Aldi Sneak Peek: Atlanta Area Expansions

As a shopper who loves to make her weekly cash budget stretch I have one huge confession to make: Aldi is one of my favorite places to shop.  We shop there once or twice a week for almost all of our produce because the prices really cannot be beaten.

Late last week I had the honor of attending an Aldi sneak peek in Roswell, GA.  I was able to tour the store with division vice president, Thom Behtz.

Did I mention that my four-year-old was with me?  She told Mr. Behtz what her favorite Aldi food is: Fruit Strips.  She also took every picture that is in this post, except for the photo of herself.  She was super sad that I had a name tag and she didn’t and near the end of the tour I let her wear mine.

So what did I learn on my tour?

Aldi Carries fresh meats, fruits, vegetables, and bakery items.  
Of course!  This is where we buy most of our produce.  I also know that I can get mini-bagels and loaves of bread for right about what the nearby supermarket stores offer during a sale.  I have stopped scouring the ads for the best deals on bread since I know I will get a good deal at Aldi.

All ALDI food products are backed by a Double Guarantee: If for any reason a customer is not 100 percent satisfied with any ALDI food product, ALDI will gladly replace the product and refund the purchase price.
I have used this Double Guarantee several times.  Once I had a rotten watermelon that literally exploded as soon as I cut it open.  Aldi refunded my money and gave me a new watermelon.  I was definitely a happy shopper!  

ALDI exclusive brands are manufactured by many of the nation’s leading food producers, and in the ALDI test kitchen, ALDI ensures that products meet or exceed the quality and taste of the national name brands. 
We like several Aldi brands including Fit and Active.  They make the best all natural fruit strips.  I love that there is no added sugar or a single drop of high fructose corn syrup.  Plus the taste….well, it is awesome! 

Smart shoppers have found that switching from national brands to ALDI exclusive brands can save them up to 50 percent on more than 1,400 of the most commonly purchased grocery items.
I waiver on this.  As an avid coupon shopper I know that I can get a better deal on certain items if I wait for a sale and use a coupon on that item.  In some cases I can get those items for free or just pennies.  However, when I cannot find that item on sale I do turn to Aldi on occasion.   

ALDI stores are small, with only four to five aisles and approximately 10,000 square feet of retail space.  The aisles are about 8-feet wide.  Costs are kept low by accepting cash and debit (no credit or checks) and by the cart rental system.  The quarter deposit you pay on your cart keeps your car from getting dinged and lowers the stores insurance….and they pass those savings on to us!

In the Atlanta area the store hours are typically 9:00 am until 8:00 pm Monday through Saturday and 11:00 am until 6:00 pm on Sunday.  The new 11:00 opening hour is fairly new and makes me very happy!

Above is a photo of my shopping trip this week.  I paid $25.27 out of pocket for bananas, mushrooms, 2 grape tomatoes, 12 kiwis (2 bags), mango, granny smith apples, broccoli, baby carrots, 6 multicolored peppers (2 bags), anjou pears, strawberries, 3 cucumbers, wheat bread, turkey bacon, pepperjack sliced cheese, string cheese, 100% fruit fruit strips, and a gallon of milk!

On our Facebook fan page one of our fans brought up the concern about produce being grown in Mexico with a lot of pesticides.  I took note of the countries of origin while I washed and chopped.  Here is what I discovered:

Carrots: Mexico or canada
Kiwis: Chile
Carrots: USA
Broccoli: USA
Mushrooms: USA
Bananas: Costa rica
Apples: USA
Pears: USA
Mango: Unknown
Tomatoes: Mexico
Strawberries: USA

If you have any ALDI in your area and you haven’t stopped in, please do so!  Your grocery budget will thank you!  Each week we post the Aldi Produce Prices so be sure to stop back by to see exactly what you should be stocking up on!