they are repurposing our local grocery store as an Aldi's - anybody have any good or bad

to say about the store?

one thing I like is you don't have to give them your personal information to get the lowest price.

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

ArishMell · 70-79, M

I use Aldi, Lidl and various other shops including my nearby, small branches of Tesco, Nisa (part of the Co-op chain), a local Central branch and independent ones.

Although their ranges overlap, and unfortunately none of those chains support local producers, I have not noticed any difference in quality. I prefer many of the "own-brand" rather than "big-name" choices because they are cheaper, not overloaded with sugar, and of equivalent quality. Better quality really, by not being over-sweetened.

Physically that Nisa shop was a Co-op, and it also holds a Post Office counter, since we lost the individual Post Office shop a few years ago.

ninalanyon · 70-79, T

@ArishMell I learnt something today! I didn't know that Nisa was part of the Co-op.

ArishMell · 70-79, M

@ninalanyon I didn't until my local Co-op branch was going to close, and a member of the staff told me it would become Nisa - and explained it's the same company. It's basically some sort of pensions or tax wheeze. It changed again and is now a "Premier" branch.

The Co-op went through a very rapacious phase of opening branches as close as they could to existing franchise shops like Premier and Central, to force them out of business. In Yeovil it bought two pubs at each end of the same road, barely a mile apart; converted one, completely demolished the other and built their shop on the site. A local resident told me one of those pubs had been profitable, too.

I think it's lost some of its shine now, though.

ninalanyon · 70-79, T

@ArishMell Do Co-op members benefit from Nisa?