by Strawberry Jam
With the arrival of ALDI in November, came much anticipation for the discountgrocery chain which would be the first in South Florida of their thousand plus stores across the country. With their “honest to goodness savings” motto and German roots, could this perhaps be the IKEA of food? Or, dare I say, the answer to our Trader Joe’s prayers? We did the investigating and are here to report this is sadly not the case.
With most non-perishables around just a few bucks, there’s no denying the store is significantly cheaper than your average supermarket. However, my dreams of neat little European aisles stocked of quality products pretty much dissipated upon taking a closer look. More than anything, ALDI is probably most comparable to a deluxe Dollar Store of food, with the addition of produce and meat.
The store itself is smaller than expected and largely full of processed and packaged goods. Naturally, most products are off brands, with the exception of a handful of items like Ghirardelli brownie mix and Kit-Kats. Maybe some spending-inducing music (there was none at all) would help minimize the Twilight Zone feeling.
The store will undoubtedly be a saving grace for those on a tight budget or even those willing to make separate trips to collect their weekly goods. Grape tomatoes at 99¢ a container is hard to beat. But for the health-conscious and those still hoping for a Trader Joe’s or its equivalent, we’ll have to keep holding our breath. If you are still curious enough to venture out, BYOB (bring your own bags).
ALDI Deerfield Beach is located at 3825 W Hillsboro Blvd.
