When I first started shopping in Aldi and Lidl, way back in 2008, my friends were snooty. With prices so low, the quality had to be inferior. Now, I think they realise that is not the case at all and they all shop in both stores! Who wouldn’t? But which is best? Here are my views and the thoughts of some other bloggers on the Aldi vs Lidl debate.
Both are cheaper
When I first discovered the discount supermarkets, we didn’t have either Aldi or Lidl in my town. However, I was so impressed with them I actually used to drive 13 miles once a month to the nearest Lidl in Clacton. Even with the cost of the petrol, it was still so much cheaper to stock up.
I would build in extra time to do an Aldi shop each time we went to visit relatives up the road in Ipswich too.
Now we have three Aldi stores here and two Lidls. The world has caught up with my frugal shopping habits!
At the time, I had three daughters still at home and found that by shopping in Aldi or Lidl I shaved at least £30 off our weekly shop, which at that point cost around £90 to £100 a week. A £30 a week saving is not to be sniffed at and it was often more. Who doesn’t want to save money on their food shopping?
Ten years on, I still find both Aldi and Lidl much cheaper to do a whole shop in than Asda, Sainsbury’s or Tesco. However, I think they have tried to compete and even the high end supermarkets like Waitrose have value ranges now.
Both companies are still growing, with the Retail Gazette reporting that they are in the top three supermarkets for growth. But in the Aldi vs Lidl debate, which one is winning?
Why are they different to the big three?
Both Aldi and Lidl have far fewer product lines than the major supermarkets. This means that they can focus on fewer suppliers, which keeps costs down. For me, it also keeps stress levels down! I would rather whizz round a smaller supermarket and stay focussed on what I actually need to buy, than get lost amongst clothing, homeware and shelves full of food that I neither need nor want.
As well as saving me money because things are cheaper, there is less temptation, which saves even money. An added bonus is that, because there us less to choose from, shopping in Aldi or Lidl saves me time.
They have a lot of their own products and lines which, in my opinion, are often nicer and better quality (not to mention cheaper) than the value and own brand ranges in the big three supermarkets.
For those of you who save time by doing an online shop, it might be annoying that neither Aldi or Lidl offer this as an option. However, by going in you get to choose exactly what you want and, as I say, you get round in half the time you would in a massive Sainsbury’s or Tesco.
Customer service
Great ethos in Aldi
Aldi used to have a system that most customers seemed to understand when I first started shopping with them. They keep their staff costs (and therefore the costs of the goods) as low as possible by whizzing your through the tills!
You throw your goods into your trolley after they have been scanned then go and organise them and pack them properly on the shelves at the back of the store.
This can be stressful for new customers (although I didn’t mind it once I had got the hang). However, I no longer see Aldi staff insisting that customers do it, but they still seem to get customers through the tills pretty quickly.
Face to face contact
They don’t appear to have given into the faceless self-service tills, as Lidl have. This is generally a virtue in my opinion as I value a bit of human interaction, but can be annoying if you only have a couple of things and have to queue behind someone shopping for a family for the week.
Personally, I have developed a system when I am shopping anywhere of emptying my trolley onto the belt and then placing three large bags open in my empty trolley. I can then just throw things in! I always put the heaviest items at the front of the belt so that they end up at the bottom of my bags and not squashing more delicate items such as bread or salad.
Aldi always seem to have enough staff and an efficient system of jumping on and off the till quickly as required. The staff get a lot done but seem to get paid more than other supermarkets for their efforts. In my local one, the staff are really friendly and helpful too.
Frustrations at Lidl
Lidl never seemed to encourage this speedy packing culture, which is frustrating if they only have a couple of people on the tills and you are waiting whilst someone carefully and slowly packs their groceries away.
However, they do have self service tills available if you only have a basket. I have to say, from my experience in our local branches, that there are always long queues at both the normal tills and the self service ones. They generally don’t have enough staff on and those on the floor don’t react quickly and queue bust as they do at Aldi.
Usually at least one of the self service tills is out of order or ridiculously slow as well. Unlike the big supermarkets, staff don’t offer to help you pack in either Lidl or Aldi in my experience, which is odd if they aren’t insisting any more that you take your trolley and pack properly once you have paid.
Plain rude
The other thing that I dislike about my local Lidl is that there isn’t a good customer service culture. I have been at the till many times where the assistant has either barely spoken to me at all, or has chatted to a colleague the whole way through our transaction. I think this is plain rude.
It might, of course, just be my local branch, so I would be interested to hear in the comments if your experience has been different. I have Tweeted Lidl a couple of times about these issues, with no response.
Aldi vs Lidl for taste and quality
Aldi fans
There are endless You Tubers comparing the taste of Aldi vs Lidl products. I rather enjoyed this one by Sopherina, where Aldi came out top. Of course, taste tests are incredibly subjective, so what about quality?
Blogger Simon Donald from Pennies for the Piggy Bank says, “I’m an Aldi fan, as find the quality of the food better along with more choice. I also found things like Aldi nappies and baby formula to be better than a lot of the brands too.”
Laura from Savings for Savvy Mums agrees: “I think ALDI is amazing! I think the quality of the produce is better than Lidl and their logical layout in stores suits me. ”
Or Goren from Savvy Londoner goes to both, as he thinks their pricing is comparable. However, he prefers Aldi because: “There’s one thing that’s better for me in Aldi – they have a bigger selection of gluten-free products, which are horribly expensive everywhere else. Lidl did add a gluten-free section as well, but for now, it’s small and doesn’t offer much (and the prices aren’t that enticing).”
Katy Stevens from Allergy Free Day prefers Aldi for similar reasons: “I think Aldi great as their allergy friendly products are ever increasing. As the Mum of a child with multiple allergies I’m gradually being able to do more and more of a full shop there.“
Claire from Daily Deals Blog is another Aldi fan: “My family and I are team Aldi. They have a much nicer range of products. I can do an entire week’s shop at Aldi without having to top up in Tesco or Asda, which then ends up costing me more. When I shop in Lidl I always end up having to go elsewhere as well which defeats the object.
Laura from the Thrifty Londoner was not impressed when she went to Lidl: “Might have just been a one off, but when I shopped at Lidl for fresh fruit and veg, everything was rotten inside when I cut it open at home!
I’ve had some great experiences with the Aldi fruit and veg though, and other fantastic finds there include dairy free pesto and great value hen party decorations.”
Jennifer from Monethalia prefers Aldi because it DOESN’T have a bakery section: “Totally Aldi! Since I started going there, I’ve been saving about £5 on my weekly shopping compared to Lidl. I think it’s partly due to the absence of a bakery section like Lidl’s. ”
Penny from Penny Blogs is on the fence but veering towards Aldi: “I love both Aldi and Lidl but if I had to choose one it would probably be Aldi because it’s two minutes closer to where I live! Seriously though their baby range is amazing. I have a ten month old and since birth she has been in their nappies and their wipes are the best on the market by a long way. We also weaned her using their pouches of baby food and the baby snacks are cheaper than all the other supermarkets but excellent quality. ”
Scott Dixon from the Grumpy Git agrees with me that Aldi tends to have better customer service: “I prefer Aldi over Lidl, although I use both out of convenience.
“Aldi’s products, quality and service is generally better than Lidl and they don’t use self-service checkouts which is the clincher for me. The stores are better laid out and fully stocked, which is something that Lidl also lacks.”
Hayley from Miss Many Pennies also prefers Aldi. “I find I can find more of what I need for a full shop in Aldi, and my experience has been that the quality of fresh foods has been better. I also like that you don’t have to wait to long at the checkouts as they are quick to open new tills if the lines get long
Lidl fans
Fiona from Savvy in Somerset says her local Lidl has the edge. “Personally I much prefer Lidl to Aldi. They have a much bigger range of products and I can almost do a full week’s shop there. When I’ve tried to do a week’s shop at Aldi there are just so many products they don’t have!
“At Aldi there always seems to be lots obstructions in the aisles too which makes shopping really difficult and queues are always long – particularly frustrating when you only have a few items. In contrast, my local Lidl has self service tills, which are perfect when you only have a basket.
“Price wise I don’t think there’s a huge amount of difference but the overall shopping experience, while not perfect, is much better at Lidl.
Sian from Little Miss Frugal also prefers Lidl: “I have to go with Lidl! But that may be because we don’t have any Aldi stores near where I live in London for me to visit. Lidl, however, l love. They have a bakery section, great fruit and veg and l love the variety of products that you get within their Deluxe range. Also not forgetting middle of Lidl where you can pick up the most random household goods.”
Thrifty Chap Joseph Seager says: “We usually do our weekly shop at Aldi because it’s closer, but Lidl’s bakery section might just sway it for me.”
Mum on a Budget Nicola is also on Team Lidl in the Aldi vs Lidl debate: “Personally I find Lidl to have better layouts than Aldi stores, which make things easier to find. The middle aisles are less chaotic, so it’s a more pleasant shopping experience. I also like how a lot of their bakery items are made fresh in store. ”
On the fence
One of the few bloggers who liked Lidl and Aldi equally was Katie from Katie Saves: “I love both! I live near Lidl so often get a magazine through the door with a £5 off a £25 spend, which is amazing because you can get so much for your money, plus the bakery is the best!
“Aldi is better for fresh fruit and veg and their entire Mamia baby range is fantastic. Their nappies are better than the leading brands and a fraction of the price.”
Melissa from Skinny Spending is also on the fence: “ I’m a regular at Aldi and there are certain products that I buy there rather than anywhere else, such as their version of Cadbury’s chocolate trifles! But the fresh bakery section in Lidl is very good and so cheap compared to other supermarkets.”
My view on the Aldi vs Lidl debate
As I said above, a lot of this is subjective and not measurable, especially taste testing. Having said that, Good Housekeeping taste tests are worth a read.
I appreciate Lidl in some respects; it does have a fantastic range of loose nuts and snacks, as well as packaged ones, which are great. They also have an in store bakery, which always looks and smells so tempting and delicious. Like Aldi, the products are excellent value.
Their wine, gin and booze generally is brilliant and, like Aldi, they now sell lactose free milk.
However, I have also found the quality of the fruit and veg unreliable. You have to really check that things are over ripe or on the turn. They also often have gaps in their stocks of the basics.
They have some great bargains in the middle aisles. I bought Mr S a cordless drill last Christmas and he was very pleased with it.
The stores I have visited have seemed understaffed and they don’t have any queue busting strategy as far as I can see. At least in my local one, the staff need better customer service training.
In Aldi, whichever store I go into, they have a clear and obvious system and react quickly when a queue develops. The staff are always friendly and helpful. They don’t have a bakery, which is good as I can do without the temptation! They also do brilliant value booze and their own brand chocolate is excellent.
I used their moisturiser for years, before I decided to swap to a more natural organic one. It was only £1.99 a pot and worked a treat. My daughter really rates their copycat versions of branded products, such as the dupe Jo Malone candles, which also go quickly. They cost around £4 as opposed to £40 plus for the real thing!
Which is best overall?
Both Aldi and Lidl are brilliant in terms of overall quality and price. Not just for basic groceries either. Luxury items such as smoked salmon, champagne and prosecco, extra virgin olive oil, etc can be purchased much more cheaply than from the bigger supermarkets.
I have always found them comparable in terms of price. However, I choose to do our regular shop at Aldi, even though it is slightly further to travel than Lidl. I will go into Lidl if I am in a hurry as it is literally round the corner and would always choose it over, say, Asda, which I dislike intensely!
So in the Aldi vs Lidl battle, Aldi comes out on top, both for me and most of my fellow money bloggers.
I hope that both will try to improve the amount of packaging on their fresh produce, and give consumers more options to buy loose. They were the first to encourage customers to bring their own bags. I would like to see them dispense with single use carrier bags altogether.
It’s great that both are now catering for those of us with food allergies and intolerances (I have a post on this here), and I hope they expand the range on these. I would love to see some lactose free yogurt appearing next!
Where are you on the Aldi vs Lidl debate?
It’s a tough one. I prefer the Lidl stores near me, they’re both very new so they’re very light and bright, I’ve found customer service to be on the same level in both Aldi and Lidl. Fruit and veg isn’t something I regularly buy from either but I think Lidl edges it in terms of freshness when I have.
Aldi is great for free from foods – the beetroot burgers in particular are delicious, but they both get great specials and I love Lidl for the choice of basics like dried fruit a nuts. When it comes down to it I’m glad to have easy access to both., although I couldn’t do all my shopping in either.
I prefer Aldi for many of the reasons listed above,: queue busting, excellent service, great food and lots of naturally gluten free foods. I do have to say though that in my opinion the Lidl gins are better than the Aldi ones and so is their natural range of dog food.
I don’t use either. I have two Lidls and an Aldi near me and their fresh fruit and veg is appalling and doesn’t last. I also struggle with their meat. If they can sell meat so much more cheaply than other supermarkets what do they pay the farmer and in what conditions are the animals kept if the farmer is paid a lower amount. I average £45 per week for two adults and two teenagers using my local market and Morrisons.
Good point. I think all the supermarkets under pay farmers these days sadly
I found that the quality of fruit and veg in Aldi is not good in terms of lasting. Not tried Lidl’s.
We don’t have Lidl in Australia (although they’re supposedly going to open them here eventually)
and Aldi has only been in South Australia for a couple of years. I have been to Lidl stores while
travelling in Europe and, had I the choice, I would stick to Aldi – for many of the reasons you stated
(shorter queues, better customer service, better fruit and veg). I go to Aldi for all my basics
(toilet paper, cleaning items, anything I need in bulk etc.). However I don’t generally buy fresh food
there as I prefer to use a locally owned supermarket or greengrocer and buy local if possible.
Unfortunately you can’t buy alcohol in supermarkets in SA which is a shame because some of
their wines are really good value – I always buy some if I can when I’m interstate!
Sainsbury’s used to be my main shop as that was all we had until about 3 years ago when Aldi and Asda opened a few minutes walk away from each other. Then Lidl opened up about a mile closer to my house about 18 months ago. I had big hopes for both. Sadly disappointed.
Aldi is small and dingy, and this is after they closed it for several months just one year after opening it, to do a complete refit!!
Their produce is awful, the aisles are narrow, and usually full of obstacles like empty boxes or pallets of items to put out, but the self-stacker has been called away.
The queues at the 6 tills are always miles long which makes getting round the front of the store impossible. Hate the baskets of tat in the middle – I don’t even glance at them.
I wanted to do my whole shop there, but really end up getting bread, coffee, a few salad items, my lentil crisps, pasta, cheese and sandwich meats there now.
Great hopes for Lidl as the one to replace the other 3 shops, but sadly not only were like for like items more expensive than Aldi, they didn’t have half of what I needed so would still have to trudge up to the others anyway, so now I just sail past it on the bus and look wistfully at the big bright shiny store.
My biggest and cheapest shop is probably still Iceland on a different day. I don’t even look at the frozen section in other stores as it’d have defrosted by the time I get it home. Even though it’s only a 15 minute walk away, Iceland deliver for free!
Iceland is really good value. I like them too but don’t eat that much frozen food currently
They do not cover so many areas though x
I do so agree with you, Julia re the narrow aisles which have boxes and rubbish on the floor. The section in the middle infuriates me. It’s like a jumble sale. Even after a refit in our branch too, it’s a mess. The quality of fruit and veg is unreliable. Shopping should be pleasurable. Aldi makes it the opposite.
Good post Jane!
I am in Dallas TX USA and we have several Aldi’s in this area. One is within walking distance of my home so I am a frequent customer. It is my mainstay for grocery shopping, prices are always lower than the mainstream stores. They do offer online shopping and delivery although I have not tried the service because I am so close.
The staff are friendly and helpful and here also, do quickly react to queues at the till.
Trader Joes is a sister store and owned by the same company. A more specialized store with more choices and frills, it is very popular here. Prices are higher at Trader Joes.
Lidl has not yet made it to my area although I believe there are some in other parts of the country.
I am an ex-pat, having lived much of my life in the UK so I do love you blog and connection with home.
Best wishes to you and your readers.
Pam in Texas.
Thanks Pam!
I’m lucky to have both Aldi and Lidl within very easy walking distance. Lidl is the nicer store, it was rebuilt about 2 years ago, but I prefer Aldi. Round here it’s the norm in Aldi that if you only have a few items and you’re behind someone with a trolley full that they let you go first. It’s only in Aldi that this happens but it’s the same in all our local Aldi’s.
I don’t know why people say Aldi fruit and veg doesn’t last. I live alone, so hardly use it up speedily, but I have never had a problem with it. Asda fruit and veg is awful stuff, I won’t buy it.
I find Iceland very expensive, the free delivery is great, but there’s an awful lot in there that I simply don’t eat.
I don’t have any problems with the quality of the veg in Aldi – I always check before I put it in my trolley
To answer your question as to where I am on the debate, I am sorry to say I am on neither side. I have tried them but apart from the odd item, I dislike both. I hate shopping out of cardboard boxes and find it a depressing experience. Despite knowing several peop,e who are happy and the rave reviews you quoted, I’m generally not happy with the quality of the foods I’ve tried. I concede that the Lidle bakery has a good range but don’t want to be shopping in several places. I’ve tried the stores several times because I think I ‘ought to’ but not for me.
It is really a difficult one. Where we are Lidl is actually the closest supermarket so no contest on convenience. However, there are always things I need to buy that are not in either Aldi or Lidl (ie Branston sandwich pickle) so tend to drive to Honiton where I am spoilt for choice with a bigger/better/newer Lidl, Aldi and smallish Tesco as well as a free range egg farm, so I will go here every fortnight or so and buy something from each. We work seasonally and move around to different areas quite often (as well as travelling in Europe) most places have one or other, a couple of places have had both. If I had to come down on one side it would probably be Aldi but I am grateful to have either. However, when we are in Europe I do prefer Lidl.
Interestingly, Aldi came out top as “most loved store” in a recent MSE poll with over 3,800 participants!
It wasn’t looking at just grocery stores,, but all retaillers (Sports Direct came bottom) so it had some stiff competition.
If you’re interested you can see the results here:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/poll/17-09-2019/which-stores-do-you-love-or-loathe?utm_source=MSE_Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=24-Sep-19-50579601-4532&utm_campaign=nt-poll&utm_content=3
It’s most loved by me. Although I am fond of Home Bargains and Wilkinson’s too for a bargain
I just wish that shopping at either didn’t involve so much plastic. My daughter always comments on it as she has sourced fruit and veg from a greengrocer and health food shop.
Yes I agree. They need to try harder