Our new and improved Aldi market in Riverhead

Our local Aldi market in Riverhead was recently renovated so, ever hopeful, I sauntered over to give it a look.
It was raining today and I found 4 shopping carts that had not been returned to the cart corral for the 25 cent ransom. With 4 quarters in my pocket I entered the market.
The first thing I noticed was that there was only one of five checkout lanes open and 8 shoppers on line. I guess they forgot to order new cashiers with the renovation.
The store is nicer and less industrial than before.
Aldi has a bizarre notion about product placement. Along side the pet food were auto battery jumper cables. Go figure?
I needed to pick up some good chocolate bars, which they always have, and a honeydew melon which they had but the melons were way past their prime. It’s hit and miss with produce there. They don’t really seem to be behind the fresh produce wagon.
I did get a dozen eggs at a bargain price.
The store brand items are always suspect ever since I tried their almost, just like Hellman’s Mayo and was disappointed.
So, as I have said before, Aldi is not a place where I will do one stop shopping. I went to the Best market for my melon.
I will head there on the next rainy day for the cart ransom.

:rofl:

When Aldi (and Lidl) opened up in the UK, their promotion was very much as a discounter. But, of late, they’ve shifted away and now promote themselves as being there for the weekly “big shop”. Not for the relatively affluent, middle classes like me - they still target us as periodic shoppers - but for folk very concerned with constrained family budgets.

In NJ I find Aldi shopping an interesting detour. I have seen folks of all stripes on the checkout line including local chefs I recognize, store owners, family groups, tourists, those already familiar with Aldi in their hometown, etc. when a particular item is price slashed the business people clean out inventory and maximize the limited quantity rule by sending several employees. So I have yet to see a last resort or ltd approach solely earmarked for Aldi shopping. If you shop in order to stretch your $ so you have the luxury of shopping elsewhere as well, more power to US. And my best quarter haul in one day was $4.50 thank you lazy people. I bought organic eggs with the proceeds😉.

The Aldi I occasionally shop at in Danbury, CT was recently renovated. They now have a cooler for the produce (it was previously unrefrigerated), and it’s located near the front entrance as opposed to being at the back of the store. Their closest store is 40+ minutes from my house so I rarely get to Aldi, but when I do it’s generally for produce. I got a 4 pound bag of navel oranges there last week for only $2.49 on sale, and they’ve been pretty good. Their seedless grapes when on sale for 99c/lb are also usually pretty good (with the caveat that you need to check them and make sure they’re fresh). Mushrooms are also usually a good buy.

I had no idea there was an Aldo anywhere near us! Where in Danbury is it? Maybe I can do a Costco/Aldi run!

There are certainly an unusual bunch of shoppers at Aldi, the same for their cousin Trader Joe.

$4.50 that’s like almost a dozen, MY HERO!!

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Who’s “Aldo?” and where’s Waldo?

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LOL. Typo and fixed.

It’s off exit 8. If you’re at Costco/Stew’s you can take the back road near Lowe’s/Best Buy (near Frank Pepe) to get to that area.

There is also one in Stony Point in Rockland (on 9w, on the way to the Bear Mountain Bridge). Also one on Route 9 in Wappingers.

I emailed them recently (at the suggestion of the Stony Point store manager) to suggest that they open one in the Yorktown area. As you noticed, there are none in Westchester currently.

BTW I wanted to say that I was pleased to see that I’m not the only person who does this! Last time we were at one, I found a cart in the lot, then a woman gave me hers when I was about to get in my car. I was thinking I should give her the quarter, but then I figured why should I go return the cart for her? Also gets me some extra exercise :slight_smile:

I can see where people with young kids wouldn’t want to leave their car unattended to return the cart, but many people are just lazy so I am happy to take their quarter.

This is actually my biggest complaint about Aldi. I can’t remember ever seeing more than two registers open, and it’s usually just one.

Yes, and the old Food Emporium is still vacant!

I once asked the manager: Why do you have 5 registers?" All I got was a blank stare.

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But now Best Market will turn into Lidl next month…I wonder how their produce holds up?

What is Lidl?

A German discount grocery - similar product/price to Aldi’s. Entered US market 2017.

Following thread is about it:

Thanks!

Yes, and Best Market closed their only Westchester location after what seemed like less than a year. And now there is a Shake Shack in front of it to drive a lot more traffic (of course there is also an H Mart next door which they probably could not compete with).

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Yes, although I think that a piece of the newly vacated Shoprite on Route 6 in Cortlandt would be better (Shoprite moved to a new store across from Walmart). There was an article about the Food Emporium recently and they quoted someone as saying that the landlord said he was negotiating with a food store. Not sure if I believe it since it’s been empty so long. I would certainly love to have an Aldi in the area.

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Just shopped my first Lidl this morning. Brand new store across the same highway as Aldi. Interesting boxing match going on as the Aldi moved to a larger retail space inside of two months on the heels of Lidl’s grand opening today. My impression comparing products is they are very similar but the shopping experience at Lidl felt more customer friendly…could be opening night attire…we’ll see.

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