There seems to be no Aldi thread in NJ, so I’ll start one.
Currently near me there are Aldis in Hazlet and Old Bridge, but when I went to the Marlboro Costco yesterday, I discovered they are building an Aldi at the back of that lot (along the entrance from Texas Road). This is a real winner for me, because it means I can combine Costco and Aldi trips. ( I go past the one in Old Bridge on Route 9 often, but it comes up before all my other stops, including lunch, and in the summer I don’t want stuff sitting in the car a long time. That and the old location for the big Patel Brothers were really bad, given the divided highway aspect of Route 9.)
No idea when it’s opening, but there is building activity going on.
Good idea.
At the location in Hazlet, our rotation has included brioche buns and loaves, the frozen crab cakes in the bag of 5 (very tasty), avocados, canned chicken breast, and some block cheeses.
I tend to prefer Lidl to Aldi but have done some trips and love their random deals when I go. I’ll just point out how I’ve read a cpl articles pre-pandemic about the rapid rise of Aldi and Lidl too and how they were gaining market share. I imagine given the present reality that will only increase. Love see competition in this space- there are def a lot of items I don’t need a full service grocer for and happily pay a fraction of the cost for same quality to save on number of choices or fancy packaging.
Plus I appreciate Aldi taking credit cards now too…
Just had a conversation with a friend in MD yesterday and she was saying how much she loves Aldi; at some point I’ll have to go, but while I have one nearby, it’s on Rt 36 and I’m just never down that way, so it doesn’t even occur to me to go.
There is one closer in Neptune but I would not recommend it. This store was my first experience with Aldi and I felt like I needed to shower after I left.
We then went to the one you mention and I liked it but we only stop by there if we are headed out that way for something else
My understanding is that the “quality” and inventory of Aldis is very variable depending upon the location. I’ve only been to the one on route 35 in wall. I could probably never do my regular shopping there though I know many who do. Friends who are gluten free swear by that store in particular. Produce prices are very good as is the quality overall. They have The Sprout’s favorite kombucha for less than other stores.
Yes–that was part of my conversation yesterday…the need to still go elsewhere for ‘interesting’ produce like shallots, fennel, etc. Good to know about the location-based inventory–my bet is that since they’re near WF the Wall one is going to have some better stock. Now I know where I’m headed next week, since I can hit both in one trip.
if you’re referring to the WLB one- the bagel store across the street is pretty good (service is meh but bagels were good the cpl times I went)- if that helps
The Hazlet location is well kept. But, feeling comfortable shopping in any store will always be important. Plenty of higher end grocers could do a better job of cleaning the produce area and the floors. Don’t let the bright lights fool ya.
“My understanding is that the “quality” and inventory of Aldis is very variable depending upon the location.”
Absolutely accurate of the locations we have within five miles of our home here in SE Michigan. The location closest to us is a nightmare shop. Our DD #1 loves the Aldi close by her family–and four miles from us.
@CurlzNJ All my experiences with Aldi are pre-pandemic. Since I’m trying to really limit my grocery trips it’s not the store I’d pick as my exclusive grocer. Previously I’d go to Aldi, get whatever I could there and then head over to the Route 34 Shoprite. I’m not a huge WF fan.
@Roro1831 I’m not gluten free but a co-worker who often shopped there is. To be honest, I’m not sure if it was the selection or the pricing that was her top priority.
@gcaggiano I’ve never really noticed holes on their shelves but I have heard that you can’t count on product being there when you need it.
@RedJim The closest one to me is less than 4 miles from the house and the next 2 are within 8 miles - one going north and one south. I’ve only ever been in close one.
The Neptune one by far the worst Aldi I have visited… and yes, it’s nasty… my kid usually like to put the quarter in to get the shopping cart but that area was so dirty that he refuses to do it… All the other Aldi i have been to is nothing like that one.
Well, I just returned from the Costco, and though Aldi is not open yet, they do have a “Now Hiring” sign out, so perhaps by the time I next go (start of July sale period)…
There is also a Chic Fil A going up between the Aldi and Texas Road, if anyone cares.
“Move over, Costco: a competing grocery retailer is coming to Morganville. A new Aldi location on Texas Road, slated to open on Aug. 13, will take over the vacant 2-acre lot.”
I finally went to the new Marlboro Aldi. It seems to have the same number of aisles as the other Aldis, but they seem wider, and they have one-way arrows in the floor. The produce section certainly seems roomier. Of course, the layout in each store is different, so trying to plan your trip following the arrows is hopeless unless you stick to only one store.
The carts here require quarters (I know some stores suspended that for a at least a while). The store was not at all crowded at 10 AM. I couldn’t find ordinary diced tomatoes or tomato paste–is there a tomato shortage or what? I couldn’t find them last time at Aldi either (though Shoprite had plenty). They did have some new frozen vegetarian stuff (a quinoa protein blend and some vegetarian meatballs). Maybe they decided Marlboro is a vegetarian hotbed.
It’s certainly convenient to Costco, so I suspect it will be my new main Aldi store.
Well, the Marlboro store is my new main Aldi store, but I have to say that today’s experience was a real step down.
My main complaint is that many items, including several in the “here today, gone tomorrow” freezer case had no price labels. Call me silly, but I like to know what things cost before I buy them. And weirdly, my onions rang up as lemons, which were more expensive (though I didn’t discover this until I got home and it wasn’t worth going back over).
The last problem was really mostly my fault–I left my cane in my first cart. Luckily, someone noticed it and chased after me. This was possible because of the way they put your rung-up items in the cart left by the last person, and use your cart for the next. In future I’ll stick it in my shopping bags.
I was doing my main shopping here because I’m still recovering from my broken hip and it is nicely compact, but this did leave me with a few items I couldn’t find, notably unsalted whipped butter, sunflower seeds in the shell, and cream cheese (Mark doesn’t like the Aldi brand), as well as some flavors of yogurt. I have to agree with those who like Aldi but cannot do all their shopping there.
