ALDI — Local services in Greensboro

I have resisted visiting Aldi because of the cramped little parking lot used by the store nearest my house. (I have a thing about crowded retail parking lots.) Finally, after many years and the insistence of an adult child, I visited. Yup: new favorite place.

On tight budget, and Aldi is nothing if not budget friendly. Shopping at Aldi is a no frills experience, and I love it. Fussiness in shopping just amps up my shopping phobia, but I didn't know that a bare bones experience just as this would calm me to the point where I don't mind repeating the trip.

There are no shopping bags given away at checkout. However, there are plenty of boxes for customer use, and many people use those. There are also durable plastic bags for sale. I already have a trunk full of shopping bags, so I'm good but I did purchase two for my significant other, since he likes to bargain shop.

Shopping carts will cost a quarter to use. However, if you return the cart to the stand and secure it, your quarter is returned. So, your vehicle is safe from the antics of lazy customers who make no effort to put away carts, and Aldi saves money on paying employees to gather carts allowing them to keep prices low.

Products are generally displayed on shelves, but still in shipping boxes to save time employees would otherwise spend decanting. So efficient. I love efficiencies that are not unkind or inconsiderate of others.

I cannot do all of my grocery shopping at Aldi only because our dinner menus often have ingredients requiring trips to Indu and Super Gmart (Indian/Pakistani, Middle Eastern and sometimes Mexican and Thai/Laotian cuisine because... flavor.) While Aldi has, for instance, bottled sauces for Mexican and East Asian cuisines, we prefer to roll our own.

There are other warehouse-type stores, like Costco and Sam's Club, but they are huge and their parking lots are deal breakers for me. Large retailers and the chaos that orbits and infiltrates them drove me to do 95% of my non-produce shopping online. With Aldi, I've discovered...

I had never been to Aldi until a few months ago. I used to rely on pickup orders most of the time, but I finally decided to go inside and see what it was all about—and I’m glad I did.

The store is laid out really well and easy to get through. I especially like that you walk straight into the produce section when you enter. It’s a nice way to start with the healthiest part of your shopping. As you go through the aisles, they have a mix of familiar name brands and other brands I had never heard of before. I’ve tried a few of those, and to my surprise, they tasted really good.

One of my favorite finds has been the Burman’s sauces, like the orange sauce and sweet-and-sour sauce. I’ve only seen these at Aldi, and they’re a great option for people who are watching their sodium. They’re not extremely low in sodium, but they’re definitely lower than most sauces you’ll find in other stores, and they still have good flavor.

Their chicken, beef, and steak are priced fairly, and they have a nice variety of cheeses. You get a lot for what you pay. The cheese I bought didn’t melt quite like Kraft, but it still tasted just as good.

Just a heads-up—don’t forget to bring a quarter for your shopping cart, and bring your own bags or grab a box while you’re inside, since they don’t give out free bags. That part reminded me of shopping in Boston, where I had to bring my own bags or pay for them. Luckily, I still have plenty of reusable bags from then.

All in all, I’ve had a great experience shopping at Aldi and plan to keep going back. I’ll probably take some pictures...

ALDI in Greensboro consistently impresses with its diverse and fresh produce selection. I always find a wide array of vibrant fruits and crisp vegetables, often at prices that truly can't be beaten elsewhere. It's fantastic for stocking up on healthy essentials without breaking the bank, making it a regular stop for my grocery needs.

The quality of their produce is a significant draw, often outshining larger, more expensive supermarkets. However, the store seems perpetually understaffed, which significantly impacts the shopping experience.

On my last visit, nearly all the outside carts were stuck or broken, rendering them unusable. This is incredibly frustrating when you're trying to shop efficiently and limits how much you can buy. Once inside, a huge line snaked to the single open checkout, while a security officer sat nearby, seemingly engrossed in sudoku. It truly begs the question: why is a security guard needed when another cashier would drastically improve customer flow and satisfaction?

The value is undeniably there, but these operational issues, particularly the lack of checkout staff, definitely detract from an otherwise great shopping spot. It feels like they're prioritizing misplaced security over basic customer...