ALDI in the USA vs. GERMANY! | Feli from Germany

[@FelifromGermany]

Did you notice anything different about the cashiers? 🤔🤷‍♀ ▸The first 100 people to download Endel by clicking the link or scanning the QR code will get a free week of audio experiences! 👉bit.ly/FeliFromGermanyEndel

[@jorislemmens6926]

Yep, they dont put the stuff in your cart over here. Always have to rush to get it in the cart myself.

[@AnjelikkaKowalski]

Yes, the cashiers get to sit.

[@karenryckman1027]

The only Aldi I've ever been to was in the UK....and I love that cashiers get to sit!!!!!

[@alexv6324]

As someone who used to work for Kroger as a cashier, I definitely noticed.

[@KannixKostnix]

Different from what? They're still way faster than in other stores because of how the corporation is pushing them and aways has been. Biggest difference between countries was that USA actually had scanners, while in Germany they still had to freaking memorize ALL the product codes for a long time, especially in the North.

[@kevint2958]

Aldi should bring the bakery section from Germany to the US. They look like they had a lot of good stuff in the German bakery. I bet that would be great to try.

[@Winona493]

I agree. So often I hear Americans (when they are in Germany) talk about their newly awakened love to our bakery stuff! See, Americans do love good bread as well!!!😂 Americans: you are pretty business- minded , so go for it!!!! 😊

[@Kristina_S-O]

Actually, the discounters' breads are pretty crappy compared to most bakeries. Small family owned bakeries become extinct, unfortunately, but even the bigger bakery chains sell better bread than any discounter or regular supermarkets.

[@ortwinvomschildberg4717]

yeah aldi bakery is trash...no real german bread@@Kristina_S-O

[@dontcareimacat7821]

Lidl has an in store bakery in the US. It’s ok if you consume it relatively quickly but overall underwhelming compared to your local bakery in Germany

[@MarkM58]

Aldi had in-store bakeries until about a year ago and they got rid of them. I think labor charges were too high.

[@jdtallant3751]

Aldi opened here in East Texas a few years ago. It has been a game changer for me. There prices are the best around and I have found very few of the store brands that I don't like. I have mobility issues and can't walk all over a Walmart size store. Between the smaller store size and speed of the checkout I'm able to do my own shopping.

[@laddieokelley6095]

Hello neighbor! You make a good point: I see quite a few seniors, but had not thought about Aldi being conducive to mobility.

[@genxrants]

In Tyler, There's like one across the road from most Walmarts. They give them a run for their money.

[@coffee_2234]

I actually have one near me and when i first heard that a new store aka aldi open i was amazed how cheap their prices are usually grocery's store near me are really expensive before aldi came and i was amazed that i can get alot of grocery's for cheap prices

[@HalianTheProtogen]

Most grocery stores have mobility scooters, Aldi included. They were immensely helpful for me before I got my power chair.

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

I have found a bunch of crap from Aldi that is not good. Something is wrong with the cheese, it don't last as long as something like Sargento, ends up turning to goo. I have had Aldi milk sour way before the date many times, they must be sloppy at maintaining temperature (and they don't keep the milk and egg reefer clean). I am not buying it anymore. A lot of stuff like sauces and condiments suck.

[@dagmarfrerking2235]

German living in the US: I remember Aldi, when I first came here, being the 'stock-up store' that had mostly canned goods and the basics. It sure has changed since then, and at least in my college town, attracts pretty much all income groups. For me personally, Christmas would be very sad without the Winternacht Lebkuchen and Stollen. The latter was misspelled one year in a sign as 'Christmas stolen'! The store manager burst out laughing when I told him, while pointing at the sign, how horrible it was going to be without the holiday that year...😂

[@grahamjohnson4702]

Very much the same way they started in the UK and in Europe they sell foods basically for that country with very little German products.

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

I have always known Aldi is German, but I wonder if it is East German with the operational coldness and quality control issues.

[@dagmarfrerking2235]

@@MilwaukeeF40C Aldi was founded right after WW2 in Essen, which was West Germany.

[@grahamjohnson4702]

@@MilwaukeeF40C No it's west German Nord and Sud.

[@karenhensley3069]

Christmas stolen. 😂😂

[@alexaales7937]

do you germans out there remember the cashier ladies at aldi before the age of bar codes? those ladies typed in not the price but the product number at an insane speed, it was amazing!

[@karinland8533]

Yes!

[@foofourtyone]

Actually they typed the prices, I think. Because I happen to know that they got a list with price and product changes every week that they had to memorise for the upcoming week. But they were blasting fast. When you see some cashiers today in other discounters (like Netto), it often seems they do not really know how to pull the barcode over the scanner. Big difference.

[@Winona493]

I remember as well! As a child they impressed me pretty much and I wanted to be an Aldi- cashier when I was big. (Sorry, this sentence was not correct, but I am struggling with the tenses 🙄; anybody here to help out?) God thanks my wish didn't come true.😂

[@KerstinVomVulkan]

They typed the prices. And they were quicker than nowadays with scanning of barcodes.

[@soulhuntress]

At Aldi Süd there are still some products without barcodes but with a numbers code by Aldi. The cashiers memorize those codes and type them in instead of scanning. That are mostly drinks, fruits, vegetables and seasonal stuff.

[@davidphillips7928]

Another plus to Aldi food products you didn’t mention is that they usually have less sugar, preservatives, dyes, etc.

[@luckylukeskywalker]

That's a great point. I wonder whether they just use almost the same recipies worldwide, therefor pretty much falling under the most restrictive policies (probably the eu ones themselves).

[@mr8gandusmr8]

if you are saying this from an americans perspective, then I cannot relate (may be the truth as there really is a lot of "chemicals" in american groceries in general) in EU that is not always the case, really depends on the product (sometimes the brand product will have a lot more than the off brand one, but sometimes its the other way round), but label-reading is a lot more common in EU, so products that have too much of chems in them just dont sell as good. Usually these are either the cheapest, lowest quality choices for the lower income buyers that may not care as much, or "processed foods" such as sweets, snacks, pre-made meals where the customer already realizes that they are not making the smart dietary choice so they turn a blind eye Also in EU we have this rule for a lot of base products that dictates what the allowed ingredients are. E.g. if something is called "butter" it cannot contain anything other than milk with the minimum of 80% (milk) fat. You may add other ingredients and thats ok, you cannot sell this product labeled as "butter" however. Same principal applies to products like yoghurt, flour, different types of cheeses, ketchup, mustard, various meat products, baked goods, mayonnaise, honey, etc etc. The actual product is very often what existed before the brand itself, so the geographical indicator is what dictates how it should be made. That varies between different regions and countries of Europe, as well as within the countries themselves. That is why if you go for Greek Yoghurt it always has basically the same contents and the only way a manufacturer can make it better is by using higher quality ingredients. That is why Parmesan Cheese can only be made within the region of Parma and Reggio Emilia using very specific procedures. That is why Frankfurter sausage is always the same thing because all of the producers have to use the same stuff to make it regardless of what Brand they represent Registered brands work in a different way in that they have patents on the recipes and so are the only private entities that are allowed to sell said product. E.g. Nutella, Mars, Coca-Cola, are world-wide brands, but in EU we (usually) dont have branded deli product, meats, cheeses, baked goods, etc. like it often is in USA. Also these brands can and will change the recipes to earn them more money by not using the better stuff, but by using more preservatives, dyes etc. to better its shelf life and limit costs. sorry for the long post :))

[@davidphillips7928]

I was definitely speaking from an American point of view and comparing Aldi products vs their name brand competitor. I guess my wife are not typical in that we do compare labels, not just price. The differences in products ( in USA) of Name brand vs Aldi is considerable. I recommend doing a side by side comparison if one wants to be better informed of what they purchasing.

[@yvonnehorde1097]

Here, in Germany we have an independent tester for products called "Stiftung Warentest". Aldi products almost always get rated very, very well....

[@OnMyBucketList]

Maybe this is true of selected products but some products are just private label versions of US brand name. I will say that the corn chips seem to have lower sodium than similar chips from other stores.

[@AwokenEntertainment]

Aldi's just opened up in my hometown and I had no idea it was this much better! Going this week, thanks for this video!

[@yjk5737]

It's just Aldi, not Aldi's.

[@Mezcon2]

I work at a ALDIs in Columbus Ohio and I thank you for showing what the stores are like in Germany! It’s really cool to see what’s different and what is similar. Glad that it gives you a little taste of home. ☺️🏡

[@miskatonic6210]

I hope you also get as many days off as employees in Germany and are allowed to be in a union.

[@The_Dumpling]

I work at a Aldi here in Germany and seeing the differences was really interesting for me too 😄

[@lisawilson7889]

I started shopping at Aldi’s in the US just last year, when the price of eggs got so crazy, and Aldi’s had the best price on them by far. I continue to shop there for some basics (milk, eggs, produce, cereal), because it’s convenient and the prices can’t be beat.

[@Mezcon2]

@@The_Dumpling Oh wow nice!

[@philipmitchelmore3974]

But in the U.S.A. you can’t buy KinderSurprize Eggs

[@KevinDR1987]

As a truck driver in the USA I can confirm that the same places that make the big brand names also make the generic store brands. While it may not always be the case, often times it is. I've actually had several loads of a mix of big brand name and store branded items that picked up and delivered to the same location

[@lukumo2394]

Isn't that like very common knowledge?

[@ironkcoony]

@@lukumo2394 well, there are always people denying that since they pay way more for brand and cant wrap their head around this simple truth

[@Jaessae]

Same in Germany. Mind you, the product might still not be identical. But still good quality. Also, Aldi has the best apple sauce.

[@Eysenbeiss]

@@ironkcoony Same factory does NOT equal same quality ...

[@ironkcoony]

@@Eysenbeiss you are right - Aldi products that are checked regularly rank just as high, sometimes even higher, compared to the brand ones

[@japprivera3129]

Great show! Aldi was and still is a life saver for me. A while ago, going thru some hard financial times Aldi was the place that kept food on my table because of what I could buy with only 5 to 10 dollars. Quality and quantity was affordable with Aldi. Thanks for sharing!

[@davenwin1973]

I first went to Aldi as a kid in 1979. Living in Gary Indiana my entire life, Aldi opened their first NW Indiana store in Merrillville Indiana in 1979. Their stores were much smaller back then, with limited refrigeration. There was no Aldi finds in the early days. It was just the basics, produce that did not need refrigeration. Meat was limited to ground beef and maybe chicken, and was frozen. There was limited frozen prepared foods as well. Until about 1996, their stores used to have a gate for pushing the cart through, and had to through a turnstile. Aldi was forced to remove the turnstile and cart gate, due to the Americans with Disabilities Act. In the 90's, Aldi started opening freestanding stores, as their original stores were in strip plazas, and were outgrowing them. While Aldi was experimenting with selling certain items in the 80's that wasn't typical of Aldi, it was really in the mid to late 90's, when Aldi would start selling random items. It was only in the last 15 years, that Aldi decided to make changes to their food, so that was as close to the brand name as possible in taste. Then expanding into organic, gluten free, keto, paleo, and premium brands, all in order to get shoppers from all income groups. Their first 5 years in the US were rough for Aldi, as their business model was that foreign from both, a business, and shopper's perspective. Most shoppers refused to shop at Aldi in the beginning, as it was not only store brands, which were usually inferior back then, but also most shoppers refused to bag their own groceries, as well as bring their own bags. Before 1992, Aldi did not offer bags at all. In 1992, paper bags were available for purchase, and plastic bags a couple of years later. By 1994, Aldi got different carts, and implemented the quarter deposit locks on their carts. 2000, debit cards were accepted as a form of payment. Before 2000, only cash, and foodstamps were the only acceptable forms of payment. Credit cards were accepted by 2016. Scanners became available by 2004, which was too long, as their own products had barcodes on them by 1985, and most of their competitors were using scanners by 1989 latest. Aldi used to be open even fewer hours in the 80's. Before 1992 local to me, their opening hours were always 9am Monday to Saturday. Monday to Thursday, they closed at 7pm. 8pm on Friday, and 6pm on Saturday. Before 2006, ecery aldi store was closed on Sundays, and holidays New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and New Year's Day have remained, while Easter since covid, has become a day to be closed. I didn't mention Easter before, because Easter is observed on Sunday, and i remember my local stores opening on Easter at reduced hours after 2008. By the 90's, the closing hours eventually extended to 8pm mon Monday to Friday and 7pm Saturday. By the end of the decade, they stayed open until 9pm. In 2006, a test was done to see if it was worth being open on Sunday, by opening select stores from 9am to 6pm. By 2008, where allowed by law, every store was open on Sundays from 9am to 8pm. Last year, due to more customers using Instacart and DoorDash for their shopping, demand went downin the evening hours, that they decided to close at 8pm everyday. I have heard that there might be talk that 7pm might become the new closing time, if demand goes down even more. I've seen changes in Aldi for 44 years. Lastly, a majority of Aldi's products are not made by the same suppliers as the big name products. In fact, Aldi works with suppliers that primarily make their products exclusively under store brands. Not only is it cheaper, but also, for some of their unusual flavors, the big name companies either won't take time out to make those special flavor products, or might actually steal their ideas for their own products. Going with a big name supplier might not be that much cheaper. Milk products and their plant based milk come from multiple suppliers, in order to offer those products as fresh as possible.

[@Eysenbeiss]

Overall, it wasn't that different in germany either, just a bit earlier, but the strategy has been the same.

[@ezrawilson6986]

As a minimalist, I have always loved the clean, simple efficiency of shopping at Aldi. I always smile when I get to the eggs section. There’s only one kind and they’re always cheaper than anywhere else. Plus, Aldi is known for treating its employees like human beings, which is a refreshing change from the typical American approach to management.

[@ZER0ZER0SE7EN]

The Aldi cashiers can sit on a stool instead of stand.

[@ZER0ZER0SE7EN]

@@ebuick3047 Eggs at our Southern California Aldi are under $3 a dozen and cage free is a state law.

[@dagmarfrerking2235]

My Aldi in IN also has different types of eggs, including pastured.

[@traxel14]

They have more than just one type of eggs in ALDI in Germany! About 5-6 different price categories, so there is a difference.

[@lisawilson7889]

The price of eggs is what brought me to Aldi’s initially, when they were crazy expensive as a result of that bird flu earlier this year. Aldi’s was by far the least expensive place to get them. Now that the price of eggs has come down, I’m still visiting Aldi’s here in Maryland once a week for some great bargains, including eggs for $1.25 a dozen and milk for $1.49/gallon.

[@brittas.5230]

Aldi in Australia: the jingle used when announcing a cash register close or opening is exactly the same as here in Germany... Made me feel at home 😂

[@Tetsu9701]

I've been using the "buy everything I can at Aldi and the what I can't at Wal-Mart" technique for years. I would often see the same couples or families at both stores doing the same thing. In 2019 for 2 people I spent about $100 at Aldi & $80 at Wal-Mart and that would last us 2 weeks.

[@jed2055]

That's exactly what we do here in Australia, it works out way cheaper.

[@iamwinningrightnow]

Me 2. I shop at Aldi, then migrate to WM.

[@pat4005]

Me too. 😂

[@chiaralistica]

The big difference there is that Aldi is part of the community where walmart comes in to small towns and monopolizes the economy. That's bad for all, well all except walmart.

[@RobertBee-fs8hv]

@@chiaralistica and Walmart customers You don't care about the customer . You only care about the merchant

[@daviddanielsson3643]

Swedish here. Never heard of Aldi, but LIDL is very popular and where people live, there's gonna be a LIDL around the corner. When it first became a thing in the early 00s it was kinda shameful for some people to shop at LIDL, since it was (and is) a discount store, but that stigma's gone and now most people shop at LIDL.

[@FelifromGermany]

Interesting, I had no idea Aldi wasn't big there!

[@beckypetersen2680]

@@FelifromGermany here in Poland we don't have many of them either. I have seen one maybe 20 minutes away but we have 4 Lidls now within 8 or 9 km from our house in Poland. Biedronka is also another big deep discount store here - but it's Portugese. Some people here in Poland had the same mindset as the guy from Sweden talked about shopping at a deep discount store, as if it was embarrassing, but I just ignored them as I've not understood the mindset where people would gladly pay 2x the price for the same item because it was somehow "a bad thing" to be careful with your money. Kind of backwards, to my way of thinking. Most people in Poland embrace both Biedronka and Lidl - at least if you look at the parking lots.

[@fonkbadonk5370]

It was similar for ALDI in Germany as well. Starting from the 2000s this also disappeared, probably as a combination of ALDI getting better with their house brands, and also the normalization of having (or wanting) to save money. Nowadays you'll see bankers and managers there and it's nothing special - in the 90s, these people would have probably have disguised themselves because of the stigma back then.

[@MaxPower-11]

Lidl is common in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA, having their American headquarters near Washington, DC. Unfortunately, they ran into growing pains a few years ago and have significantly slowed down their expansion in the US.

[@Ace-Of-Spades---]

​@@fonkbadonk5370 You are right. When I was a child, my parents went to Aldi once a month to buy cheap basic groceries, rice, pasta, margarine, tinned food, frozen food, flour, sugar, butter (which was then frozen) etc. Sweets for us also came from there. Everything else was then gradually bought in the local small supermarket. They would never have told you that they were going to Aldi. At most, they went to Aldi in between, if there was any great offer. For our generation it was different, we didn't care that the look of the store wasn't so good, we already knew that the quality was right. And for our children, it's now a normal shop that's cheaper.

[@katherinewas4896]

My first experience with Aldi was in Maastricht Netherlands in 2014. My daughter was studying there for six months and I went to visit . I shop Aldi here now all the time ! It’s great

[@danskehans]

I LOVE the Aldi concept. The quarter for a cart has a very charming side effect: Very often I will spot someone in the parking lot who are almost done with their cart and I will ask them if I may take their cart? I give them the quarter and more times than not, we exchange a few kind words and a smile. That would never, ever happen at a Walmart or a Target!

[@traxel14]

I did that here with a Russian man in Germany, and he didn't have an Euro in it, just an old Russian coin worth nothing. He cheated me there. Also, years back we saw a Russian bunch of kids who had cut off the piece of the chained on back part, and they would walk around in the store and steal the coins from other peoples carts, when they were not looking.

[@deRose03]

I was at Aldi just yesterday and had the exact same experience you described - a cart with a quarter, a few kind words and a smile. I love it that way.

[@DNAlevelC]

I'm always surprised that the humble quarter is enough incentive for returning the carts. American coinage, with the quarter still being the highest denomination in common use, is essentially a worthless hassle, which is why so many of us just throw our coins in a jar and cash them in after we have a few pounds of them. A Euro coin, however, is worth over a dollar, so I can understand why petty thieves have come up with ways to collect from unassuming shoppers.

[@grahamjohnson4702]

@@DNAlevelC A euro coin is worth almost the same as a dollar today it's worth 1.08 to a dollar.

[@DNAlevelC]

​@@grahamjohnson4702Likely the other way around: $1.08 = 1€

[@mitjamitjaj.5945]

In Slovenia and in Austria we have Hofer which is another Aldi branch of stores originally owned by Helmut Hofer and acquired by Aldi Sud in 1967, it has the same logo, similar products and the same business concept. :)

[@publicminx]

yes, but it has law reasons that ALDI cannot use the ALDI naming - instead they try to keep the association with ALDI by using the Hofer label similar to ALDI

[@brigittehergott6072]

and you have the Spar with way better milk products than most our German supermarkets.

[@Weird_Beard_]

I'm from Essen and the original ALDI existed just until the end of 2020 in Essen Schonnebeck. What a great success-story from my home city. 😀

[@BK_gamer_]

Thanks for posting this. There is an Aldi only seven miles from where I live in Central California. I've always seen it, but I never paid attention to it, even though it's next to a Raising Cane's that I frequently visit. I didn't know what it sold. I'm going to check it out today. Thanks!

[@janicebrowningaquino792]

Thank You! 😊 I learned SO MUCH from this post! I have an Aldi 2 minutes from my home that I have never shopped. I will NOW!

[@Pwecko]

I visited Germany several times from the 70s onward and was very impressed with Aldi. When a store opened in my home town in England, I was one of the first through the door. At that time, they sold quite a lot of German food products, and I loved that. Unfortunately, they stopped selling a lot of those products, including my favourite, Schwarzbrot, some time ago, and nowhere else nearby sells it. I'm pining for some Schwarzbrot as I write. Early on, very few people shopped at Aldi. Sometimes, I would be the only customer in there. It was great! Of course, Aldi became more and more popular, as people realised that the quality of goods sold there was at least as good as the stuff they could buy at other supermarkets, and a lot cheaper. Now, my local store is always very busy. Aldi has had a huge effect on the more established stores, forcing them to sell what they call "essential" products at the same price as Aldi in order to get customers through the door. I still prefer Aldi, though. I like the fact that there isn't an overwhelming choice of products. How many brands and flavours of yogurt do you really need, for example?

[@jryan9547]

Do they sell German items in the fall? In America, our Aldi stores get some German related foods. Years ago it wasn't that way.

[@Pwecko]

@jryan9547 Yes. In the run up to Christmas (which begins in late August/early September), they sell Stollen, Lebkuchen, and various other sweet festive things, but I'm not a huge fan of those.

[@martinbradstreet5728]

Aldi is a sensible grocery store in many ways, and Feli did a good job mentioning some of the most practical attributes your Aldi store(s) have to offer, making for an efficient shopping experience. Sure, shopping can be sort of - fun, but nobody wants to spend all day in a grocery store, and they certainly don't want to struggle finding products every time they visit a different branch (or even the same branch!). Thanks for being sensible, Aldi, and thanks for the informative and entertaining video, Feli!!!

[@Sky14657]

that's one of the main reasons I first go to Aldi. First phase: I have a list of the things I need, check if Aldi has them. In and out of Aldi in 20 minutes, some meat/vegetables/fruits didn't look that good. Second phase: I proceed to a supermarket of another franchise and hopefully buy the remaining things there. That normally costs me another 40 minutes for a very small amount of stuff I didn't get at Aldi's. But starting at Aldi saves me around 20-40 Euros per week and I'm pretty sure I'll keep that habit until I'm not able to go shopping myself anymore. But for our American friends I have to mention that I live in Luxembourg, a REALLY small country. I drive 3 kms to Aldi/Delhaize (a belgian supermarket group), 10 to Auchan (a french brand), 15 to Cactus (a luxembourgish high priced group)/Lidl (another German discounter)/Rewe (and one more German discounter, at least I see it like this as they have nothing to offer in quality)/Match (a french brand)/Colruyt (a Belgian discounter with really low quality food, but sometimes spectacular prices on wine). So living in a small country between bigger countries can give you a lot of opportunities. You just have to plan a bit what to get where. And... try stuff. Aldi has a LOT of stuff that is just plain awful, but some stuff where you ask yourself "why the hell did I pay more before?". Same for Lidl. Personally I hate the meat and seafood of Aldi and Lidl, but that's my opinion of course. And btw, the bakery section of Aldi is crap in Luxembourg, even if it looks similar to the German one's. But again, that's just me.

[@dlewis9760]

@@Sky14657 Same for me in the US. I haven't seen a ALDI here that didn't have competition within eyesight, with the competition being there first. You go to ALDI, if they don't have it you go to the competition. I RARELY have to go to the competition.

[@lawrenceedger292]

Feli: from the first day our Aldi opened here in middle Georgia it has been super busy! In fact shortly after ours opened they temporarily closed it and enlarged it! I love our Aldi!!!

[@theprimitiveblackhatsociet8274]

I grew up in NYC a few blocks from a small German grocery store. That is where I first had the German gingerbread cookies, sorry I can't spell it. I love them. I love shopping at ALDI I bought my cookie sheets, bread pans, slippers, toys for my grandkids, gardening tools and my vacuum cleaner. I got that 8 years ago and it still works fine.

[@coyotelong4349]

It’s cool how Feli’s got about a 99% American-sounding accent now, especially when you hear her just speaking in the video and not in the voiceover 😁 Can definitely hear the difference from her earlier vids

[@JohnnyFD]

I prefer the German accent 😅

[@Winona493]

​@@JohnnyFDIt is more or better understandable to us Germans, isn't it? In case you are German. 😂🙈

[@peggiescraftcafe7117]

I'm always amazed that Feli has no accent when speaking English. When I first started watching her there was maybe a word a two but now no accent at all.

[@goldflo91]

True. Her accent is more American now, and is almost similar to Ben's

[@9sheri9]

​@JohnnyFD I prefer it as well 😊 I also prefer when she gives us the correct German pronunciation of a word rather than the Americanized version

[@anitablumhardt75]

I wish the baked goods that are sold in Germany were available in the US. I'm a German immigrant but I think many Americans would be thrilled to have some good Brot and other German baked goods! I'll have to try to contact AlDI management with my suggestion!

[@charlesmoore766]

Breakfast mit brotchen, kasse und schinken. Three years in the Air Force assigned to Ramstein. Lived off base in a small town and visited the bakery several times a week.

[@miskatonic6210]

1. Prebaked ALDI bakery goods are not good in any way. 2. I guess that wouldn't work in the US, because in germany there are huge factories supplying all stores in the country with the prebaked products. It certainly wouldn't be cost-effective in any way in the US with lower demand and huge distances between stores.

[@charlesmoore766]

@@miskatonic6210 The frozen apple strudel is pretty good

[@Flattithefish]

@@charlesmoore766yes but just go to a normal german bakery around the corner

[@charlesmoore766]

​@@Flattithefish No German bakery around the corner anymore

[@lisahalamka9717]

I really enjoyed this! The comparison was great and I learned a few things! I've been to several Aldi stores in Germany and England and of course the US. We were so excited when they opened a store close to us!

[@alisummers7984]

I’ve been an Aldi shopper for years! I love the “aisle of shame” where they have the weekly household things lol

[@graemecatty9921]

And the aisle always looks like a bomb has gone off, as people pick over the items, then toss them back.

[@pe.bo.5038]

"Aisle of shame"🤣😂🤣

[@jerrimenard3092]

Our Fred Meyer/Kroger now has an isle of shame. Everything from cocktail shakers to nut crackers. It's very funny to see it in an expensive shop. It's because they are getting owned hard by discount places.

[@thomerl72]

In Germany it used to be called „Sonderartikel“ (special item) as these items are only sold in their weekly special offers that used to be called „ALDI informiert“ (ALDI informs) at ALDI Süd.

[@wonka6848]

"Aisle of Shame"🤣🤣🤣

[@tressanallenmartin9336]

Thanks for the tour .. I am so well educated now on German products.. so enjoyed you guys..

[@Animefreak-rb3vy]

I shop religiously at Aldis and try to get as much of my shopping done there as possible. Not only for the low prices- but because they actually let their employees sit and usually pay better wages than other grocery stores.

[@andreasfischer8729]

the strategy is the same than over here in germany. less people more work and pay the people better. a good store manager makes in germany around 80.000 € a year

[@timprescott4634]

I LOVE that Americans add the “s” at the end!😎

[@timprescott4634]

@@andreasfischer8729Where do I apply?🤣

[@solaccursio]

you mean in the US the cashiers cannot sit? For the whole shift? Is such a thing even legal? I've been in the States dozens of times and I never noticed this... it's downright sad!

[@theclasmalls4406]

​@@timprescott4634lol, they stand the whole shift

[@helenatkinson4730]

I am a us citizen. I discovered Aldi in 1998 and it has been my favorite store since then. I always tell everyone that everything is cheaper at Aldi unless the other stores have a sale. I'm not very picky about selection so I can get most of my groceries at aldi. The funny thing is, I visited Germany on a European tour in the year 2000. I was shocked and amazed to see Aldi there. I thought, look they have all the in Germany also! Haha. I did later learned that Aldi was in Germany before it was in the United states. I did not get to go into the German Aldi store because we were in a tour group and no one else wanted to tour the grocery store. I definitely agree that European chocolate far exceeds American chocolate. We have a local chocolate maker that Imports many of their ingredients and their stuff is wonderful. I also like Lindor chocolates. Honestly, I don't really like hazelnut so I don't eat too many European chocolates because so many of them have hazelnuts. We will never have a bakery in Aldi to compared to the ones in germany. Why do you sound so American are you an American who was raised in germany? If not, your English is amazing. Thank you for sharing the comparison experience.

[@amochswohntet99]

amusing story you wrote here. I can agree, hazelnut is a little overrated.

[@jamesbulldogmiller]

regarding freezers and refrigerators ; opening from the top is more efficient. Because, when the unit's top is raised , the cold air stays in the compartment. With units that open on the front. all the cold air falls out into the floor every time the door is opened.

[@Lee-AnnWilliams-w3l]

How many BTUs does each use?

[@jamesbulldogmiller]

@@Lee-AnnWilliams-w3l Whatever the BTU rating, the top opening unit’s compressor has less work because the cold air doesn’t fall out of the unit like the unit with a door that opens on the side.

[@thaiandstopme1549]

for my experience in america, aldi is always the best deal especially for produce etc. i go to aldi first and then have walmart or wegman website open on my phone to check prices. typically aldi is the best for most stuff but then i go to walmart for dry beans or brown rice, depending on whats available at the time/sales/etc. but forreal aldi almost always has best options and then theres one or two items I’ll pickup elsewhere. i also very much appreciate the streamlined nature of the store, much less overwhelming imo. i stan

[@MargrietOrtner-Tijmons]

We live in Belgium and generally have the Aldi Nord stores here. What surprises me are the prices of both the German and American Aldi's. We can do a week's worth of shopping in Belgium for about 75 euros for two people. Then you have a good full cart with lots of fresh vegetables, fruit, dairy products such as cheese, milk and yoghurt, but also dog food, cleaning products, coffee, biscuits and sweets. Now we usually go to Lidl because there is slightly more choice than at Aldi and we think the quality of the products is better, but the prices remain about the same at those two discounters. Wow what a lot of money for that amount of food.

[@buddlebj]

Thank you for taking us along on your shopping trip. More! Our Aldi is very small here in my smallish Southern California city, when I finally got the cart thing figured out it was an interesting experience. I'm glad you took us along and showed us things in the store because I was kind of overwhelmed and just wandered around aimlessly but now I kind of have a plan for next time. I just couldn't find anything familiar and ended up not buying anything, just spent another 20 minutes trying to put the cart back! I'm going back though, I'm going to give it another try, it's in interesting place, different than the regular grocery stores we're used to here. I hope they can make a go of it, because several chain markets from Europe have tried coming here and not been successful. Thank you.

[@Deblijeegel]

As Aldi is the 3rd largest grocery store in your country, I dont think they are unsuccessful.

[@FimaMillston]

Very interesting comparison side-by-side. So good to see differences between countries. Thank you for video! Good audio and video quality!

[@RickyG225]

Thanks for bringing Aldi Germany to us here in the USA! I have been shopping at the Chicago Il location for over 4 decades and still loving it. They are my 1st go to grocers before going to a European Polish food market for many other favorites. I am not a fan of the typical American food store experience. Cheers and Peace!

[@pikahpaws1]

Back in the 1970s, I went to my first Aldi store with my sister. Aldi in America was always branded as the poor peoples store, so many Americans didn´t shop there or be looked down upon. I love Aldi here in Germany because I save lots of money on Cheese and wine and their assortment of fresh vegies are superb and cheaper of course. Thanks for this video Feli.

[@MarkM58]

ALDI used to open their stores in the "hoods" or near to them. Not so anymore. Central Maryland is pretty affluent and we have a lot of ALDI stores. We have a few Lidl, too.

[@daftwulli6145]

that is the same it was in germany they worked on their image a lot in recent years

[@JuTseT11]

Totally agree. Aldi’s image now is very modern and almost gourmet especially when it comes to seasonal items and the charcuterie.

[@bratE23]

One of them opens up by me. And I walked in there and walked back out it's a bunch of trash

[@daftwulli6145]

@@bratE23 awww you looked at the stuff did not recognize it and decided it is trash. Never even tried anything, yet you think you know. You don´t

[@barnabynorman157]

I always spend the most time in the centre dump bins with all those one-off bargains. I love their sweets too as they have vegan fizzy sweets and rainbow bacon. Thanks for sharing.

[@AcousticallyYours]

You know Feli, that your Aldi video is invaluable as tool for many Americans. We here in Western New York do 80% of our shopping at Aldi, but also love Trader Joe’s which, unfortunately is about a 35 mile drive away from where we live. BTW: I love the German beer which they just started selling here in NYS, as well as the German specialty items!! If only we had the German style bread isles! Good job!!

[@aljosha1994]

true german beer, or german export? :D

[@robertab929]

Try Pane Turano Italian Bread in Aldi in regular section with packed bread and "bread".

[@ralphmans]

@@aljosha1994 the Wernesgrüner beer is imported from Sachsen (Saxony) Germany.

[@aljosha1994]

@@ralphmans Okay :D What I meant is: Is it labelled as "Export" on the bottle? Because if German Beer is not brewed to be sold in Germany but to be exported to another country, the Breweries are not forced to stick to the Reinheitsgebot. Just as a little tip, for you overseas-beer-fans ;)

[@JessyCastellon-xl9jc]

Hello ❤

[@pendragon2012]

I love when their Oktoberfest stuff comes out. I pack the frozen stuff for lunches and get the strudel for dessert. I buy most of my everyday groceries there as well. Great video as always, Feli!

[@henrikcsuri]

I grew up in Budapest (Pest) and visited München a lot. I love your take on US "sponge" bread! I bet we have the same opinion on Kinder eggs (its ban) too! By the way most card readers allow you to scan your card or phone before the total

[@soverby2]

Aldi, like most German stores, let their checkers sit down. American stores make them stand. Sitting is much more efficient and better for the checker's health. When we visit our kids in Germany, we love the German stores. Thanks for sharing the video.

[@JessyCastellon-xl9jc]

Hello ❤

[@noramaddy4409]

Demanding the cashier stand is just a cruel power play that shows how stupid, ignorant and insecure the management staff are. Could this measure of unnecessary and harmful control be abolished through a class court case?

[@DonHrvato]

​@@noramaddy4409why always class court, dont you have unions in USA?

[@noramaddy4409]

@DonHrvato I am not in the US. I think though US workers have fewer safe work practice laws, and employers avoid hiring those persons likely to join the union. A class action will end an unfair work practice if employees organise and cooperate, a class action is a good tool to achieve this.

[@HalianTheProtogen]

@@DonHrvato 40+ years of anti-union well-poisoning by government and the capitalist class have ruined most Americans' perception of unions, and the vast majority of workplaces are non-union. Most companies would rather pour boundless resources into union-busting (Starbucks, Walmart) than actually treat their workers like anything other than absolute shit.

[@CountryGirlStudios]

Hello from Iowa! I love my local Aldi! I really appreciate that all the aldi brand items are artificial flavoring and coloring free. That isn't something you can find at most other stores without some work.

[@andreafield2777]

I just found your channel. My Mom grew up in Germany, so this was super fun!

[@jimcooper4636]

Excellent advice. As a Scot now back living in Scotland, I have lived and worked in Germany, USA and Ireland and I have noticed the subtle country differences between Aldi and Lidl in these countries. The quality and pricing are excellent but we would like more actual German beer brands here..! Well done Feli Aldi (Lidl) should sponsor you ❤

[@jasonrhodes9726]

Why would you wish for piss when you have scotch and Irish whisky?

[@michaelrmurphy2734]

HAHAHA!!! And Guinness!!

[@jonv0]

My mom used to take us to ALDI all the time cause it was the only place besides the commissary on the local army base that you could get good sauerkraut and my grandma's favorite chocolates. Us kids always had fun trying to figure out how to bag the stuff up right and I can definitely remember my little sister's fascination with the key system on the carts. They opened a new store even closer to my house recently, so I might start going there more often.

[@hollyweaver7292]

The nearest Aldi store to me is about 120 miles, but we are in that town a few times a year so I make a point to go when I can. Especially at Christmas- they have the best seasonal selection. I love their advent calendars.

[@craigcraigster4999]

Thank you for this ALDI comparison video Feli, I'm fortunate to have two stores within a short driving distance of my Southern California home, both of which are very similar in size and layout to yours. I found the ALDI history very interesting, and your overview of the various Deutsche Küche and Winternacht lines of Christmas products brought a tear to my eye since it reminded me of the times my late German mother and I would visit ALDI for those items, which usually sold out VERY quickly (especially the Spekulatius and Zimtsterne). Hope you and Ben do more "out and about" videos for the holidays, would love to see your Thanksgiving preparation, provided it doesn't infringe on your family privacy. 😊

[@BeachyKeen-ub9rg]

Thank you for doing this. Years ago I worked at a coop. A coworker would rave about Aldi back home in Michigan. He was so upset we didn't have one. An Aldi finally opened near my mother's house. I was so excited to visit. Disappointed doesn't even begin to describe my feelings. I couldn't understand why anyone would like it. The Aldi I visited looked nothing like this. Maybe a quarter of the size and in worse condition than the most miserable dollar store on it's worst day. Now I understand after watching your video. I'd shop there.

[@sassy3198]

Thanks!

[@Kimanox]

Aldi shopping lifehack: If you go shopping by car, which most of you will probably do, use baskets instead of bags. Preferably the woven ones. Or the foldable ones, if you don't want them to take up too much space. Gamechanger!

[@lesliespeaker668]

I skip bagging the groceries in the store anyway and go straight to my car from the cashier, bag the stuff in my trunk into bags or boxes or whatever, then return the cart to the store to get my coin back. No need to take bags with me to the store either, I just leave those in the trunk. It's even simpler at stores where you can leave the cart in the parking lot.

[@robertheinrich2994]

I go by foot. I don't even want to buy a car just to go 100m to hofer. or do I need to drive to germany to have the real aldi experience?

[@PinHeadSupliciumwtf]

I use laundry baskets for light misc. stuff. Most of the time I go bye bike so just a backpack.

[@thorstent2542]

I always ask me, why the plastik bags are a problem. With a car you can easily throw a few in your car before Work. And after work easily use it. Here in Europe we useoften own feet r bycicle for Transport. Sometimes it can be a problem if you have specialmeetings or dates. It looks a litle bit like a homeless, if you bring empty bags with.

[@Kimanox]

Ne um gottes Willen :) Ich weiß garnicht, ob den Hofer überhaupt was vom Aldi unterscheidet, außer der Name natürich... Ich zwar nur einmal kurz im Hofer, hab da aber keine Unterschiede finden können. Das mit dem Auto war auch auf die vorrangig amerikanische Zuschauerschaft des Kanals hier gerichtet. Zu Fuß (bzw bei mir mit dem Bus) hab ich immer nen Rucksack dabei, wobei ich, wenn ich bei 100m zum Laden mehr einzukaufen hätte, dazu auch nen Korb mitnehmen würde. Allein schon des komfortableren Griffs wegen. @@robertheinrich2994

[@roderickhenman807]

In Australia we pronounce Aldi more like the German way. As for product selection at Aldi, it’s limited. But on product brand labels, always check the one thing that doesn’t change between different brands and that’s the manufacturers product ID. You can often find the same printing face with the same printing errors. This means the product is the same, only the “promotional content” has changed.

[@JessyCastellon-xl9jc]

Hello ❤

[@HrLBolle]

yeah often times "same product, different case" kinda deal

[@EtherealSunset]

We do the same here. Imagine the German pronunciation with an English accent and that's how we pronounce it. I've heard a couple of people pronounce it the American way, but one of them did live in the USA for a few decades before moving back, so she's very American in a lot of ways.

[@mjschicago56]

I just discovered your KZbin site. I love it, as an exsoldier in Germany during the Cold War era. I didn’t want to go there for any reason. After being there a few months, I was hooked. I’ve always loved the people, culture and community. I spent years trying to return professionally. I find that relocating to Germany professionally, one has to to extremely persistent or have great connections. Although I’m much older now, if given the opportunity. I would gladly relocate to Germany. I know In my heart that if I was able to live in Germany, I would have been happier. I love the country and the people. I will continue to follow your channel.

[@brigittehergott6072]

❤

[@Kitsunekohime]

Some facts: NO, not every Aldi Store in Germany is set up the same! In my hometown we have three of them and they‘re all set up differently. And the stores in Düsseldorf, Neuss and Cologne are different as well. (All southern ALDIs)😅 YES, you actually can buy bagels in German ALDIs. I think it used to be a seasonal thing but they‘ve been selling bagels permanently for some time now.

[@werpu12]

Fun thing bagels originated in the 19th century from the polish/austrrian empire area they were called Beugel... jewish people brought them over to the US while this kind of breat went mostly forgotten in the area where it originated!

[@fiftybones]

oy veh you call these bagels?

[@HrLBolle]

Ich denke, Feli meint die allgemeine Anordnung und nicht die ortsspezifische, zum Beispiel die Lage neben einem Bahnhof. Ich gehe davon aus, dass es dort mehr Finger-/Snackprodukte für den schnellen und einfachen Verzehr geben wird als an einem Filialstandort in der Nähe beispielsweise einer EDEKA-Filiale, wo das Sortiment einen Teil der dort verfügbaren Waren in der EDEKA-Filiale widerspiegelt I think Feli means the general arrangement and not the location-specific one, for example the location next to a train station. I assume that there will be more finger/snack products there for quick and easy consumption than at a store location near to, for example, an EDEKA branch, where the range reflects some of the goods available there in the EDEKA branch

[@Nabend1402]

They do change things around a bit more now, but they are usually very similar. They all used to be exactly the same. The biggest difference is still between clockwise-Aldis and counter-clockwise-Aldis, which can really screw with your head when you first visit one that's the other way round.

[@HrLBolle]

@@Nabend1402 sweet, the Aldi closest to me is of the counter-clock layout

[@frankneser6055]

Hello from Cairo, Egypt. Largest grocery stores by size are Carrefour stores, somewhat like Kroger but tailored to Egyptian consumers with the exception of a great French-style bakery section. New on the scene are very small Aldi copycats from Turkey named BIM or Kasion. These look like early Aldi stores, selling 2nd tier brands out of cardboards at low prices. These stores are located in residential areas, don't have parking space and stores are run by just 1-2 staff, supported by an advanced inventory management system, outperforming the Egyptian competition.

[@divaloulou]

Ah! The memories! I lived in Nürnberg for a bit, and then 6 years in Bremen, so I know bith kinds of Aldis, and love them! The Aldi in Nürnberg was a bit more bare bones than the one we went to in Bremen (across the street from our apartment! So convenient!). As we are Canadian, we always shopped waaaaay to much. Our neighbours found it funny to see us climb 4 stories with each 3, 4 bags filled with groceries! That mini freezer that came with the apartment was always packed and I did some canning and drying to preserve our food. Thank you for bringing my memories back! Tschüss! :)

[@jkkay477]

In Australia we pronounce it "AL-DI", rhyming with "howdy" 😀. We also have the Aldi Finds which the Aussie stores call Special Buys and they're displayed in open racks and tables in the middle of the store like in Germany (20:55).

[@jitterskater]

That's exactly how it it is pronounced in the "original" German.

[@Eysenbeiss]

This "in the middle of the store, like in germany" is whack, cause that is NOT the same in all of germany. Keep in mind: This Aldi is Aldi Süd/South, while Aldi Nord/North is slightly bigger in Germany and there, these "finds" are usually to be found either at the entrance, or directly in the cashier row or directly beneath the checkout area in front of the cashier.

[@jkkay477]

@@Eysenbeiss It's "whack" is it? You can complain to Feli about it because I was just going off what she said at 20:49.

[@wonka6848]

On our three weeks vacation in Australia we only bought at ALDI. Felt a litle weird. ;)

[@EtherealSunset]

We call them Special Buys in the UK Aldi too and most pronounce Aldi the German way, just with a different accent. A minority pronounce it the American way, but that's beginning to happen even with some English words here now with some of the younger generation.

[@yankeetango]

My beloved German grandmother made a lot of the stuff shown from scratch, eg., stollen. My favorite of her German specialties was dampfnudeln & kartoffelsuppe. This is a recipe local to the Baden-Württemberg region in SW Germany. She was from a little town just south of Heidelburg. p.s. A pleasure to see you out from behind your computer!

[@ClaudiaG.1979]

i miss the dampfnudeln from my Oma, sadly, when she died nobody knew how she made them.

[@anitablumhardt75]

I was born in Stuttgart. Came here at 2 so I don't remember anything. But my wonderful Mom made all the good German food! I'm trying to keep the traditions alive!

[@Greg_Gatsby]

I’ve noticed over the years my local Aldi’s dropped their selection of German breads that are very dense and flavorful. Their seasonal selections of flavored whipped cream is pretty amazing. Recent disappointments were no dry egg noodles and no peppercorns to refill my pepper grinder. Spices in general much less expensive than Kroger but there’s a very limited selection. Still love my ALDI!

[@Arsenic71]

It's nice to see you haven't lost your German mentality but instead take the best of both worlds (Europe and the US). A mixture of both really is the best there could possibly be.

[@JonahNelson7]

A mixture of both is just British

[@Singurarity88]

@@JonahNelson7 absolutly not.

[@Singurarity88]

@@JonahNelson7 Mentality alone shifted with the big events during history. I am sure you are aware of what you are "just" saying.

[@coyotelong4349]

@@JonahNelson7 Lol yup, British is just American + German 😂

[@mghocke]

Give her another 10 years :-) I lost a lot of my German-ness over the almost 30 years in the USA now.

[@jpsteiner2]

I was fortunate to live in Germany for a couple years. The Aldi, Penny, Lidl stores, besides having great prices, were very convenient. Usually within walking distance. No need to drive, which was really nice. And yes, upon returning to the US, two things were quickly obvious. US prices were significantly higher. Quality worse. Especially bread. Oh, I miss the Bäckeri. Even hardware stores, the equivalent of Ace or Home Depot, had amazing breads available.

[@JessyCastellon-xl9jc]

Hello ❤

[@HalianTheProtogen]

Wait, bread at the hardware store? *Wat*

[@michaelrmurphy2734]

You bought BREAD at a HARDWARE store?!!!

[@E85stattElektro]

The bakery doesn’t belong to the hardware store, but they have often a dedicated bakery in the entrance area.

[@BrunoRautenberg]

And you can get a Cup of Coffee and Sole Cookies and ist down

[@Lasertrac]

Interestingly, the first Aldi was opened in my hometown of Davenport, IA. I was totally different than a typical grocery store. Now they have expanded and on a recent visit to Iowa I was pleasantly surprised

[@PixelSheep]

I always thought that the "Trader Joes" products you get at aldi here in germany are just "U.S" branded - meaning you just get some normal Muffins disguised as "American" to make you feel like its an authentic product. Very cool to see that they actually ARE authentic U.S products :D

[@SeriousAce2kX]

i like this vice versa thing. Its like exchange studying for products :D

[@coyotelong4349]

Yeah I bought some of those paprika flavored “NicNacs” peanuts from an Aldi Nord and was stunned that they were Trader Joe’s brand

[@boink800]

Those Trader Joe products which you can get at Aldi in Germany, I have never seen them at any Trader Joe's.

[@jhc5760]

The "American" product line I see at the Aldi Süd locations are the same products you get at the Hofer line in Austria. Made in Austria, but 25% to 50% cheaper when you buy them in Germany.

[@rockabye274]

​@@jhc5760Yep. It seems like they're American in name only. I don't think most Europeans would want to eat much of the crud that we Americans eat (especially the highly processed stuff).

[@debschmitt761]

My first experience with ALDI was when I moved to Illinois . it is an experience but I always save on my food bill. I was delighted with the Aldi brand frozen pizza, surprisingly loaded with ingrediences for about $2.85. My local Aldi relocated and the new store is beautiful and now about 3 times bigger

[@danstarr9895]

When I was a kid, in the mid 80s, there was an Aldi in Kansas City, KS we’d shop at. I thought it was an American brand.

[@JKNat9004]

My parents always just bought whatever brand was on sale that week, when going to the big local supermarkets my town used to have. When Aldi came to town my dad would go there and stock up on stuff. I never got used to any specific 'taste" to differentiate any brand from another. So when I moved out as an adult Aldi became the main place I go for groceries.

[@iandeynzer2883]

My wife and I have just spent 6 months in Europe to celebrate my retirement. We stayed in apartments with cooking facilities and shopped at Aldi or Lidl to save money enanbling us to holiday for longer. The quality and value offered by these two German brands is phenomenal compared to the ridiculous supermarket duopoly we have here in New Zealand. Their offerings are 30% to 50% cheaper than in NZ where housing & food prices are very high compared to the wages which are relatively low for a developed country. We found great delight visting their stores in UK, France and Italy and getting great food at bargain prices. Of course we loved their bakery section and the fresh vegetables and meat were also good quality. Can't wait for them to come to NZ!

[@Halliwell66]

I heard groceries prices were worse in NZ but I didnt realise you guys dont have Aldi, what a sham! I assumed they pushed out over there the same time as it did here in Australia.

[@x75hurricane]

I was based in Germany with the Army for 3 years and did a lot of my shopping at Aldi. When I got back to the UK, Aldi started opening stores there and I loved it as they stocked all the German brands and a lot of the products (eapecially the cheese and pastries) were better in my opinion. We still shop at Aldi many years later, but they dont stock so much German stuff anymore which is sad

[@mzcymro]

I think there was a considerable change from 2008 onwards when due to the financial crash more middle-class people started to shop at Aldi and Lidl and both stores then realised the potential of selling to that income group and went a little more upmarket. I too miss the earlier incarnation of Aldi and Lidl, but still shop in both, though mainly Aldi.

[@bronco5644]

When I lived in Germany, I had a similar shopping experience of buying some things at a discount store like Aldi, Lidl, or PennyMart, and other more special items at Reve or Edeka.

[@stevebelcher667]

Hi Feli, A couple of things I noticed. Self checkout is in the some of the Wiesbaden Aldi stores, and has been since the beginning of 2023. I noticed the cashier was putting the groceries directly into the Einkaufswagen which I have never seen happen in Germany. Merry Christmas and continue the great videos.

[@NegyedMisi]

Fun fact: Aldi (Süd) is called Hofer in Austria (as they wanted keep the name of a previous chain not to confuse people), Slovenia followed too, and even though they hesitated how to call it in Hungary (Hofer or not), they went with Aldi.

[@Eysenbeiss]

Honestly, try imagine a common and average Wiener to pronounce Aldi the right way ... ;-)

[@thorstent2542]

@@Eysenbeiss Muß er ja nicht.

[@ahwhite2022]

I remember a Hofer, Spar, and... Billa maybe on our street when we lived in Vienna/Wien. In Germany, we had Edeka, Aldi Sűd, and Rewe. In the U.S., I avoid the "American" chains, as I consider them all way overpriced. Our nearest grocery story is a Lidl, and between it and a local Korean place, that's most of our shopping. Costco, Sams, and others round it out. I'm understanding more now about the comments people have made about prices. I think so much of it depends in where you shop and what you shop for.

[@pablovivant9089]

I lived in Slovenia for a year and traveled a lot to Austria... was curious why stores with the Aldi logo were called Hofer. Thanks for explaining!

[@thorstent2542]

@@Eysenbeiss Aber ich hätt gerne die Auflösung. 😎

[@brettkaufman2299]

Really liked this one. We have started to go to Aldi more and really like it -- simple selections. Really like the cheese section. Was neat to see the comparison from Germany to US stores. I was surprised to see the difference in prices from each country -- thought Germany would cost more .... Thanks for the video!

[@TMD3453]

I went to Aldi in Germany as a student on someone’s advice when I was looking for a cheaper grocery store- and took the bus to get there. It works pretty well. Looks like the Cincinnati store rocks. I’m going to have to go back in the US, especially after I saw the frozen pretzels. Tschuss all the best.

[@shanafredlake312]

I love Aldi! Grew up in Iowa so it was a staple to save money and was so happy when they built them in Texas where I live now. The prices are amazing and worth a visit.

[@RobertHeslop]

Aldi and Lidl are recently becoming more and more popular here in the UK because of the cost of living crisis. There's an Aldi about 4 minutes from my house by car and there's such a great range of vegetarian products that I can get in there. Also, we have ASDA here in the UK, which formally owned by Walmart. ASDA is still lower price, but the overall price of things in Aldi and Lidl are still lower than ASDA. My parents use a mix of Aldi and Asda.

[@rjmurphyo0]

rich getting richer while regular people can't afford to live. There will be a revolution

[@peterrabbitn787]

I think ASDA used to belong to walmart but does no longer

[@Eysenbeiss]

Every human being of at least average intelligence chooses a mix to buy their stuff, everything else would be stupid, at least for the common people and even the brits can't be THAT stupid ;-D

[@traceymarshall5886]

But lidl has been around for years in the uk. It was always a great place to get wine

[@coyotelong4349]

Doesn’t the chain Iceland in the UK also fall into the discount category too?

[@julieweyhrich3126]

I have been an American Aldi shopper since the 1970's in the Chicagoland area. Thank You for this!!

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

Most of those 70s Aldis are dollar stores now.

[@triciabrown1462]

Thank you for this. I’m in Wisconsin, and they just opened an Aldi near my house. I’ve been a little nervous to go because their procedures are different than most stores. I think I’ll venture there today with my bags, which I probably wouldn’t have brought if I hadn’t watched your video 🙂

[@guzziwheeler]

Be courageous! It is a grocery store, not the Jurassic World island!

[@triciabrown1462]

@@guzziwheeler I know that after watching the video.

[@deanhockenberry9268]

I was the third person in our local Aldi for its grand opening. My youngest daughter has worked for Aldi for over five years now. We are temporarily staying in Kansas helping my mother in law and unfortunately I can’t get Winking Owl wine here like I could in Texas. All they’re allowed to sell here is beer. This was a fun episode for me, thank you.

[@user-wm2tw]

Third person in Aldi? That’s so amazing. Here you go. 🏆 you have earned it !! 😁

[@Eysenbeiss]

That's business as usual. Aldi has a core assortment and then there is a lot of more or less local products and they have to obey the certain, often different county/state laws. Aldi in Los Angeles, where I spend a lot of time, is also different to what Feli has shown in this Video. Aramis Merlin has made a video in one of the Aldis in Los Angeles, maybe you want to compare them that way.

[@davidbandler]

@@Eysenbeiss It's a thing largely misunderstood by outsiders when it comes to Kansas. In Kansas (unlike most States) vice is not illegal (at the State level - mostly), but is instead up to each and every individual county and city government to regulate. This is why Kansas (allegedly a "red" state) allows abortion more freely than most "blue" states; the state stays out of most issues seen as community/culture questions. Not every Aldi (or other stores like Walmart) in Kansas will carry the same selections of alcohol; some stores may not carry any at all. Also, not every city/county in Kansas will sell alcohol, or even allow it to be sold on the same days of the week or times of the day. I believe the only thing that Kansas actually does regulate - in regards to alcohol - is the division of the sale of Liquor/Spirits from "brews"; bottled liquor/spirits have to be sold at a licensed, regulated, inspected standalone shop (where they also get regularly checked for underage sales). Anyways, it's not an Aldi thing.

[@Eysenbeiss]

@@davidbandler I stated nothing else. It is all about the regional laws, no matter the level.

[@u686st7]

In Maryland chain stores aren't allowed to sell alcoholic beverages.

[@CaptainGyro]

Feli, your presentation skills are outstanding.

[@paulgrant421]

Thanks for the fun video, Feli! Literally yesterday I was searching Google maps for an Aldi, and of course, none to be found in my state of Colorado. Just for fun, I also searched for Rewe and Lidl (with the same results, of course.) Fortunately, there are some nice Germany bakeries in the area that also sell some Germany goodies. The German side of my family lives in NRW, so I'm very used to shopping at Aldi in Germany (though they frequent the Lidl more often).

[@coyotelong4349]

Aldi Süd & Lidl operate in the US, but Aldi Nord does not (it’s Trader Joe’s in the US)

[@boink800]

Aldi has now established itself in the Los Angeles area but they still have a long way to go for the rest of the Western US.

[@tillneumann406]

Rewe, just like Edeka, is basically just a big cooperative of merchants in Germany. They are not as interested in diversifying to all over the world as store chains owned by billionaire families are (both the Albrecht family branches and the Schwarz family, who own Lidl, are typically among Germany's ten richest).

[@hunterjaekel8168]

My family is German and I was born and grew up in the US. Aldi is one of many things that was just part of my early life without me realizing it how it related to myGerman heritage. Honestly a lot of things that were very German including parts of the language were used so pervasively around me when I was young that I didn’t even realize that it was German. It’s really funny how that works out when you have a family of mixed cultures like that.

[@publicminx]

including seven U.S. presidents with German ancestry: Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump (which in German is btw. 'Triumph' - yay, same as the Triumph underwear company (found in Heubach/Germany) or the Triumph motorcycle company (found by a German originally who moved then from Nuernberg to England) etc.

[@xxklesx1]

@@publicminx Bushs ancestors are dutch i think. But a dutch person isnt that different from an north german

[@publicminx]

@@xxklesx1 yep, doesnt matter much. but as far as I know the origins were from protestants from England who came to Leiden/Netherlands. but the name 'Bush' (German Busch - like Wilhelm Busch) makes me suspect that there is an earlier connection to Germany (some migrants who went to England back then). Now, since there was already before that often a certain exchange between Pre-Germany, 'Netherlands', England etc, there might in the end be a mixed situation ...

[@justthecousinoftheguywitho2337]

​@@publicminxBarack Obama is German....?

[@Chrissi-ps6iw]

Jetzt macht alles einen Sinn 😄. Ich war im September in den USA und habe dort mal die Hershey's Schokolade probiert und der Nachgeschmack hat mich sehr an Erbrochenes erinnert😆. Danke dir für die Aufklärung

[@thedreadlord2156]

I live in a small Midwestern college town and the local Aldi is a big hit with students. Since studying Deutsch at University, I have an enhanced appreciation for Winternacht. My favorites are the Elisen Lebkuchen and the Zimsterne, and the Kirschstollen, naturlich. But hardly anyone returns their carts, so when I go I link all of them up and collect scads of quarters. It's really beyond me why people don't want to take the extra minute to straighten up for the next customer. I prefer Aldi to the only other choice in town, which is a sad Walmart.

[@Eysenbeiss]

You know whats funny? Kirschstollen is not a big thing in germany and almost only in some southern parts ;-) Most people prefer the common Butterstollen, or Marzipanstollen.

[@MrCusefan44]

Is there such a thing as a happy Walmart? When I go to ALDIs in upstate NY, almost always someone who just finished unloading their groceries offers me their cart. That seems to be the convention which developed here - people hand their cart off to incoming shoppers (or return them) so there aren’t loose carts in the parking lot.

[@gregcrabb3497]

I just used the Aldi self checkout a few days ago. I worked as a cashier at Walmart while I was in college so self check for me is much faster. I just bought probably $60 worth of German cookies and candy from there for my parents for Christmas. I love going there.

[@chrisharris7893]

Love me some Aldi! You can just tell their stores are made for efficiency. Those chest freezers are way more efficient than a walk-in/reach in freezer. I noticed they still have a few must haves like Honey Nut Cheerios for the purists, but the house brands are excellent, especially the snacks/chips. I can tell from the dairy code that our milk is actually coming from a local dairy near their distribution center. The gourmet ice cream is as good as Ben&Jerry's and less than half the price! I just wish I could get the red cabbage all the time.

[@KristaGolden]

I love Aldi, and I always look forward to "German Week" twice a year (late spring and around Oktoberfest). I still have frozen Käsespätzle and Apfelstrudel from the last Deutsche Kuche haul! I do wish they'd sell paprika chips during that time, because I saw a lot of those when I was in Munich this past July.

[@grafarco3717]

You don't have paprika flavoured chips in the US?? 🤔

[@KristaGolden]

@@grafarco3717 No, that was the first time I'd had them! We have BBQ flavored chips, but those are a lot smokier and sometimes more spicy than paprika chips.

[@Sevrmark]

Aldi has come a long way since I shopped there in the 70s in Germany. Back then, there were only brand-named products, and everything was a little more, shall we say "rustic". Their stores are much more polished now than they were then. Unfortunately, we don't have them in my part of Canada yet.

[@michaelrmurphy2734]

We have Sobey's and Loblaw's. And WalMart and Costco. Market is crowded here.

[@jessemcelroy5266]

I grew up in Paducah , KY and there has been an aldi there for over 25 years. I was amazed being Paducah is such a small town.

[@drakonisslayern9902]

I have shopped at both the German and US Aldi stores, and the quality of the German stores were AMAZING! Traveling around the world for various reasons, I have found that most of the world outside of the US the food was just miles better and most of the time cheaper. Aldi has been apart of my life as an adult, but I do miss some of the offerings outside of the US.

[@mikej5959]

She didn’t account for exchange rate

[@Rationalific]

By "around the world" do you mean high-class European cities? Maybe not, but you have only mentioned Germany so far. I also think it depends on what you are looking at. If you are looking at things that are European in nature, that's probably true. However, if you focus on American-specific food, it's doubtful that Europe beats the US at most of that.

[@Eysenbeiss]

@@Rationalific No, it is not, cause it is easy to copy, since there are just two things that you need, fat and sugar.

[@Rationalific]

@@Eysenbeiss "The U.S. was by far the leading global agricultural exporter in 2020 with exports valued at $147.9 billion." So if you believe what you say, tell the world to stop buying so much of it.

[@chiaralistica]

​@@Rationalificmost of this is processed rubbish. People in other countries should reject all this junk, it's killing Americans and it's a matter of time before it's affecting others who indulge. Just because people buy something doesn't mean it's any good.

[@pagaporvista569]

I was wondering about the bakery. It's been a while since I was in a ALDI in Europe. The LIDLs that opened by our older home has a great bakery! Moved to an area with no LIDL or Trader Joes so we go to ALDI a lot now. They also have good selection of Spanish items on occasion.

[@emily_gross1990]

The Spekuloos cookies in the long boxes at Christmas time are my absolute favorite. They are so thin and crusted on the back with sliced almonds. 🤤

[@regannehanus2600]

I just stumbled across this video because I have studied German for so long but wasn’t expecting you to literally be in my city and going to to the same store I go to 😂

[@melissaclark6196]

I've been to both German and US Aldis. Am a Aldis shopper, hoping that the Euro model for avoiding gmos and artificial carries over. Another Aldis thing; angel customers who hand off their carts and not accept a quarter for it just a " pass it on" kindness.

[@jasonrhodes9726]

Its a quarter, you give more to the guy standing at the intersection with a sign even when you are pretty sure he is going to use it to get high.

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

When I go to Aldi I return carts. Sometimes I make a dollar or more for 5 minutes of work.

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

​@@jasonrhodes9726that's why I only give beggers food.

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

She picked up an American accent. She barely sounds German.

[@kieronmarshall2658]

here in europe Adli and Lidl have signs up saying what percentage of products are sourced from the particular country your in. from what i've seen its usually around three quarters from the country you happen to be in. this is good marketing.

[@brianblum4591]

Hi Feli, we are getting our first Aldi here in Marrero, Louisiana. I hope it will open before Thanksgiving. One thing I'm looking forward to are the German products. Also if you were not aware Aldi is buying a southern chain grocery, Winn Dixie. I don't know if those will be rebranded or just a subsidiary of Aldi.

[@mw60al]

I'm also in the deep south. We just got an Aldi located 25 miles from my house. Publix put Winn Dixie out of business. I've been shopping at super Walmart for regular stuff and Publix for specialty items. Our Aldi store is located in a military town. I'm hoping that it will offer German food too. I live in a food desert. No Brie or other culture food unless I make a 50 mile trip. Corn for animals, cotton, and peanuts. None for human consumption. Oh well. It is what it is.

[@MaxPower-11]

Lidl in the US has on an on-site bakery (with product displays similar to Germany) which is a big plus compared to Aldi. Also, the “finds” section is way larger (with bins in the center of the floor like in Germany).

[@lauravalle3766]

I must go here then! I really miss the bakery and rarely go to Aldi because of it.

[@robertab929]

Try also Pane Turano Italian Bread in Aldi in regular section with packed bread and "bread".

[@sooome9294]

Ich war ein Kind wenn Aldi in unserer Stadt aufgemacht hat. Viele Leute dachten die werden es nicht lange machen da man die Ware direct fon der Palette genommen hat. Und jetzt findet man Aldi in der US. Liebe Aldi in Deutschland immer noch mehr als in the.US, aber bevorzuge Aldi before ich in ein anderes Geschäft in der US gehe. Danke für die Post, immer schön eine deutsche Stimme zu hören. Alles gute zum neue zJahr. Ich bin and der West Küste.

[@billhorton2564]

I'm trying to start the trend of not taking my quarter when I bring my cart back. If everyone would leave their quarter when finished with it, carts would be free. Random acts of kindness pair well with my kind words to people I encounter. Making the world a nicer place. Ich liebe deine Videos, Feli!

[@liul]

And people would leave the cart anywhere on the parking, making a mess. Good intentions aren't enough if you don't use your brain. And I don't understand your point because the carts are free already

[@mrbeaverstate]

@@liul Most probably would rather lose the Quarter and leave the cart in the parking lot. Not me, but people are lazy and 25 cents is nothing anymore.

[@tw9535]

The carts are already "free" since you get your quarter back. Aldi doesn't make any money off it. The idea is to keep the carts organized and not all over the parking lot for staff to have to go round up all the time. The 'random act of kindness' is to help the staff. Not another shopper who gets their quarter back anyway.

[@jonathansheline751]

I like to "hand off" my cart to someone who's just arrived, and ask them to pass it to another person when they're done with it. If someone leaves a cart in the lot of my local Aldi, it won't be there long. Some customer will spot it and use it.

[@LythaWausW]

@@jonathansheline751 I experienced ppl doing this at an American Aldi and was surprised. It wouldn't work in Germany cuz it's usually a Euro.

[@dailythings4564]

I went to a Aldi in Germany and I was really surprised at how cheap everything was including the beer. The one I went to in Munich even had a place to leave your dog by the door.

[@emjaymiller]

A lot of stores in Germany let the dogs come inside.

[@ACEsParkJunheeWreckedMeHard]

@@emjaymiller Not grocery stores, for many reasons. Unless you can proof that you bring a guid dog (example you are blind). It's mostly for sanitary reasons because a normal dog that is not specificaly trained could lick the food or other not hygenic things.

[@Ygr3ku]

I don't recommend you the "cheap" beer from those grocery stores. I mean it's fine, 1-2 bottles once in a while, but if you're a beer enjoyer/lover NAH! If you go over 3-4 bottles of this "50 cent" beer, believe me, next day it's not gonna be your best day. I'd rather pay 21 Euro (or equivalent in USD) for a case of 20 half liter beers (or 0.33L, however you find them) than drink that cheap "piss" ever again.

[@helenatkinson4730]

When I visited Europe in the year 2000 there were stores, public transportation and restaurants that were dog friendly.

[@Eysenbeiss]

@@helenatkinson4730 Restaurants are NOT grocery stores !!! READ what people are writing, don't make asumptions if you're not able to understand.

[@colinp2238]

In the UK, we have both Aldi and Lidl ( we pronunce that liddle). Personally, I prefer Lidl, from where I buy my bratwurst and frikadellen. Schnitzel, I get from a store called Farm Foods ( Jagersauce from a packet by Knorr). I buy online with Hela Curry Ketchup. The best sauerkraut I get from a Polish shop. I live in North West London near Heathrow Airport.