ALDI — Local services in Bartow

Hands down my favorite place to shop. After starting a healthier way of eating, I was absolutely thrilled when Bartow, Florida got an Aldi.

Yes, they do require a refundable quarter for a buggy. However this ensures many things, staff can be fully attentive to the customer in the store and an extra employee is not needed. It also drastically reduces the number of stray carts loose in the parking lot. It's efficient and cost effective. Now that that's all taken care of let's enter the store. : )

Large windows let in a pleasant amount of light as you enter and bam you are in produce, my personal favorite. They offer a wide, clean, organized and fresh variety of fruit and veg. All priced wonderfully affordable! 50% of my weekly grocery budget ($200) is spent here and it lasts into the next week. This is pretty great considering meal preps for two and home-cooked meals daily.

They do offer different brands but tastes are comparable, as with the Soy and Wasabi Almonds and White Cheddar Popcorn. Although there is no bakery, the pastries and bread selection is well done. Crossaints, baguette and bagels are on the shopping list.

Eggs are in cardboard containers, moisture from the cooler compromises the box and eggs do sometimes break. If you struggle with this, ask the staff they are always happy to help. Their options for healthy choices are great.

I would advise purchasing the turkey breasts, from the meat section, and almond flour (season it up) cook in the air fryer, totally delicious.

Deli meat, cheese and charcuterie item Heaven, broad array of choices. Meat and frozen goods are affordable and well stocked, most of the time. I recommend the fresh salmon fillets. Around $22 for a 25 inch beautiful, tasty piece of fish, this truly can't be beat! Home goods, can goods and paper products are well priced, stocked and organized.

The isles are wide and uncluttered. There's no extra items to buy hanging from shelves. They seem to be expanding the miscellaneous merchandise. It's always fun to check out the new inventory.

Not sure where they are trained, but the staff has one goal at check out...to get you on your way and quickly. Although they sit while they work, they are no slouches!

The self bagging system isn't for everyone, I enjoy it. Paper bags a few cent each. I personally skip the indoor bagging and do it at the car. Take that final trip to return the buggy and get the reward of my quarter back or paying it forward to another customer. Always an enjoyable experience!

P.S. It is cold, bring a...

I’ve been shopping at this store since it opened and, while it was nice in the beginning, it has really gone down hill. The cashiers were never going to win awards for customer service but for the past couple of years they are on an outrageous power trip. Bagging my own groceries and using the quarter for a cart never bothered me, but I stopped shopping here regularly after I was accosted by the manager for affecting exactly ZERO other people, while bagging my own groceries with my two young children around the holidays in 2023. I started thinking twice about going at all after a male cashier DEAD LEGGED ME WITH A CART without even noticing in his rush to beat the grocery scanning clock this past year. The last time I was there another male cashier, in a rush as usual, dropped my groceries onto the floor and without any mumble of a human response, grabbed them up and threw them back into my cart for me to take as that is what ALDI had given me. I dare not waste my time finding a manager because they are the reason the cashiers feel they can treat, not only paying customers but OTHER PEOPLE WHO ALSO LIVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY this way. The prices are not worth the degradation. I have been just fine using Kroger delivery and Publix bogos. The quality of both far exceeds this...

This place is not bad. The aisles are clean, there's a decent variety of products, and everything is well marked. But, they want you to insert money to use their shipping carts, and more importantly, they want you to bag your groceries away from the register, and it is with that which I have a problem. First off, I don't work there, so if you want shoppers to bag their own groceries, then it's only fair that they receive an employee discount...oh wait, we already mentioned that we don't work there. Once you scan an item, it's basically mine. Putting it in the cart, to then have to transfer to another completely different area to bag is a ridiculous waste of my time and energy. Now, the store may want to respond by saying that they can maintain lower prices because they make you (the consumer) do their job for them. If you want me to do your job, then pay me, and don't say that you're passing on the discounts, because then I'll need to see a balance sheet where it says that. Or better yet, take those cart-quarters, create another much needed job, and...