On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:14:03 -0800 (PST), phaeton
> wrote:

>About 10 years ago I went to an ALDI store in Chicagoland with this
>girl at the time. The shopping cart deposit system was kind of silly
>to me. The store wasn't the cleanest, and nothing was on shelves. It
>was all stacked on rows of pallets in varying states of disrepair.
>Everything I picked up and looked at, from canned goods to dry goods
>to boxes of cereal to jars of pickles was expired. Most of it was
>within 6 months to a year past the expiry date, but some things were 2
>to 5 years past. I asked her "WTF?" and she said that that's what
>ALDI was- a clearance store for 'expired but still good' goods.
>
>I couldn't believe it.
>
>Lately however, i've been getting ALDI sales ads with the other
>mailbox stuffers. These tell a completely different story, like ALDI
>is just another (smaller) grocery chain. They even have meat and
>produce, whereas the other store only had frozen lunchmeat and produce
>(which I was afraid to even look at).
>
>I haven't been to an ALDI since that first store. I take it that that
>one is a completely inaccurate example of what ALDI is?

My first stop at Aldi's was about like yours but I didn't far enough
to checks any dates. I only needed milk and a few other things. By
the time i got to the checkout I was so disgusted by the dirty mess
and the creepy customers I put everything back and went to a real
store.

Years after that I tried them again because Louise had been going for
milk and staple stuff. Although the change from the first visit was
dramatic the place still doesn't thrill me. This holiday season
they've had lots of chocolates, candies, and cookies that were all
good quality and quite a value. And the same with chips and munchie
stuff but we don't buy a lot of that. A few weeks ago they had peanut
oil for $4.49 a gallon. Milk and eggs are cheap but flour is more
than a real store. I won't buy any meat there. Some of the canned
stuff is from China so forget that. It's worth a stop once in awhile
but for the few good things they have I'd rather do most of the
shopping elsewhere.

Lou