I don’t get how Aldi’s the ‘cheapest supermarket of 2023’ – mine is so expensive & food can be mouldy before you buy it
ALDI might have been crowned the 'the cheapest supermarket' for the third year running in 2023, but one shopper has contested their accolade after visiting her local branch.
A woman named Gabrielle explained that in her local Aldi, she spotted a huge variety of food that she claimed to be “mouldy before you’d even bought it".
According to Which?, the discount supermarket has also been named the UK’s cheapest supermarket of the month for December – totalling Aldi’s accolades to 11 wins with Which? in 2023.
The prices of groceries and everyday household essentials such as bread, milk and eggs, were compared in the latest annual survey from Which? and Aldi came out top.
It comes after December, when Which? found Aldi to be a whopping £20 cheaper than the most expensive supermarket, Waitrose and £10 cheaper than both Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
However, despite this, savvy saver Gabrielle, who is known online as Gi, was keen to disagree with the claims.
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Visiting her local Aldi, in Exeter, Gi was not only shocked at the lack of stock, but the prices too.
Sharing her thoughts online, in a clip that was shared on 31st December 2023, Gi took to social media to alert other shoppers.
She said: “One thing that I really struggle to understand is how Aldi is still [the] cheapest in the UK when they've increased some of their prices by 200 per cent."
Gi visited her local store in December and noticed the significant lack of stock, as she added: “I mean for starters, they barely have any food. Maybe that's why they're the cheapest, because you can't actually buy anything when you're in there.
“If you don't believe me that the products are already mouldy when you buy them, just take a look at this. I mean the last thing you wanna have on your roast dinner is a mouldy carrot.
“You definitely don't want a mushy pepper either, especially when they're the same price at Tesco and M&S.
“I just don't remember where the quality went downhill, because I shopped here all throughout my time when I was at uni in London.
“I honestly don't know how I think they can charge £4.49 for a chicken that goes off tomorrow and is the size of the hand.
“I mean if you spend a couple more pennies you can get something that lasts a couple of days and it is a little bit bigger and better in quality.”
Despite her shock, Gi explained she is a big fan of the middle aisle bargains. However, she’s not keen on the price of some of the items.
She continued: “My favourite part of Aldi has and always will be the middle aisles. I love the deals that they do there.
"However the prices are just looking the same as other supermarkets. I mean, 72 Weetabix for £6.49, that’s 9p per biscuit.
“Lastly, the one thing that really gets on my nerves is how expensive baby milk is. I mean, what else are they supposed to eat at the end of the day?”
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @whatgabdid, has clearly shocked many, as it has quickly amassed 58,300 views.
However, social media users were left totally divided at Gi’s claims.
While many were keen to agree, others were left baffled.
One person said: “Totally agree! The quality at Aldi really has gone downhill and doesn’t justify the higher prices they charge now.”
Another added: “I’ve always loved Aldi but recently I’ve found the fruit and veg has been going off really quickly so I am considering switching to somewhere else.”
A third commented: “The Aldi / Lidl bubble has burst. Sainsbury's is just as cheap, and better quality.”
At the same time, another user claimed: “Wym there’s nothing there? I always get my stuff that I need.. And the dates are better than M&S.”
A second chimed in: “Never have that problem in the Aldi by me.”
Whilst a third wrote: “Aldi is 1st class. Great service. Always full of stock.. Best supermarket in the UK.”
Meanwhile, many other bargain hunters took to the comments to share where they prefer to get their groceries.
One savvy shopper advised: “Try Lidl always seems ok in there.”
Another explained: “Within the last two years we have switched from Aldi to Sainsbury's full time. Aldi is a rip off these days.”
Whilst a bargain hunter wrote: “Think they are struggling to maintain quality and prices .. we have gone back to Tesco.”
Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be named the Cheapest Supermarket of the Year for a third year running.
"We are committed to providing shoppers with the best quality products at the lowest prices and it’s great to have that officially recognised by a highly respected consumer champion, such as Which?.
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“As we head into 2024, our promise to our customers remains the same - they will always get the UK’s lowest prices at Aldi.”
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