** weird, this was sitting in my unfinished yelp section from almost a year ago, I had been reviewing a different location of it...I didnt even know there was a Vernon one, so I cannot speak to this particular location! **
For those that do not know... ALDI also owns TRADER JOE'S!
ALDI is a tremendously popular and hugely growing worldwide store (started in Germany by two brothers who still own, altho only one of them is active in the business)....They are billionaires who grew the business from a little grocery store in Germany and now are in a huge amount of countries. I am trying to find the url links to some amazing news stories my friend shared with me.....I will post an update when i can locate them.
I am so thankful to a yelp friend of mine who turned me onto this place, the one time before I had decided to try it (after never having heard of it, and knowing they had a new location in Rocky hill). I walked in, took one look and said, ewwww, this is all 'off name' scummy stuff, and its all open stock (kind of like a 'Mini' Sams club but with no membership fees, other than the 25 cents for the carts, which you do receive back. and we prompty turned around and walked out. Big Mistake!
The whole beauty of this place is that is can be run with only a couple of employees in the store if need be...they try to run on very limited operating costs, which allows them to keep product costs low!
The thing to do is to get on the mailing list, and each Saturday they send out the next weeks super deals (which run everything from electronics to toys, to foods, could be anything that they have a deal on).....and the trick is to get there Sun at 10am when they open, cuz they go FAST!
For example....Hubby was there last Sunday for some Anchor Hocking glassware deals $8.88 for a 6 piece glass set of baking containers that also had snap on lids, that could go into freezer/dishwasher/oven. 5 mins after they opened, there was only a couple of them left.....Also got an awesome digital kitchen scale, that elsewhere sells for like 49 bucks and it was 19.
Anyway, their trick is that they have major companies (like pillsbury, and big names like that) produce the same goods as they do, but under one of Aldi's own private label names. They also sell some things that u will recognize (Lean Cuisine for example, was 1.88 last week....each) Which is hugely cheaper than other stores.
Anyway, if you love Trader Joes, you will love Aldi. and Aldi is blowing up all over this country, I think i read they will have a thousand US stores this yr. I know in Hartford, 3 or 4 have opened in just the past few months.
Here is their International website, just to show you how many stores they have, in how many countries!
http://www.aldi.com/
btw, one thing I really like, is their ''double guarantee''...if u don't like something, bring it back (even if only the empty package, and they will not only replace it, they will refund your money! That's unheard of!
ALDI is ranked 25th in U.S. grocery chains in terms of gross sales--(per "Progressive Grocer").
They only carry about 1,400 or so of the most popular/ frequently purchased items, nearly all under their private labels. So, you probably can't do your WHOLE grocery list there, but you can do most of it, and the savings are worth the extra stop! Some stores even have fresh meats, and some locations sell beer and wine.
Anyway, do not be a grocery store snob like I was...I am so glad my friend turned me onto this place!
If you can ever find the news stories about the brothers, they make for fascinating reading (one of them was kidnapped in the 70s for like 5 million deutchmarks or something, and was released after the ransom was paid.....) They say he is a recluse now, ala Howard Hughes.....
Anyway, that's just some interesting reading...the important thing is that this place can save u some serious coin, which is UBER important these days! LOL
**wow, thought I had posted this a long time ago, sorry for not doing so earlier! I still LOOOOOOOVE Aldis! Some of their food is really yummy, i love when they have the German specialties! And we had some awesome appetizer bites recently, they were artichoke and spinach bread bowls (mini sized) ....they were soooo tasty! read more