ALDI — Local services in Lebanon

I really like Aldi. Their high quality and low prices are hard to beat. I would go there more often except for two disadvantages :

1. Other than providing marked parking spaces and a lonely little wheelchair with a basket, Aldi makes no provision for the handicapped. The wonderful basket-equipped electric scooters which have become ubiquitous at most food stores have yet to make it to Aldi. It's a major physical challenge for me to shop with a regular cart -- and for that reason, I seldom patronize Aldi.

2. Although Aldi has a nice bakery section stocked with a wide variety of fresh breads, rolls, and bagels, aside from a short period of time around Christmas, they never offer rye bread. That seems particularly strange for a German-owned supermarket. One would think that if any store were to offer good rye bread, it would be Aldi. But the management seems to have made two incorrect assumptions. They apparently think that because Lebanon is a small city in Tennessee, not many of its residents like rye bread. (Then why do Wal-Mart, Kroger, Publix, and even the smaller food stores such as Al's Food Town and Cash Saver Cost Plus always have it available?) And they also apparently think that during the weeks around Christmas, all of a sudden all those Lebanon residents who supposedly eat only white and whole wheat the rest of the year develop a sudden craving for rye. Well, guess what, Aldi? There are lots of us here who enjoy good rye bread, and not just at Christmas. Why are you forcing us to go to another store in order to buy it?

For those two reasons, I was unable to award Aldi 5 stars. But aside from those two deficiencies, it's an excellent store that I recommend...

Very clean, well stocked and conveniently sized store that makes it easy to get in and out of. Store brands are much less expensive and are usually equal or superior in quality to the national brands they replace. Only items that doesn't come close to measuring up are the strangely named copycat beer and wine selections. Also don't like the quirky cart setup where you have to insert a refundable quarter in the handle to be able to use it. Why???...like the threat if not getting my quarter back would keep me from taking the cart back to the store in the rain? Also need to bring your own shopping bags. Overall a very good, convenient and funky shopping experience aided by a friendly,...

Usually everything is good here in this store other then occasionally being out b of something and I'm aware it's in the process of remodeling and expansion but that's no excuse for a checkout clerk to be do wrapped up in HIS personal interests to pull the shipping cart out from under a disabled person leaning on it to keep from falling and even after I said something to him politely he ignored me, and kept on seemingly flirting with the young lady working there. This all happened on May 5th around 730pm if management even cares. Maybe next time I should just fall afternoon collect after dome...