Unews World
As Aldi lost its crown as the UK’s cheapest supermarket, many Independent readers were quick to praise its closest rival, with Lidl hailed as the new budget champion.
Several commenters highlighted how deep discounting, especially on fresh food close to expiry, allowed savvy shoppers to stock their freezers for a fraction of the price. “That’s where the real savings are,” one noted.
Others praised Lidl’s straightforward offering – from “superior” fruit and veg to reliable low prices on staples.
Still, there were gripes. While checkout speed was seen as a bonus by many, others found the self-checkout machines and customer service lacking.
Some shoppers, however, took a more selective approach. “I get the best from each,” one wrote, explaining how they combined Lidl, Aldi and Farmfoods in a single trip.
Overall, the sentiment was clear: Lidl is doing something right. Here’s what you had to say:
Lidl discounts make the difference
Skint geezer here… what isn’t being factored in is that Lidl will knock 20 per cent, then 50 per cent, off their fresh food prices, enabling one to stock up the freezer for a fraction of the prices charged at Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
My local Sainsbury’s also reduces items to 50 per cent but it’s so hit and miss as to what time they’ll do it, and it’s manager-dependent (a couple of them exceedingly tight).
Tel-X
I can’t be bothered with huge supermarkets
We do all our shopping at the Co-op. They have excellent own brands and member discounts. The petrol station gives you 10p off a litre if you spend over a certain amount in-store.
I can’t be bothered with huge supermarkets – there is more to life than wasting an afternoon choosing between thirty different types of baked beans or lavatory paper.
Get a free fractional share worth up to £100.
Capital at risk.
Terms and conditions apply.
ADVERTISEMENT
Get a free fractional share worth up to £100.
Capital at risk.
Terms and conditions apply.
ADVERTISEMENT
WorriedWelsh
What are your best supermarket hacks? Drop your favourite tricks and discoveries in the comments below.
Best of both worlds
My town has both Lidl and Sainsbury’s almost side by side, so comparison is easy – and with both discount cards, I get the best of both worlds.
Lidl’s veg seems far more plasticised and packaged. Each weighed stalk of broccoli is vacuum-packed, while Sainsbury’s is fresh from the crate, and you pick your size.
Most telling, though, is that Lidl always appears to be understaffed, and their high staff turnover must indicate something negative.
Branded products are usually on a par with Sainsbury’s and sometimes more expensive. I’m lucky to have time to pick and mix, but I always have the feeling that Sainsbury’s fresh meat and own label are more likely to be British than Lidl’s.
Fallingapart
Selective Co-op shopper
It depends an awful lot on what you buy. While Co-op can be expensive, its member prices and offers are generally pretty competitive. I do shop there for some things, but I’m pretty selective about what I buy.
Yorkshireman
The free market at work
The free market is working well, except where supermarkets have grabbed more sites than they need. But overall, if you live in a suburb, you will have a great range of food stores.
Locally, I’ve got an Aldi, and for a wider range of items, I get Tesco deliveries – I live in a second-floor flat with no lift, so getting it delivered to the door is a nice bonus.
Ender’s Shadow
Nice to have variety
Lidl and Aldi are much of a muchness so far as cost is concerned. With most goods, however, Aldi’s quality is superior. However, some Lidl items are of better quality.
So, I mostly shop at Aldi; sometimes shop at Lidl, but also – since they’re nearby – drop into Tesco and Sainsbury’s, too. If I’m feeling posh and flush, I go to Waitrose. Nice to have all the variety, frankly.
MoodyJack
The deciding factor is the car parking
The price difference between Lidl and Aldi is so small – and their difference to Waitrose is so big – that it doesn’t matter whether you shop in Lidl or Aldi. I shop in both.
For me, the deciding factor is the car parking. In Milton Keynes, the Aldi car park is an enormous retail centre car park. The Lidl car park is next to the store and even has extra space between cars so that you can access and open your car door conveniently.
PeterLoud1
Lidl dropped me
When Lidl dropped their filled croissant and took out their bread slicing machine, they also dropped me. I used to drive the extra 15 minutes for both (and the rest of my groceries). But, no longer.
Glenn
Processed
I live in a small town in France with five independent organic food shops, a twice-weekly market where many stalls are local farmers and producers selling local produce. I’ve realised that UK residents often don’t realise how processed and unhealthy their food is – and how much they are ‘marketed’ into being consumers of tat.
SRKfan
Huge Lidl fan
Checkout is easy at Lidl; I just swipe everything into the trolley and pack it at the car. Don’t hold up those behind you – it’s unfair.
I’m a huge Lidl fan. I find Aldi to be a bit too pretentious, as if it ever could be. Plus, we’ve got a new Lidl only 15 minutes from our rural location.
The fruit and veg are of a far superior quality to that offered by the big supermarkets, and cost less.
I rarely buy anything from the middle, though. I do look to see what is on offer, but apart from the occasional cuddly toy, I never see anything I truly want.
Yes, I am a Lidl fan. Also Food Warehouse (have you seen their crisp selection?).
Drone1970
I’m not a fan of any
Fruit and veg quality varies a lot from place to place, as well as in different stores. I find that the best fruit and veg (near me) tends to be in Aldi, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s… but that doesn’t mean that it is that way everywhere. A lot also depends on the time of day and what is left on the shelves…
I’m not a fan of any supermarket, but that’s not to say that I don’t make use of them.
MarchesMood2
I pick the best from each
I have both Lidl and Aldi in my nearest town and I like both of them. Lidl for coffee, ice creams, high fruit ratio conserves, chocolate, cat food, olive oils.
Aldi’s fruit and veg are better and keep longer. I like the sourdough flatbreads (frozen pizza), bread (Lidl seeded loaf is mashy), meat, flavoured mayo, and dog treats.
Farmfoods is across the road from my Lidl, so I get all my frozen fruit and veg from there, plus a super range of yummy sauces like the sweet chilli one for in my stir fries, kebab shop style chilli and mint, creamy garlic sauce – all for around £1. And their frozen curries are lovely with huge chunks of real meat.
When I shop every three weeks, it takes ages as I visit all three shops for different things. I pick the best from each.
fenwoman
Lidl staples are always in stock
I go to Lidl a lot as it’s near me. What I do like is that they keep the same range of staples all year round. So if you tend to buy some of the same things every week, then this is a bonus. Not like some supermarkets that drop certain lines after just a couple of weeks. “They were here last week” comes to mind.
Amidthecrusaids
Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.
Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day’s top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click ‘log in’ or ‘register’ in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.
Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here.
Source link
