bean salad)

Happy Harvest red kidney beans $0.45 (Great for chili or 3 bean salad)

Great Gherkins sliced sandwich pickles $1.19 Compares to Valasic

Great Gherkins bread n butter pickles $1.19  Ditto

Asia Oriental Stir-Fry veg mix with sauce mix - $2.89 for 2 lb, 5oz bag of nice veggies

Priano frozen pizza, 4 cheese, 14.5 oz. - $3.59 - this is REALLY good pizza!

Happy Harvest Baked Beans (not pork and beans) $0.49 Compares to Bush's

Sweet Harvest chunk pineapple - $0.79 Compares to Liberty

Happy Harvest stewed tomatoes - $0.45

Diomede's Black Olives - $0.99

Zip freezer bags - $1.99

Brookdale Beef Stew -  $1.49

Sweet Harvest applesauce - $0.89

Happy Farms 8oz. sliced natural cheese - $1.99 

Clancy's potato chips - $0.99

Happy Harvest frozen Extra Fine Green Beans - $1.39 these are REALLY good baby green beans

Happy Harvest tomato sauce - $.20

Happy Harvest tomato paste - Oops, can't remember

Kyder ketchup - either $0.99 or $1.09, very good

Diomede's stuffed green olives - $0.99 good, with real pimento 

So there you have it.  A pretty good listing of common products that will save you a bit of dough.

Aldi's recently raised prices about 10% across the board it seems. (Prices listed reflect the price increase.) The high cost of transportation and food scarcity affects everyone. Their produce is pretty good too and prices are much lower.

There are many other products that are good too, such as real chocolate chips for $.99/12 oz bag or 5# sugar for $1.79.

Some of their products I am not so wild about. My advice is if in doubt, purchase one and try it. If you like it, go back for more. Aldi's product line does change on some items very quickly. Sometimes they do have major brand names for a short time.

All Aldi branded items, such as the 25 products I listed, carry a double your money back guarantee. What do you have to lose?

If you are a Town of Brookfield resident and would like to see the Town approve the Aldi's store on Bluemound Rd., you could try contacting the Town board and attending the Town meeting for the discussion of zoning code changes for properties in the town's study area at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, Town Hall, 645 N. Janacek Road (Near Eble Ice Rink.)

INFORMATION: Gary Lake, building and zoning administrator, (262) 796-3790

Town Board Chairman: Keith Henderson Phone: (262) 785-0189 kah@idcnet.com

Village Board

Dan Shea Phone: (262) 641-2852  dshea2@wi.rr.com

Robert Flessas Phone: (262) 821-5533 robert@robertflessas.com

John Schatzman Phone: (262) 542-5452 jschatzman@wi.rr.com

Pat Stroebel Phone: (262) 803-4614 pstroebel@mbco.com

Related posts: Shopping Aldi's 101    In Praise of Aldi's and Trader Joe's: Wish We Had Both!

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Poor Aldi's*.  The Town of Brookfield Plan Commission squelched their plans for a new store. One of the reasons cited in the Community Watch post was that, "Some members of the Plan Commission said they were wary of the discount grocer's reputation and the type of customers and tenants the store would attract to Bluemound Plaza..." (near Best Buy)

Was that criticism warranted?  Just who is an Aldi's customer?

Well, I am. I know of 2 aldermen who shop there. I also know some of my City of Brookfield neighbors shop there. As food prices continue to climb, I think more Brookfield customers will seek them out.

The last time I was at Aldi's Hwy 100 store near Greenfield Ave., I asked if business was increasing because of rising food prices. The checkout guy said, Oh, YES. In fact, we are building one in Brookfield.

Brookfield? I said, I wouldn't think you would ever get one in Brookfield. He then went on to tell me they wanted to build one in the Town of Brookfield. I was still skeptical.

I do know what the commission is worried about. There is a certain type customer that both Wal-marts and Aldi's attract in some areas. (Customers without a comb or teeth come to mind, however I have seen people like that at say, The Outpost too.) But then, Chucky Cheese customers are no prize either!

I do wonder if that customer element has to do more with the neighborhood the store is in though. Aldi's stores are often located in less affluent areas and so they attract bargain seeking customers. If an Aldi's was to be built in the Town of Brookfield, it would seem that it would attract customers from that area? I would think it unlikely someone in the lower income bracket would drive past a closer Aldi's to get to the Bluemound store.

What about their reputation? 

The people I know who shop there love the low prices and their products.

Unlike some cheaper store brands that are very inferior to name branded items (Jewel Foods comes to mind), Aldi's has top notch companies making many of their products. 

The post mentioned that "Trader Joe's might be a bigger draw."  So, Trader Joe's is OK, but Aldi's is not?

Interestingly, they are owned by the same parent company. They even share some of their product line. My sister and I discovered this by a fluke. I told her about the great frozen whole baby green beans I purchased at Aldi's. She told me she bought the same beans at Trader Joe's. (She has no Aldi's near her; I have no Trader Joe's.) 

Here is the scoop on Trader Joe's and ALDI : (my emphasis. Photo is of Trader Joe's at Bay Shore)

Owned by a German company called Albrecht Discounts, ALDI is a discount grocery chain that started in Germany in 1948. Decidedly no frills, the company stocks virtually all house-brand products, all offered at very low prices thanks to exclusive deals with their suppliers, many of which are big-name producers. ALDI has approximately 5,000 stores worldwide and the two Albrecht brothers, who own the company, are some of the riches men in the world.

But getting back to ALDI's business strategy, does this sound like another store that we know of? The same strategy, although executed by the US staff and tailored to their customers' tastes, is the exact same one used by Trader Joe's.

Trader Joe's, although it may be based in Southern California, is actually owned by Albrecht Discounts. The company was purchased back in 1979, long before it hit the cultural mainstream. Since that time, it has been left to turn itself into a very trendy, upscale grocery store by following a similar business plan to ALDI. TJs has low prices and a lot of store-brand products, but a different image that appeals to a different group of consumers.

Seems the proposal will come before the full Town Board on June 17th. Maybe their opinion would be swayed if Town residents asked, "When Aldi is coming to town?" If not, maybe Aldi's would consider building another Trader Joe's?

*I am not affiliated with Aldi or Trader Joe's in any way.
 

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