ALDI — Local services in Elkton

UPDATE 11/20/23: Place is an absolute dump. I walked in at 7:45pm on a Monday for a couple simple things - cream cheese, shredded sharp cheddar and Colby jack. One package of full fat cheddar, no Aldi branded cream cheese, and the over priced Philadelphia brand had at least one small box up front that was smashed. Was that somebody's idea of a joke? Wanna see a reasonable Aldi? Try the one off the Capital Trail. I think it was next to a Planet Fitness. This one is a dump.

UPDATE 12/28/22: Still not buying cottage cheese here. Prices have gotten stupid. I get that they've gone up everywhere, but when you were originally selling a dozen large eggs for .60¢ and suddenly they're no longer any less than the local big name grocery store, something is wrong. Mushroom pieces in cans were something like .49¢ and suddenly $1.09? I'm not buying this.

UPDATE 06/26/22: Still not buying cottage cheese here and it seems this problem affects other brands and stores. They need more cashiers.

UPDATE 01/06/21: While I love this store overall, they don't listen and I'm questioning their commitment to customer satisfaction. This first one affects any Aldi store. I've complained to their 800 number to the point of having a "manager" call me back. The cottage cheese is either the best you've ever had, or the worst, depending on the day. When you get it and it's almost like soup, it's the worst. An inordinate amount of liquid that makes you wonder if their manufacturer isn't trying to use water for weight. When it's the right viscosity, it's the best cottage cheese I've had in my life. HOWEVER, the other day, on January 6, 2021, I went there, grabbed four items I needed. I was in a bit of a hurry because I was on flex time and didn't want to abuse it. I go to get in line and there are two cash register's and the lines were backed up into the aisles. This isn't the first time. COME ON, ALDI. This is ongoing, ridiculous, and it's getting old. You're squandering the good will you created with customers by not properly staffing cash registers. To make matters worse, I didn't have the time to wait so I put everything back and ran out of there. And while this is NOT Aldi's fault, on my way back I decided to go to Safeway and see if I could just get some Avocados real quick. As I am within eye sight of the overpriced Safeway that I have nothing but disdain for, a guy hits my car. Again, not really Aldi's fault? But if they had just staffed their cash registers with the CUSTOMER IN MIND, they wouldn't have put a taint over their entire brand for me for probably the rest of my life. Thanks, Aldi.

--- Original --- Not a bad store. Lots of brands I had personally not heard of. I'd guess this was an effort to keep prices down. Overall it seemed like a good store that I'd visit again. I went here hoping they might have something out of the ordinary, like a low carb section, but that wasn't the case. Just a nice, small grocery store with...

Revised review: (10 September 2019): Store has improved dramatically. Adding an entrance on the other side of the building, accompanied by significant additional parking, has reduced congestion, improved flow and eliminated the inconvenience factor (see my previous review below). Inventory management is much better. Back to #1 for us.

Previous review: growing increasingly disenchanted. Cannot remember the last time we came here and walked out with everything on our list. In the last 30 days alone they have been out of sale items by the end of the first day of a sale, and now they are out of key items like milk and eggs on a regular basis. Today's disappointment was unsweetened Almond Milk, which I was told was out due to "product re-labeling " and would be out for the foreseeable future. At best, the manager, or district manager, or distributor is actively seeking to see this store fail; at worst, Aldi is on it's way to becoming another passing fad, floundering in the choppy sea of US consumer demand. It's not like it's convenient; moving through the store is an exercise in futility, so when it's a pain to shop there AND a wasted, unsuccessful trip, it's hard to keep coming back.

Previous review: I've spent the last 2+ years traveling the east coast from Florida to New England, NY, and all points in between, and I have to say this chain has really grown on me. It is a weekly visit for many of our staples, and our first stop for produce. This location is nearest our home in Newark DE. It has displaced Acme and Food Lion in our rotation. Loses a star for inconvenient location, although I think it keeps the rent low. Store is...

We love Aldi. Produce is always fresh and excellently priced.

For those who haven't been, this is a European food store and their business model is designed around cutting down on waste. They close, for example, rather than running an empty store all night. Our local store closes at 9pm (7pm on Sundays.) Their stores are conveniently small. You can run in for milk without waking a mile across the store like you do at large super markets. You'll need to bring your own bags. The store sells them and makes boxes available, if necessary. You'll need a quarter to get a cart. It is returned when you return the cart. We choose Aldi for simplicity and because they offer foods not available in other stores.

We enjoy the specialty and foreign items. My husband loves the Take and Bake baguettes. I love the imported cheeses, crackers, and sweets.

I offer four stars rather than five because of the changes at our local store (Elkton, MD). There's been a slow Americanization with soda, processed meats, and chips expanding while imported foods and personal items...