I've seen Aldi's around for a while and during this cross country trip I decided to try one. This review is not for those who already know and shop at Aldi's, it's more focused for those that haven't. If you shop there already and like it, then that's great. As a first time shopper there I was surprised. First, the positives. Employees were friendly and the russet potatoes were great. Now for the rest of the story. My first encounter ever with the insert-quarter-to-get-a-shopping-cart brilliant idea. Yep, all the carts are chained together like they've done something terribly wrong. You must insert a quarter to unlock the section of chain for that cart. Apparently, when you return the cart and reattach the chain it will return your quarter. A number of things wrong with this brilliant idea. If you don't have a quarter, you will probably expend more gas and shop somewhere else unless you want to hand carry all your groceries to the counter. If you are like many of us, and do happen to find a quarter at the bottom of the center console of your car, you are likely as not to leave the cart in the parking lot in a vacant stall rather than return it. This defeats the purpose of the whole idea and maybe they will rethink this malarkey, and it also allows others who do not carry pocket change around with them to shop unmolested......they can just take mine that I left for them with the quarter in it. I was tempted go to the bank and get as many quarters as I could and insert them in all the carts in the chain-gang, freeing them from captivity and being used only by those privileged enough to have a quarter. Anyway, after finding my dusty quarter and being instructed on its use by a nice old lady who shared my sentiments about the whole affair, I ambled inside. Way smaller grocery store than I expected, and I don't mean by the everything-is-bigger-in-Texas measure. Next I came to the immediate conclusion that I was not going to easily locate things on my list due to the way things were stacked on the shelves in their original cartons and the way I could immediately see that things were laid out in the store. I also came to the conclusion that I would not find everything I needed on my list. And lastly I came to the conclusion that because of those two things I would probably pay a little less for things here (which is a good thing, since my quarter was locked up in the shopping cart). So, the shopping experience and products: I've shopped at Costco and Smart and Final before so I'm no stranger to warehouse type experience, but this felt more like shopping in someone's garage. Produce was limited and almost all of it looked like it had been sitting there forever. Extensive selection of breads for some reason. All other products were very limited quantity and variety. Want sugar? Sure, one 5 lb bag granulated. No other choices. Want flour? Same thing, one 5 lb bag bleached white flour. Meats looked decent, what there was of it. I bought the only quart of whole milk left in the case (and it was dented in a number of places). Ironically, there was a large section and selection of Easter candy! Yay! Ok, now for check-out. I waited 15 minutes at the only open register while someone was complaining that they were overcharged by a quarter (what's with quarters and this place?). After some weird gyrations they handed the poor guy his quarter. I wish I had an extra quarter to give the guy, but unfortunately it was locked in my cart. Ok, so I'm next. I told the clerk I needed bags. He says he's sorry and starts placing items directly into the cart. I said I would pay for them and he doesn't respond. So, I reach over and grab two sturdy Aldi shopping bags made from environmentally friendly material (woven Polypropylene made in Vietnam) and put them on the counter. He rings them up and just puts them in the cart. Ok, I guess they don't bag items, which somehow relates to lower cost to the consumer. Fine, I can bag them myself at the car. I probably saved a quarter on my potatoes due to the clerk not bagging items. I recently read two studies about the overall negative impact on the environment the reusable bags theory has. Fascinating really and made a lot of sense. Wonder if lawmakers and businesses actually studied this idea before implementing it or if it's just one big virtue-signal. Interesting where a lot of that money they charge for disposable bags goes as well. Anyway, so I wound up buying less than a quarter of the items on my list due to poor quality or lack of inventory, paid less than I would have elsewhere for those items, bagged my own groceries at the car, donated a quarter to the next shopper needing a cart, and wound up driving to another store for the rest of the groceries I needed thereby expending more gasoline and probably harming the environment more than the bag issue. Do I think people are bad or stupid for shopping here? Nope. Will I be back? Nope. read more