Just got back from Aldi. Absolutely no sign of 'pandemic panic buying'

[Siwsan]

The only thing I couldn't get was canned Cannellini beans. Those and the Garbanzo were no where to be seen. Eggs seemed a little lower than usual, but not alarmingly so. Staff was busy stocking shelves so maybe they just hadn't gotten to them, yet. The toilet paper and paper towel shelves were fully stocked, as were flour, sugar, etc.

The best part - I was the ONLY customer in the store!! Cars were starting to pull in, as I was leaving. One woman gave me the funniest look as I was loading groceries into the car. She said 'I thought they didn't open until 9! (it was 8:55). I told her they open at 8:30 on Tuesday and Thursday for 'vulnerable shoppers' time and she got a big smile on her face.

[beachbumbob]

1. location would be of benefit

[Siwsan]

5. Sorry - I shop at the Flint Township (MI) store

Usually a pretty busy place, even though it's right across the highway from a Super Walmart, and down the street from a Kroger.

[brewens]

2. One thing is that quite a few people can't afford to go stock up. Otherwise we might be seeing more

shortages. I did a few weeks back. As George Steinbrenner once said, "never sit around discussing things rationally when the situation calls for panic."

[Siwsan]

9. I've always kept a good stock of frozen and non perishable foods when Winter is approaching.

Driving on snowy, slick roads is a nightmare, for me.

Right now, if I didn't need for the water softener, I could have gone another 2 or 3 weeks before heading out.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. same in a western NC Ingles yesterday. Plenty of everything.

[Initech]

4. Aldi is not the place people go for panic buying.

Try going to a large supermarket chain, or Target or Costco, and that's where you will see the shit hitting the fan.

[Siwsan]

7. Oh, there was LOTS of panic buying, there, earlier in the year.

The Aldi in Genesee County (MI) and always really busy. When the gravity of the situation was first being taken seriously there were LINES of people forming before 9am. No toilet paper, paper towels, meat (except for chicken) and they had limits on almost everything.

[Initech]

25. OK I can see that.

My knowledge of Aldi is that they're more upscale than your typical market, like Whole Foods or Bristol Farms.

[xmas74]

27. Not at all.

Aldi is often where the bargain shoppers and those who need to stretch a dollar shop. In my area people use their food stamps at Aldi to stock up, especially on non perishable foods.

[Initech]

28. Ok I stand corrected then.

[xmas74]

31. But do try it if you're near one.

It's an odd place. Very inexpensive to stock up but also the "hip" place to go to make a charcuterie board for entertaining. They always have a decent selection of cheeses, usually decent salami/prosciutto/smoked salmon etc, lots of German chocolates, several breads and crackers and of course produce. The wine is hit and miss but when you find a good one stock up.

I made a board last year for around $30. The same cost at the local Walmart would be around $80.

[Siwsan]

29. They are more comparable to Trader Joes

As I understand it, TJs and Aldi were owned by members of the same family and their business models are very similar, except that Aldi is even more affordable (IMHO) than Trader Joes. I do about 90% of my grocery shopping at Aldi. Truth is, if there was a Trader Joes anywhere near where I live, I'd rarely shop anywhere else but those 2 stores. It takes a pretty fantastic sale for me to shop at a more traditional grocery store like Kroger or Meijer.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. Still Not So Here

Exurbs of Chicago.
I've been nowhere without seeing fully stocked shelves.
The WM 18 miles west has put a limit on TP & wipes, but the shelves were full.
That' store & the CVS in town are the only places I've seen imposing limits.

[Siwsan]

30. At the height of the toilet paper grab, Aldi had an employee monitoring that aisle

They were checking people were complying with the 2 pack limit, BEFORE they got to check out, to avoid any problems at check out.

[GoneOffShore]

13. Tried to do a price comparison with Aldi but no prices on the website.

[Siwsan]

17. Their weekly ad has prices on some of their products.

Like Trader Joes, they mostly carry their own 'brand' and I've noticed the prices are, generally, considerably lower. A can of beans that might be .85 at Kroger or Meijer are .50 at Aldi.

https://www.aldi.us/en/weekly-specials/our-weekly-ads/

[GoneOffShore]

26. Thanks. It was an intellectual exercise because Aldi here in France is super low priced

Lots of times lower than the 'Grande Surface'(big box) shops like Auchan, Carrefour, and Geant-Casino.

I was trying to compare Aldi to Walmart and Costco just out of curiosity.

At the moment flour, sugar, and butter are flying off the shelves, but just because of the holiday.

No real shortages.

[cwydro]

14. I was at Target the other day.

In Charlotte, NC.

Plenty of everything available. Only a few shoppers in the store...it was around noon.

[bbernardini]

15. Have to respectfully disagree on that, at least in the case of our local Aldi.

We have an Aldi just up the road that we frequent, and since March, they've been completely out of paper towels and toilet paper more often than not. There have been times when the meat and poultry section has been pretty bare as well.

[Siwsan]

21. That was the situation at my Aldi, in the Spring

I never had to stand in line before they opened, but drove past it several times and saw the lines.

By Summer things had pretty much settled down but I was fully expecting a return to shortages when I headed there, today. I needed water softener salt, and pretty much figured they'd have that. Hopefully, anyway.

No doubt things are going to get hectic, again, with people shopping for Christmas AND people shopping to stock up.

[obamanut2012]

19. Yes, they do

They stripped ours so badly in mid March they had to bring in cops.

[obamanut2012]

6. Same for me, AAldi, Target, Trader Joe's all fine

Went last night to TJ's and they had everything, and even picked up some paper towels and TP, got Clorox wipes at Target Monday. And, they had plenty of beans! Flour a little low, but all Xmas baking stuff was low, of course. They even have plenty of yeast now.

Palm Beach County/SOFL.


To be fair, we have been tossed to the CV19 wolves by DeSantis since March, so maybe we're used ti all of this more.

[Siwsan]

12. My nice and her hubby relocated back to Michigan because of DeSantis, et al.

I'm glad to have her back. I loved flying down, during Winter, for a warm visit but that would be a thing of the past, even if she WAS still living there (Tampa).

I still have a nephew in Pensacola but he's also looking to relocate. He's had about enough of the storms.

[obamanut2012]

20. I will relocate after I'm able to retire

That's still about 15 years away. Maybe back to NC.

[Baltimike]

10. I love this. If I have to go out to get something, it's FIRST THING in the morning

I will sit in Lowe's parking lot 10 mins before they open just so it is safest. I wear two masks.

I take care of my elderly mother and will never take the chance on letting her get this. My joke is that when *I* kill her, it's gonna make the *shows*. So I can't let covid do it...LOL

(This has been an ongoing joke for over thirty years now...we have a silly sense of humor)

[Amishman]

11. I do a lot of shipping at Aldi, zero papertowels the past 5 weeks

everything else has been fine

(Lancaster PA)

[Siwsan]

16. For a long time mine was out of1 gallon jugs of purified water

But today - YEA!! I used to refill my 3 gallon dispenser jug at Kroger but they shut down their water refill station.

[Hortensis]

18. 150 million households have already bought their 2 jars of peanut butter

instead of one, etc. Shortages now are almost certainly supply chain or changes in what's being stocked. I'd read some stores have been narrowing the variety of offerings.

[Siwsan]

23. Interesting

The smartest thing to do is just that - buy 2 instead of 1. There were things, like pasta, that I'd buy 2 instead of 1. There are just entrees I know I can stretch into several more leftover meals by adding a little more macaroni or egg noodles. When whole chickens were on sale at a great price, I bought several and froze them. I can create a WHOLE LOT of different meals, using just 1 chicken, and freeze some for later.

Funny thing is, that's pretty much how I've always done things. I guess being raised in an environment full of depression era people rubbed off, a bit. I remember when we cleaned out my grandmother's house - I found a closet FULL of rolls of toilet paper. She had enough there for probably a year. And her basement pantry was filled with canned goods. My brother lived off of those for quite a while.

[roamer65]

22. The fear of the unknown early in the year fueled the panic buying.

One year into the pandemic, people now know a lot more about the virus and it’s epidemiological pattern.

[Siwsan]

24. Good point

[roamer65]

33. ..

[marlakay]

32. We don't have that store in my area

But do have a nice Trader Joes, Costco, Walmart, Safeway, Albertsons, Target.

Everything seems to be back on shelves here except cleaning supplies and wipes, especially wipes very hard to get. Lysol finally came in a month ago.

I am in southern Oregon. I don't go to a lot of stores trying to limit my experiences out so it's possible that some of the many stores in town might have the supplies. Target is the only store I found wipes at a few times if I go right when they open.

Costco still only lets you buy one big toilet paper.