ALDI — Local services in Durham

Good location and great value. I've enjoyed many of my purchases and have found some tasty or helpful products here. I'm also glad that they have added self-checkout stations. I am more interested in shopping here with self-checkout, as the checkout process feels much faster after their installation; the lines are shorter or faster to go through. The store is well-lit, generally tidy and well stocked, and has a decent variety of product.

However, I'm taking a star off for the strong smells I sometimes encounter here. I have definitely walked away having bought nothing when the smell is bad; it isn't encouraging customers to buy food or other items when it smells gross. I hope they consider tossing, changing, or reconsidering their cleaning products or how they are stored. Sometimes the store is fine until they start their mopping/cleaning process; whatever is in there is chemical, gross, and generally unpleasant. I stopped in today and bought some things for someone nearby in need, and ugh what an awful smell. If it were just purchasing for me I may have left. I have literally appreciated competing stores for their pleasant smell upon entry and during the shopping experience, so hopefully this is something they can address for themselves as well as...

Frustrating. If I need to go to an Aldi again I'll go to Burlington. The freaking cashier cracks open the container of cherry tomatoes and then walks away. As they're all slipping through the cart onto the floor. Gee thanks. Meanwhile I have ice cream melting as I gather my tomatoes OFF THE FILTHY FLOOR. Another employee came over as I was fussing and kindly asked if she could go get another one. She gets 5 stars. It'll be a long time before I go back.

Update I went back today and I totally regret it. I know I know...fool me once.... I got it. I got what I deserved. This time, the cashier left her light on, walked away and I stupidly assumed she'd be right back. Wrong. Apparently she walked out to her car with a bag of grapes and a bottle of yoo-hoo and started driving to tiajuana. My bad for thinking that the inmates are no longer running the asylum.

Lowering rating from 2 to 1 star. They deserve negative ten. Aldi's won't care until they're not making money anymore. Which will be too late.

Much improved 12 6...

This is the closest store to me, so it's very convenient. I don't know if this store is exceptionally busy, but I find that stock can be very spotty. The new finds and featured items are supposed to be out for Wednesday, but if you go on a Wednesday morning most of the Finds shelves are empty, as are some other things. And by Thursday, the "Aisle of Shame" is already a mess. (Customers, please be courteous to your fellow shoppers AND the store staff and put the things you look at back where you found them!)

Today the empty spaces were for nuts and many vegetables...and the green beans looked horrible. Either this store gets trucks late, or they need to bring in staff earlier to stock shelves.

I'm giving one star for self-checkout, which is my preference. However, this should free up the staff to do better with keeping shelves stocked. If that isn't happening because the store is that busy, then they need to...