Aldi

As the economic downturn bites I decided to go and see what all the fuss was about when it comes to the likes of Aldi and Lidl stores.
My nearest stores happened to be opposite each other in Blackwater, Camberley and so, on a trip to Camberley I decided to take a look.
Aldi is situated on a junction controlled by traffic lights and so it’s easy to get in and out of. It has it’s own car park but beware — it’s only for Aldi shoppers so don’t be tempted to go in and then wander down the road to another shop!
Trolleys, released by inserting the obligatory £1 coin are available outside of the store. As you enter I was pleasantly surprised. The store looked a lot brighter and more up market than I’d expected. As I went further into the store I found it neatly arranged and tidy although the initial feeling of quality was lost.
The quality of produce looked very good and the prices were reasonable. Some goods were cheap, others on a par with regular supermarkets.
Of the store cupboard items (and this is what I was interested in) the majority were copies of major brand names at about 2/​3rds of the price. Those I tried were good or acceptable. The bakery products were actually very good.
Fresh meat and frozen produce looked OK but, as I was far from home, I didn’t buy.
Aldi have a rotating stock of non-​food goods and these seemed to be reasonable although not good value.
Carrier bags must be bought and are not provided free of charge. Credit cards are not accepted (although debit cards are). It’s all designed to be no-​frills and efficient. It works.
The most negative aspect of the store is that you come out onto the main road, with a trolley and then have to cross the entrance to the car park in order to reach your car. This feels a bit dangerous.
I was certainly more impressed with Aldi than I was with the Lidl across the road.