Aldi

We are long time Aldi shoppers. This Aldi is particularly nice in terms of selection. Good selection of healthy options (e.g., quinoa, flax seed) in comparison with other Aldi stores we’ve been to across the country, as well as good prices on staples (e.g., milk, eggs, canned beans rice) that we expect from Aldi. The staff at this store are also very friendly and helpful.
If you’ve not shopped at an Aldi before, there are a few things to know. Use of a grocery cart requires the deposit of a quarter, which you get back when you return cart. If you don’t have a quarter you can get change at the register. Just wait at the register, and the cashier will give you change between customers. In the past, they’ve accepted only cash or debit, but this seems to be changing. Bags are available at a cost (usually 5 – 10 minutes).You can also bring your own, or you can grab an empty box. All products are store brands. Downside is you usually cannot get a favorite brand (except for specials). Upside is you’re not having to choose between 50 kinds of peanut butter. Overall, Aldi is great for shopping I a time and financial budget, and this location is nice as well.

Aldi in a nutshell: No frills, discount grocery store. Recently started accepting credit cards for the first time ever. If you want a shopping cart, pay a quarter to release a cart, but you get your quarter back (cuts down on costs for the store!)
It weirdly reminded me of a much smaller scale version of Costco, without a membership requirement and bulk items. Warehouse feel with some name brands, but mostly generic brands and limited selection. If you are looking to save money but don’t want to buy a Costco membership or buy everything in bulk, I can see this being a good alternative.
Because it’s in Carmel, it seems cleaner and less sketchy than other Aldi’s in Indy.

No frills grocery store. No bags, no credit cards, nothing. That’s all good.
It’s not obvious to me how much I am saving if I am buying the same branded items. Yes, the off-​brands are definitely less, but you can get those at regular grocery stores too. And it’s not obvious to me how much the off-​brands at Aldi are compared to regular grocery stores.
I was just in there browsing, waiting for the family in Michael’s. I wasn’t prepared to compare prices on stuff item by item. But the store was very clean and checkout was fast.

Finally an Aldi closer to home!!! I’ve been an Aldi shopper for years & still can’t believe how much they get into such small stores! Then again there isn’t one side of one entire aisle dedicated to 500 different cereals or breads. Though small they carry almost all the staples you’d need & have some more «exotic» items (hummus, goat cheese, Jalapeño Artichoke dip to name a few). Their deli-​style pizzas are large, reasonably priced & REALLY GOOD!!! Spices (paprika, cumin, garlic powered, ground red pepper, et. al.) run about $ 1 compared to the $ 2+ at other groceries. The produce is usually fresher than some other grocery chains. There is a small selection of beer/​wine as the back of the store & a section of one aisle that has an assortment of household products… everything from skillets, shower caddies, & scissors to clocks, jumper cables & laminating machines. There’s a very small section for discounted merchandise as well.
To the nay-​sayers I say «Hush!» So you bag/​box you’re own groceries, you do in the self-​check outs at Kroger & Wal-​Mart too. I like using their empty boxes to pack my groceries. Haven’t had anything rolling about in the back of my car or a box rip apart. Arranging items to fit is much like doing a tangram puzzle but it doesn’t take long to learn. Have yet to see an Aldi with a shopping cart in the lot because of the quarter system they use. Sometimes people will just give another person their cart upon returning it. Saves a bit of time & it’s just a quarter… no big deal.