Had To Queue At Lidl Yesterday! Normally Empty

[munimula]

The Lidl near us in Poole has always been completely empty, literally just a handful of people in the store at anytime. Never queue at checkout.

Haven't been for a couple of months but yesterday was a different story. The store was buzzing, really busy. It does make sense, prices are much cheaper. Lots of pensioners in there trying to beat the 10% inflation they are experiencing and make the money go further I guess.

What stock market are Lidl shares listed on?

[time 2 raise interest rates]

You probably had to queue because as Mervyn King said he doesn't see the credit crunch affecting

consumer spending too much as Sainsburys and Marks and Spencers reported last month, profits

and sales are booming. John Lewis reported sales up 2.1% for the week ending 7th June and

Waitrose sales soared a stonking 5%. With inflation going above 3% on Tuesday position yourself

for interest rates of 6% by year end.

The VIs co-ordinated the same onslaught in 2005. The end was nigh. Trouble on the high street,

back then, the BoE fell for it and cut rates. Not this time. Maybe you had to queue in Lidl as

consumer spending is still soaring.

[@contradevian]

You probably had to queue because as Mervyn King said he doesn't see the credit crunch affecting

consumer spending too much as Sainsburys and Marks and Spencers reported last month, profits

and sales are booming. John Lewis reported sales up 2.1% for the week ending 7th June and

Waitrose sales soared a stonking 5%. With inflation going above 3% on Tuesday position yourself

for interest rates of 6% by year end.

The VIs co-ordinated the same onslaught in 2005. The end was nigh. Trouble on the high street,

back then, the BoE fell for it and cut rates. Not this time. Maybe you had to queue in Lidl as

consumer spending is still soaring.

I know why M&S profits are soaring. They have hidden/got rid of the staff!

Yesterday, two people on tills plus a few shelf fillers, so had to rely on the "do it yourself" checkout which if it goes wrong you end up in a kind of limbo as there is not staff to sort it out!

Caused some mirth in Boots a few months ago, when they replaced there check out girls with machines. I mumbled something like "you can tell private equity have bought this place" but I don't mind as they are generally quicker and less of a queue.

[time 2 raise interest rates]

I know why M&S profits are soaring. They have hidden/got rid of the staff!

Yesterday, two people on tills plus a few shelf fillers, so had to rely on the "do it yourself" checkout which if it goes wrong you end up in a kind of limbo as there is not staff to sort it out!

Caused some mirth in Boots a few months ago, when they replaced there check out girls with machines. I mumbled something like "you can tell private equity have bought this place" but I don't mind as they are generally quicker and less of a queue.

There's no flies on Boots. Fair play to them. Can't be doing with them greasy haired, spotty checkout girls

at the best of times.

Boots reported their sales were up 20% last week. Must be the credit crunch, lol.

[crouch]

The Lidl near us in Poole has always been completely empty, literally just a handful of people in the store at anytime. Never queue at checkout.

Haven't been for a couple of months but yesterday was a different story. The store was buzzing, really busy. It does make sense, prices are much cheaper. Lots of pensioners in there trying to beat the 10% inflation they are experiencing and make the money go further I guess.

What stock market are Lidl shares listed on?

I now shop at Aldi quite regularly. Their cat food is much cheaper than Sainsbury and the cat prefers it - I save around £9/ week on that alone! Their fish is also much cheaper - and better. I am not alone.

[The 4 Horsemen]

I now shop at Aldi quite regularly. Their cat food is much cheaper than Sainsbury and the cat prefers it - I save around £9/ week on that alone! Their fish is also much cheaper - and better. I am not alone.

Is that cat or cats?

[Frank Hovis]

I'm a big fan of LIDL and ALDI. If you go for their premium brands (still cheaper than a normal supermarket) they are of superb quality.

They don't have it very often but their Weissbeer (in a bright blue can) is one of my top beers. Avoid the keg weiss beer though, it's a bit gassy.

They're German companies and I think LIDL is privately owned. There are two LIDLs in Germany, formed from the original company when the founding brothers disagreed over whether they should sell cigarettes.

I haven't noticed a pick-up in trade here, it's steady.

Most people I work with now shop at one or the other, where I used to work there were lots of label snobs who were surprised that somebody in a senior position was shopping at LIDL.

[time 2 raise interest rates]

Is that cat or cats?

If you're saving £9 a week on cat food, it must be a sabre-toothed tiger.

[The 4 Horsemen]

If you're saving £9 a week on cat food, it must be a sabre-toothed tiger.

Weve got one cat and he costs about that a month to feed!

[time 2 raise interest rates]

Weve got one cat and he costs about that a month to feed!

Are you sure it's still alive, lol.

[The Conveyancer]

I shop at Lidl, I would go to Aldi if there was one close by.

Their hams and salamis are great, the fish, yoghurt, pizzas, ice creams, tins etc are all great. I actually prefer most to the stuff to its Tescos. The shop is also smaller so it doesnt take as long. You do need to go to Tescos every now and then for the bits Lidls dont sell but on the whole it is great.

[blackhole]

Converted to Aldi a long while ago. Notice lately there's far more people in the store recently during weekends.

[The Conveyancer]

You do see more elderly and "middle class"types lately I notice.

[Guest happy?]

You do see more elderly and "middle class"types lately I notice.

It's all the fashion to shop at Lidl - the broadsheets have been carrying lifestyle articles on it for months. I'm expecting a full-colour pull-out supplement on it this week in The Observer. No doubt the Daily Mail will have a D-list celeb/Big Brother runner-up photoshoot on the same thing in about three-weeks' time.

[Injin]

Inflaion is going up, you should expect to see a rise in consumer spending as people stock up now on stuff that will last or that they might need over the next year. One perfectly rational response to rising prices is hoarding.

Lots of people were around in the 1970's - "If you can't beat it, eat it."

[ImA20SomethingGetMeOutOfHere]

Another vote for Lidl here.

I find that their fruit is much better than Sainsbury's/Tesco's which is just plain nasty. All processed and bland. Nice and cheap too.

[The 4 Horsemen]

Are you sure it's still alive, lol.

Don’t know haven’t seen him in while, probably getting fed round someone else’s house. Maybe it is the person who saving £9 a week

[sun n sea]

Personally I find most of the tat in Aldi & Lidl is pretty much inedible. If you've ever been to Makro the food is about par with them- weird looking packets plastered with an encyclopedia of European languages which taste pretty awful when you get home and start cooking with them.

Really cheap anything is always a false economy- look at the value brands. You can buy a tin of tomatoes for 5 pence but when you open the tin the contents are Red water and a few tough lumps of tomato factory floor sweepings- hmmm, tasty. Yeah it's cheap but you get what you pay for.

The biggest mystery to me is why anyone shops at Waitrose- a shop which owes it's existence to nothing more than snob value.

[Caramba]

A vote for ALDI here

I find the quality of the food very good and they do some excellent wines

[blackhole]

Personally I find most of the tat in Aldi & Lidl is pretty much inedible. If you've ever been to Makro the food is about par with them- weird looking packets plastered with an encyclopedia of European languages which taste pretty awful when you get home and start cooking with them.

When was the last time you checked out those stores? In somewhere like Netto you'd have to be very picky about what you buy, your right in that there is some true crap there. In Aldi, the selection is far better.

Edited June 14, 2008 by blackhole

[Elizabeth]

Wow. Another cost saving measure - have shopped at morrisons and was told that ADSA was cheaper (but about £2 petrol further away - false saving really)

Have just cut my electricity and gas bills by £9 a month by shifting to EBICo (not for profit energy provider - think it might be church based - it works for people who don't use a lot of energy - like me... and pensioners!!!)

Any other little tips guys? I got rid of my television last month to save the liscence fee, so that won't work.

[Minos]

Wow. Another cost saving measure - have shopped at morrisons and was told that ADSA was cheaper (but about £2 petrol further away - false saving really)

Have just cut my electricity and gas bills by £9 a month by shifting to EBICo (not for profit energy provider - think it might be church based - it works for people who don't use a lot of energy - like me... and pensioners!!!)

Any other little tips guys? I got rid of my television last month to save the liscence fee, so that won't work.

Don't you have to have a TV license if you have a computer at home?

[bendy]

Wow. Another cost saving measure - have shopped at morrisons and was told that ADSA was cheaper (but about £2 petrol further away - false saving really)

Have just cut my electricity and gas bills by £9 a month by shifting to EBICo (not for profit energy provider - think it might be church based - it works for people who don't use a lot of energy - like me... and pensioners!!!)

Any other little tips guys? I got rid of my television last month to save the liscence fee, so that won't work.

try jumping off a cliff maybe you'd be surprised what you'd save.

and if it doesn't do the job then you'd get to go on the sick, meaning you'd save loads. a win-win i'm sure you'll agree.

nothing personal like though, anyone can take this advice, it is free, thank me later if you can.

[bendy]

Don't you have to have a TV license if you have a computer at home?

only if it has a tv card.

you can probably still use bbc iplayer though

[crouch]

Is that cat or cats?

Cat - he's big!