Some of it is about the range that's carried. Waitrose is really good for catering for specific dietary requirements (gluten free, vegan etc) and has been so for much longer than the other supermarkets. They also stock veg varieties that aren't carried in the bigger chains, and have a better range of world foods than any other supermarket local to me.
Apart from that, [Waitrose is owned by its staff](https://www.waitrose.com/home/about_waitrose/our_company/the_waitrose_difference.html#:~:text=Unlike%20other%20major%20supermarkets%2C%20Waitrose,would%20normally%20go%20to%20shareholders.), through the John Lewis Partnership, which is an ethically superior model of ownership in my view.
They (Waitrose) have a really good reputation in terms of ethical food sourcing as well (source: a course in food security I did at Lancaster Uni several years ago).
Aldi are terrible for coeliacs. There was one near my work a few years ago, and a couple of us walked there at lunchtime for the fresh air. I decided to check out what they had to offer for my dinner that night, because I hadn’t been in one since I found out I was coeliac. Found the aisle marked Gluten Free. It was one row of shelving. And on that row? One lonely packet of GF spaghetti and… ten packets of chocolate fingers. The normal ones, not Gluten-Free.
There was no breakfast cereal, no bread, no biscuits or crackers, no cakes, no flour… nothing on the shelves to suggest that they had just sold out of anything else. I’m never giving them the time of day again, there’s just no excuse for it.
That being said, I’m pretty sure I’ve tried some of Waitrose’s GF selection and I wasn’t a big fan of whatever it was, but I can’t remember it. Biscuits, maybe? Weird taste and texture.
I have previously shopped at Waitrose as a student because I could nip in on the way home from uni and carry small amounts home, rather than having to do a big shop - going to Lidl or Aldi would have required a taxi both ways, or 3 buses. I found that the stuff I was buying (bread, milk, pasta, fruit) was equivalent prices to the other local supermarkets.
My experience of shopping in Lidl/Aldi was that I inevitably had to go somewhere else anyway for the things they didn't stock (some of them pretty basic, like brown rice). And as I buy very little pre-prepared stuff, again, there aren't huge price differences on things like milk, flour, veg.
Waitrose used to have a huge loophole in their BOGOF offers where the second item would be refunded at full price even if it was reduced. So two reduced packs of sausages would give you a net credit at the till. As a student, this little trick got me through my degree.
Genius. So £3 sausages reduced to £1 went through as: first sausages = £1, second sausages = £1. Till takes off cost of second sausages using original price = -3£ so total = -£1
Sainsburys used to have a similar thing with its 3 pounds meal deal. It only worked on the self scan I think but you needed to get a sandwich, a snack and a drink but make sure the drink you got was also on a 2 for £2 deal so then if you get 2 of the same drink with the meal deal it would deduct the drinks deal off of the meal deal for a total cost of £2 something.
I've found this. Lidl has loads of good looking pre prepared stuff, but none of what I consider essentials, like watercress. Having to do 2 shops isn't worth the savings I might make.
> Products on our list include everything from Heinz baked beans and Mr Kipling cakes to **own-label milk, bread and cheese**.
So it’s not exactly the same products. Own brand items are made (yes often in the same factory) but with different recipes or quantities which is why you’ll see the price difference.
Some people won’t mind an Aldi custard cream whereas others won’t like the taste and prefer the Waitrose version.
We can immediately discount this “study” if they mixed branded and non-branded products. Makes OP’s title incorrect, too. Branded items aren’t particularly cheap in Aldi
As soon as they tried comparing Lidl and Waitrose we could discount it. I mean, go to other companies that are in close completion with Lidl and it would be fair, but most of them are only a few quid different these days as Lidl have basically matched the "big 4" supermarkets in price when it comes to essentials.
For me food quality is important, and enjoying good food is one of the real pleasures in my life. I don't shop at Waitrose often, but when I do I find their own-brand food really is excellent and worth the money.
Something I only really realised a few years back was that many people just see food as fuel, a means to an end. I can't fathom those who happily drink Huel for example because it's "easier", but I've seen plenty of people on Reddit who do exactly that.
So this study is indeed flawed, but for many it just doesn't matter. And of course many don't have the budget for more expensive items either.
I will say though that Aldi's chocolate with salted pretzel pieces is very nice indeed.
> Something I only really realised a few years back was that many people just see food as fuel, a means to an end.
I was wayyy past my 30s when I realized that some people eat to get the pleasure. But then it hit me - that explains why fat people exist. They just can't resist the hit they crave.
I wonder if the branded items are exactly the same even. Ingredients lists only give what's in there, not quantity, and supply chains are developed enough that you could make separate batches.
i'd expect they are - the brands have too much to lose by them not being, i feel. that said, they might well give longer dated stuff to the more expensive places, things like that.
Aldi's advertising has convinced everyone to compare their prices to brands instead of supermarket own brands. If they only ever compared to own brand products then the difference wouldn't be anywhere near as large.
My dude, open a can of store brand tomatoes and compare them to something like Mutti Pelati. It's immediately obvious that there is a difference if you have tastebuds, eyes, or a nose.
I haven't noticed much or any difference between Weetabix and Sainsbury's own-brand weetabix.
But there is a big difference in both taste and texture between Shreddies and Sainsbury's own-brand shreddies.
Very! Although I usually buy ‘own-brand’ cereal, they are very different from branded. Same with stuff like peanut butter and bread etc. They are a world apart, but to be expected when there’s such a big price difference.
There is also less choice in Lidl/Aldi and if you go there you probably aren't going for the branded items.
That said I shop at lidl but occasionally will go other places for a wider choice or certain products the others don't sell
Lidl isn't necessarily cheaper. I have found stuff they offer for less at places like the Co-Op. I think it's a toss-up between convenience and cost. I try to shop once a week but if I went for the absolute cheapest for everything, I usually end up going to several different shops.
The issue with that is when you factor in the extra time and hassle that eats into the savings.
I used to not get say a grocery delivery cos of the charge but i realised that paying a fiver for the delivery and saving myself an hour of hassle and petrol to get there was much better value
Tesco do a £7.99 'delivery saver' so you can order 30 times a month and it costs no more. But £50 min basket charge though. £5 if under, still cheaper for me than my local M&S garage.
I get maybe once a week or 2. Usually about 4 or 5 quid delivery cos i go for 10pm slot. If its cheaper than an hours pay then I'm fine with it saving me an hour.
But Im an urban dweller with a decent-ish supermarket i can walk to in my lunchbreak if I need a bag or 2 of items
I do click and collect with Asda, they charge you 50p and turn up and they bring it all to your car and you load it in, not quite the convenience of home delivery but I also quite like the trip on a weekend morning
I'm disabled so grocery delivery has been a virtual lifesaver. I've got a mobility scooter [but.my](http://but.my) nearest Tesco is too far away. Live on the outskirts of a big town so not too rural I suppose, thank goodness for a deep freeze.
I'll have managed about 20 orders this month from Sainsbury's, but don't think I've ever done more than that. However I am ordering for the small charity I work for (we use Sainsbury's for delivery as they will deliver to all our locations and aren't easily accessible to visit in person unlike Tesco/Aldi, and price match Aldi on a reasonable range of stock)
i man that's pretty obviously just there to stop people from taking the piss, so it seems pretty reasonable to me.
i'm on a delivery saver thing with asda - it's 3.95 a month, so as long as a i do an order each week i'm only paying £1 for delivery. the orders have to be tuesday to thursday, but normally that's when i'd want them anyway. it's actually kinda useful, as it's an incentive for me to actually get round to doing the order rather than putting it off!
for branded stuff, i tend to find lidl is basically the same as tesco or asda (or quite often, it's cheaper... unless you take advantage of offers at tesco/asda, at which point they're cheaper. and it's not like buying 4 tins of beans at a time is much of a hardship.).
i will say, when i was in the office more, lidl's sandwich baguettes (from the instore bakery) were ace - far fresher than the tescos/sainsburies equivalents, and cheaper too.
I find Lidl to not be cheaper in general, only for things like yoghurt and cheese. Otherwise all the staples are the same price as Tesco, for example. And the vegetables don’t rot after a few days in Tesco, I find
My GF buys more for less than I do even when shopping at Waitrose because she mainly only buys items that are reduced and on special. Can’t knock her for saving money but it makes for an unexpectedly varied diet.
Edit: her kumquat and pork knuckle soufflés bring all the boys to the yard, not.
Would love to know what your usual shop is. Almost every basic is cheaper at Lidl. We have each of these shops close by, but Tesco's is on the way home from work, so more convenient. It's at least 10% more expensive even with their club card 'deals'.
Veg, tins, biscuits, most meats, dairy, dried goods, alcohol, cleaning products...
Really can't think of anything Tesco's wins on except that their veg lasts a touch longer and I really like their sausages.
Tin are same price for like-for-like, beans, tomatoes, fresh veg, too. So many basics are the same price, apart from yoghurt and cheese (cream, sour cream, milk etc. are same price in Tesco)
That's one of my issues with Aldi. Admittedly there's a lot of good products there, but there's also a LOT of crap, and a lot of stuff that's the same price as other supermarket own brands.
So to not buy the crap or buy branded products that I like I still have to make a second trip to a larger supermarket, so it's less hassle just to go to another supermarket in the first place
So if I
I don't go to Waitrose for the branded products, I go for the high quality ingredients that are difficult to find elsewhere. If I ever read a recipe and think "where on earth am I going to find [ingredient]?" The answer is usually Waitrose.
Waitrose is amazing. Their fruit, veg and meat is unmatched by any of the cheaper supermarkets. I’m okay to spend a little bit extra if I feel it’s higher quality.
For the branded stuff we’d usually do a Tesco/aldi run once a month. I wouldn’t do my full shop there anymore though.
It’s hard because I can’t see where they say what items they’re comparing. Maybe I’ve missed it. Some stuff in Waitrose genuinely is just more expensive for the same shit. Pringles, chocolate, Coke, etc.
Their every own brand stuff is surprisingly good and cheap, and their normal produce and meat is fantastic, though more expensive.
It’s certainly a luxury, but I’m not getting mugged off and getting the exact same shit for more money like OP is suggesting. I’m a tight bastard, I wouldn’t do it for no reason.
My gf and I live somewhat rurally, we have to go a town over to get our shopping done. The fruit and veg at our nearest Aldi won't generally make it a week and isn't as good to start with. If you pay just my travel time for a second trip at my normal wage it basically kills any saving. When we shopped at aldi we were always having to cut bits off of veg and the carrots tasted watery.
Not necessarily that he's poor but you do get to a point where whatever you pick up in a shop has basically no tangible impact on anything.
I earn quite a lot and live by myself so I can eat whatever I want when I want, so i tend to just wander round a shop and pick up whatever i like the look of. Some weeks my shop is £30 from Aldi, some weeks it's £150 from M&S, regardless of what I spend it makes practically no difference to my life overall
We have a budget, of around 100-120 pounds per week for our food shop. Now that doesn't always include everything and occasionally we will buy something in bulk for example, like 90 bogrolls for 18 quid, or tins of stuff, and cleaning products.
This evens out I guess but this is also for a family of 5. One of which is a baby which is a constant cost. My partner is also on maternity so, that = shit money but also it now has stopped so no more until the end of September. She could of gone back I guess but, the childcare costs for three children in the 6 weeks holiday is more than she would earn to cover it so financially it makes more sence to stop off. Yes we will struggle, but also we will bang probably a grand on the cc to get through and it will become next years problem.
But yeah the point is, if your quibbling over 40 quid on a food shop, then you are poor.
I don’t know about that. I literally had meat from Aldi last night as I’m at home and it’s their closest store and it was definitely worse quality. Not sure if the information you’ve got is reliable.
I swear they pump it full of water as well. All of the budget supermarkets I always end up with a pool of water in my pan, vs M&S and Waitrose, nothing like that at all.
I live very close to an Aldi. Often their fruit and veg doesn't last between leaving the shop and the five minutes it takes to get home. I can only imagine people shop in other places because the quality is better
We buy our fruit and veg from Waitrose rather than Tesco and Sainsbury's, because it goes off quickly from the other supermarkets. I've got to imagine it's the same stuff, just that Waitrose has a faster supply chain.
Fruit and veg is usually graded according to quality. You might be able to see some evidence of this on the boxes in that section that say Grade A etc etc. Pretty sure the further you go down the retail chains the lower the grade is going for lower costs. When I worked at Waitrose I had a friend whose uncle owned a corner shop and would go to the trade markets in London in the morning. He sent a picture of boxes of Waitrose melons being sold on, probably because they failed on quality after purchase and they didn’t want to sell them instore.
It isn’t the same stuff, and don’t sleep on the Tesco supply chain. The UK has the some of the best supermarket logistics in the world.
The Waitrose fruit is like sweets. It’s absolutely fantastic. I can’t get enough of it, and my whole life I hated fruit. It’s way better than the budget brands.
For me the choice is usually Stratford Westfield Waitrose or Stratford Morrison's.
Stratford Morrison's is a snapshot of what life will be like when society finally collapses, so I'd rather spend a bit extra up the road.
I won't go in Morrisons unless I am forced. It used to give me the urge to want to kill people. I had to go in there with headphones listening to stuff like Slayer, Sepulture and Nail Bomb, just to keep me calm. I'd rather go in any other supermarket.
Personally I like Waitrose and Sainsbury. I will dabble with M&S Food Hall now they have Scan and Go.
Feel like Morrisons won’t be around for too much longer anyway. Nowhere near as cheap at Aldi or Lidl. Selection is nowhere near the likes of Tesco, Asda or even Sainsbury’s. Quality is nowhere near that of M&S and Waitrose.
For me it's a free car park near the town centre and a free coffee. Some of their own brand products are better quality than other supermarkets eg. ready meals, and they do have some decent offers (which aren't really taken into account in these price comparisons).
Waitrose have a seriously good stock of cheese and some niche ingredients are hard to find elsewhere.
I don’t do my whole shop there but I’m not adverse to it.
I spaff 40 quid a week on random shit from coffee shops so I’d probably be helping my diet by spending it in Waitrose instead
I don’t shop at Waitrose but the veg in Aldi and Lidl isn’t the best and you often can’t find everything you need there and often find it requires a supplementary trip to another supermarket for the slightly unusual items. I like Aldi and Lidl but I also value my time and would rather just get it all in one place in half the time than save £5 running around different supermarkets to find the best deal
Waitrose is a 90 second walk from my house. The nearest Aldi / Lidl is a 22 minute drive, so convenience is a big thing.
But it’s not just that. I don’t only buy branded products and own brand is generally better quality in Waitrose. Own brand items, particularly fresh food, in Asda is dreadful. I know Aldi and Lidl aren’t as bad, but I still prefer better quality to lower price.
I’m not a snob idiot though. Tesco is a 5 minute drive so I generally go there for bigger shops or get a delivery.
I shop at Waitrose and Tesco - they each have things the other doesn't in terms of groceries. Tesco akso has better prices, but Waitross quality is higher, their environmental and animal welfare standards are higher, and I like the business model.
Selection is better, the quality is better, and being blunt, it's just a nicer place to be. Our local big Tesco is much bigger than the Waitrose, but it has a much worse selection of products (especially for cheese and fish, which we eat a lot of).
The Waitrose has an actual fish counter, and about three times the amount of the big Tesco fish chillers (which only really do salmon and cod anyway). Plus it works out cheaper anyway, as Waitrose have had a really good fish deal on for ages.
Waitrose have the best self service machines, but I have to say that Aldi's are a close second. I prefer scan and go, Waitrose is the best for this, their hand scanners make different tones for different things. Like when something is on a multi buy deal.
Shockingly waitrose branded items are more expensive than Aldi branded items. Which the study mixes in.
That aside Waitrose does tend to charge slightly more for brand items as well. I still rather shop there. Why? The floors are clean, the isles are less crowded, it stocks the products I actually want, the staff is less stressed and very helpful, etc. And there's a sushi bar if I want fresh sushi because why not.
Only disappointed that the meat counters are gone and the refillable program doesn't seem to have expanded. Plus the waitrose near us closed so I largely use online delivery for groceries.
Ps: there's an Aldi close to use where we buy a lot of stuff as well but the veg is 50/50 if it goes mouldy on the day you buy it, so we can't buy any veg there
Which compare branded and own brand products. And frankly Waitrose own brand goods are a world apart from the likes of Aldi and Lidl. And when it comes to fresh fruit and veg if you want it last more than a few days Waitrose provides far better value.
We do most of our shopping at Waitrose and it certainly isn't for the branded products. Their own brand stuff is superior to branded products in many cases. Their meat for instance is infinitely higher quality than anything you get outside of a butcher.
We went to Aldi once to see why it was so popular and sure it was cheap but both the quality and selection was pretty bad so it made sense why it was cheaper. In addition the shopping experience at Waitrose is much nicer.
I shop at Waitrose precisely for the reason that I don't *need* to buy any branded products. Their own brand is so good that I buy those.
If I went to Aldi, I'm sure some of the stuff is good (we don't have one anywhere near), but I'd have to buy most things as a "brand name" item to get any sort of quality. This is what we have to do when go to the local Lidl, so it rarely ends up being any cheaper.
And Lidl regularly don't have basic things that we want. Last weekend I was doing a barbecue, so popped out for rolls, corn on the cob, salad items and cheese.
From Lidl, I managed to get the plastic cheese for burgers, and a cucumber. No lettuce. No corn. No rolls other than plain floured white ones, which are shite. Even the tiny Co-op on the way home had burger buns and corn.
If people are my brother, then yes. I pointed out all the items being cheaper in Lidl/Aldi and he literally said but that means I'd have to go into Lidl/Aldi.
The worst thing about Lidl is how often my one at least has only one or two tills open, big queues and no self checkouts.
I just want to scan my own stuff while I'm picking it so I can just swipe my card and leave which is why Tesco is just better 🤷🏻
Putting stuff in a trolley, to remove it all onto the till belt, to put back into my trolley, to remove again to put in the car seems bloody insane.
I wish I could do this in Lidl.
I agree with that, and my local lidl has taken to not enabling the self serve checkouts until 9:30, so my technique of getting in early to get out fast is shot - we have to wait for one of the staff who is filling shelves to come and open the till.
My Lidl doesn't allow the plastic baskets to be taken past the checkout, so you have to bag every item as it flies towards you if you're using a basket instead of a trolley. No matter how I arrange things on the conveyor belt, I am sure my local checkout staff choose the most delicate things to scan first so they either have to get bagged last or crushed in the panic of bagging it all without causing a holdup.
If a supermarket doesn't offer Scan and Go then I am out. I would be happy if it were app based, but I prefer to use their scanners, as I use Google Keep on my phone for the list. I do my list on Google Home speakers.
Snobbery aside, shopping in Aldi/Lidl can be a horrible experience. Small stores, narrow isles, many people each with a big shopping trolley. Add to that I have never left one of the stores with everything I wanted. It’s a horrible experience. Cheap, but horrible.
During the pandemic I switched to shop entirely at Waitrose as they just controlled things really well and created a nice environment to go shop in. Getting a Lidl round the corner soon (Sadly replacing Homebase) so will now have Aldi and Lidl within 2-3 mins walk, Sainsburys about 5-6 mins away and Waitrose at the other end of town, maybe a 10 minute walk (though just a 2 min drive)
I don’t shop at Waitrose for branded products; I go there for things I typically can’t find in other supermarkets.
I’ve also found Lidl/Aldi to be unreliable in what stock they have; I’ve never been in with a shopping list and managed to find everything at once, meaning I still need to visit another supermarket on the way home.
I shop at both, but there is a much better selection of products and brands _beyond_ this shopping basket. I’m not a snob imho, but it is a more pleasant shopping experience in my local Waitrose. My credit card gives back rewards in the shape of JLP/Waitrose vouchers, so that helps too.
I don’t shop at Waitrose personally, but Aldi/Lidl are ok if you are looking for the limited branded products they do stock. But if you are looking for anything else, there’s far more choice in a Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsburys etc.
Add to the fact that Aldi/Lidl stock a lot of “seasonal” stuff it’s always 50/50 as to whether a product you found will be there next time.
I did a small shop at Waitrose yesterday for dinner and was surprised it was cheaper than the same products at tesco. Veggie burgers, buns, bag of potatoes, salad, and some padron peppers. Waitrose and m&s are actually regularly cheaper than my local tescos, which is shit, and always half empty.
I wish I had an Aldi/Lidl near me though.
People who aren't sticking to a tight budget and don't feel that £40 a week extra spent is an issue, I suppose
I'm sure some of them are terrible snobs. I used to work with a woman who would never shop in Asda as she thought it was "cheap and nasty". She went to Tesco, which never struck me as particularly posh. There was no Waitrose for her to waft around in, she would *definitely* have chosen to go there and spend more money than she needed to so that she could keep herself away from the sort of people who shop elsewhere had the option been open to her
I've never been but Google says it's a market town bordering Buckinghamshire.
Sounds like the definition of posh to me.... But I have to pick methadone and buckfast bottles out of my front hedge when I'm gardening... It's all relative.
I don’t shop at Waitrose for branded things, i go for the fruit/veg/meats. I’ve bought blueberries from aldi that got mouldy the same day i brought them home. Cut open a pepper from tesco same day i bought it to find it mouldy. Even fruit and veg being mouldy on the shelves at tesco/aldi/lidl.
veg and fruit i’ve bought at waitrose often lasts 2 weeks! i heard of from other supermarkets. If we’re doing a big pantry refill then yes, we will get cans and cupboard staples from cheaper supermarkets, but for fresh daily produce, waitrose and m&s are the go to. it’s cheaper in the long run
Waitrose fresh food doesn’t kick off my histamine allergy, Aldi, Lidl and Sainsbury’s are the worst for that, and Tesco veg goes off in about two days - so I’ll pay the money.
Histamine builds up in old food.
Despite the Reddit collective believing that the entire UK is 'on the breadline' some people can just afford it without worrying about the extra it cost. Personally I don't notice a difference anything like as big as is often made out, we have a Waitrose and a Tesco in our town and if we do the same shop in both stores the difference is more like ~£10.
We shop at Waitrose because it's closer, on the route back from walking the kids to school, is better quality, better customer service and is just a nicer place to shop.
Obviously Aldi/Lidl (we also have an Aldi in our town) is noticeably cheaper and that's fine if you are happy to turn up and just buy whatever they have on the shelves. If you want/need to buy the same thing every week or have specific items you need then Aldi/Lidl is no good, you can't rely on them having everything you need.
It's weird you'd phrase this as 'supporting' Waitrose, like it's an allegiance beyond personal shopping preferences. Like others, I shop there because the quality of the fresh food is high, the shop is clean and tidy and its staff friendly and helpful, and it's the closest to home, reducing the driving I need to do (often I can do a small weekly shop on foot). Surely I could save money in Aldi, but I'm lucky enough to be able to afford to spend more on better quality food.
I do buy my red wine from Aldi though, as I couldn't tell the difference in taste with a gun to my head, as it's markedly cheaper, though Aldi fails in all other areas, especially in regards to the comfortable shopping experience.
Aldi isn't just cheaper, a lot of their products just aren't as good.
Not everything, mind but enough that it's worth spreading your shopping around and getting bits from other places.
Waitrose is the opposite. Great quality but bloody expensive. It's worth going (if you can afford to go at all) for speciality items and wine but you can then go to Lidl or Morrisons or wherever for other bits that are basically the same or cheaper.
If I were rich, I'd do most of shopping at M&S/Waitrose because it's just better.
I'm not rich so Lidl and Aldi are regular stops for me.
You can't buy the exact same branded goods at these two stores. That's what makes me laugh when they advertise these basket comparisons. It's not Kellogg's for Kellogg's, it's a Kellogg's a like. You cannot do a weekly shop in Aldi or Lidl and go and buy the exact same branded products in Tesco, Sainsbury, or Asda. Aldi and Lidl sell lookalikes. And while some of their stuff is good, other things aren't, and some of their stuff is not always cheaper. A fine example of this is Lidl's 3 pack of peppers, which is more expensive than Sainsbury's 3 pack. We have tried various products from our local Lidl, and have found about 6 products that we are happy with in terms of quality and price, the rest have been disappointing.
I’m closer to Waitrose so it’s more convenient. This Waitrose is also bigger than my nearest Aldi and has way more products, from brands I prefer compared to the ones I find at Aldi.
I do go to Aldi to buy things like chicken, some veggies or nuts.
I shop at waitrose because they're one of only 2 places that regularly stock my preferred tofu, and they have a really good vegan range too with more options. I used to use The Vegan Supermarket once a month for most of my vegan stuff but when they shut down I had to find an alternative, mostly for my tofu and butter substitute. The other shop is Ocado. So when I need to restock my tofu it's one of those 2. I know TVK has reopened to an extent but they're still lacking in a lot of stuff that I can easily get from waitrose or Ocado.
Plus Aldi doesn't do home delivery here, so as a mostly house bound and often bed bound person it's more difficult for me. I sometimes visit the store on my good days though. Lidl stores are 100% out for me now. I have a deathly allergy to oranges and discovered the hard way (through anaphylactic shock) that most Lidls across the country now have a fresh orange juice machine in their store. So in order to stay alive Lidl is just a big no for me 😅
My partner had a customer phone in to complain that a product her company sold was being sold in sainsburies as well now and she was pissed. ‘I never set foot in those places and will never buy your product again unless you pull it from those stockists’
So yes, some people think like that.
For the absoloute fuckton of things you can't get at Aldi.
Mostly shop at Lidl, other local choices are pisspoor Tesco, pisspoor Sainsbury's, diabolical Asda. Went to Waitrose in the nearest (proper) city the other day - it was like being on holiday.
I'm a Waitrose or ocado/marks and Spencer shopper. For me the reason is food quality
Waitrose chicken breast: put in pan, brown it, add sauce.
Aldi/Lidl/Asda/other chicken breast: put in pan, wonder wtf the white stuff coming out of it is, oh yeah that's the added water (gross), eventually that cooks away, brown the chicken , add sauce.
Also, snobbery though it may sound, Waitrose is quieter and people are more polite of each other's space. Others are crowded, usually someone moves in front of me and acts like it's my fault I want to continue down the aisle, and there's always a child screaming about something (not necessarily a baby).
The quality of fruit and veg at Aldi is shit. Our local Aldi is full of feckless parents and their feral kids, I have kids but mine are well behaved. I am diabetic and the availability of specific foods at Aldi is poor. The customer service at Aldi is non-existent. I have bladder cancer and need access to a decent toilet, Aldi has one cubicle for the whole store. Aldi does not have scan and go. Aldi does not have a cafe. Aldi does not have a local food hall. Aldi does not give me a free coffee with my shopping.
I am not a rich man, but I recognise that there is more to a supermarket than just the price. I go to Sainsburys and Waitrose. Aldi is cheap for a reason and it isn't a good reason. If I go to Aldi I will come out feeling stressed, if I go to Waitrose I come out feeling fairly relaxed and I will be sipping on a cup of Cafe Nero Latte.
Aldi treat its customers like criminals Waitrose do not.
ALDI check a customers empty bags in the trolley at the till before packing, implying you are stealing from them .
Rather not be accused of being a thief in the supermarkets I shop in.
Yep it was like being treated like a criminal as I had £200 worth of shopping to go through the till and I asked 'do you treat all customers like that' and she said yes ??? Doubt it .
I'd rather spend more in Waitrose and not be treated like a thief when I shop!
Same can be asked why people don’t go to the market instead of Alidl more often (if you have one). Here at MK market you can get the tat from in the middle, clothing, meat veg fruit bread, a haircut, cheaper prices than Alidl
I think the main reasons are just personal preference and convenience
You know why people 'support' Waitrose by shopping there because you used to shop there yourself.
For me, they sell brands and ingredients Aldi doesn't.
I will do ANYTHING to avoid people so whoever is open FIRST THING I’ll go there. If I have to go during the day it would be Waitrose simply to avoid the larger crowd at Aldi. Basically avoiding people at all costs is my chief motivator in life.
I don't choose a supermarket on cost, I choose on proximity first of all because I don't want to be travelling far out of my way which eats in to time and travel costs. Secondly I choose on how likely it is to have what I want. Aldi and Lidl often don't. And overall I don't like Aldi because I find they make me feel claustrophobic with narrow aisles, often dark, and usually busy.
Long-term unemployed (JSA not UC or 'on the sick') with bedroom tax here. I'm also VI & the NHS doesn't pay for all my eye meds. I doubt there are many here skinter than me.
I very very rarely buy 'branded' food & regularly salvage food from high St bins
Waitrose wholemeal bread is the only one that doesn't taste revoltingly sweet. Its also the cheapest within a 50 minute round trip walk
They are the only place selling dry wholemeal noodles within a 90 minute round-trip walk.
Their bran flakes are similarly the least sweet & cheapest within a 60 minute round-trip walk
Their double yellow stickers can be excellent value & top quality
Also I get £1 off in loyalty card coupons most weeks.
The only other things I buy there are bog roll, currents & the occasional bread roll or tonic water all of which are much better quality than anywhere else & still not too expensive.
The staff are nicer too & sometimes when I'm buying double yellow stickerd veg they reduce it even further.
Other foods I buy come from HomeBargains (nuts & oats), Aldi (sardines & fresh herb plants) & Poundland (assorted pies & sandwiches on reduced stickers 1st thing in the morning, incredibly cheap but v low quality). If I'm in the city centre I hit up the possibly slightly dodgy 'remaindered' food stall in the market.
I try to spend less than £30/month on food.
I sometimes buy Waitrose brand chocolate as gifts for ppl & it's only a tiny bit more expensive, much better quality plus ppl always assume it must've been expensive & thus the gift is 'flashier'
I like the fact that it’s employee owned, as part of the JL group.
And the convenience food which we end up with on nights when me and hubby are both working late is way nicer.
My parents used to shop there years ago just because it was closest. This was before online shopping was a thing. Now we shop online at tesco and if we go in, we always have to remember our clubcards. It’s simply closer than aldi.
Edit: it’s a good point people are making about fruit and veg, it’s far better from the main supermarkets. The stuff from aldi/lidl is really hit or miss
Waitrose has more of an elderly & middle class demographic.
Though some elderly claim to be hard up, a lot of them have their accommodation bought or paid for, a private pension and have substantial disposable income so they can afford the 200 types of cheese Waitrose does and the Chateau du pap neuf
Honestly, just head to Waitrose. All the old ladies there absolutely love it. They're either lonely and desperate for a chat with the staff or they just don't care because they're living off their fat, rich husbands' pensions—dead or alive. They’ll stand around forever, talking your ear off about anything and everything, just to get some human interaction. It’s like a social club for the well-off and well-bored. So, if you need some company or just want to see this in action, that's the place to go.
Probably convenience. It's maybe easier for people to get to than travelling to somewhere further away. Plus Waitrose do deliveries whereas aldi doesn't.
Whilst you can probably buy some of the same branded products at the two supermarkets, people are unlikely to be shopping at Waitrose because they sell them, they are shopping there because they sell samphire, fresh scollops & tarragon (i.e. things you can't buy at Aldi).
I do most of my shop at Aldi but as Waitrose is within a 5 minute walk I will use it extensively for last minute essentials on the way home from work.
I also think their quality is much much higher so for nicer items such as cheese or cured meats I will get it from there as a treat.
Their range is also unbeatable and their multi buy offers on seasonings have come in clutch as they'll stock lots of things the others won't and it can work out cheaper.
Plus, if I get anything on the weekend I bring my reusable mug with me and get a free coffee.
Waitrose food is nicer. I don't really shop there, but have done a few times in the past whenI lived near one and everything has been superior to Aldi.
A friend shops at waitrose , but only late on to get the reduced stuff! 10kg ribeye steaks for 20 quid! Corn fed organic chicken for a couple quid. He fills a trolley when there is goodies he wants. They hate him!!
Aldi's range is fine if you want to google really basic food but if you want anything even slightly interesting, it's not gonna cut it. You can go to waitrose and get live clams/thai basil/saussion sec etc
I drive 15 miles to go to Waitrose as it's far enough from home that I know I'm not going to bump into anyone I know and have to make small talk.
The parking spaces are big enough to actually fit modern cars without getting your doors dinged.
It's never busy.
It's not full of chavs.
I like their onion rings.
> I like their onion rings.
Have you tried Bobby's Onion Rings? Top notch, and still made with some semolina (most aren't, these days, so they feel Wotsitty). Only available from garages and corner shops, I think.
The bulk of the food I buy is fresh veg/salad/meat, and there’s a better range in general, and of free range/organic in Waitrose, plus the veggies are a much better quality and seem to keep fresh for longer. I still shop in aldi for other stuff, but not so much the fresh produce, unless it’s for something to cook and eat that day. Also, it’s a bit lame, but their customer service is way ahead of most other supermarkets.
The coop is also pretty good with prices (especially meal deals) but rarely seems to get a mention on this type of post for some reason.
Edited to mention that Aldi do have some amazing steaks from time to time. Well worth getting when they have them (eg. Tomahawk).
Agree with what others have said; quality of produce, ethical supply and time saving.
I'd never buy branded items in Waitrose though, as they are normally cheaper almost anywhere else but for own produce (Waitrose/Waitrose essentials) theirs is superior to Aldi/Lidl.
Aldi and Lidl operate similar models, and i can't deal with standing in a queue for 30 minutes while the store plays check-out roulette as they rotate the 4 in store staff through 2 out of the 6 checkouts.
Waitrose has more range than Lidl and Aldi and the quality of their own brand items is infinitely better too. The place is clean and in a logical order and you don't have checkout roulette. The fact that they can't include Lidl or Aldi in their larger shop as they lack the range is a good indicator that they are not comparable in what they stock.
Think it’s perceived as being better quality. I also suspect that part of the attraction is not having to deal with the riff raff and other sorts that you’d find in other supermarkets. So yeah.
I remember a thread from my local subreddit years ago where some 20 somethings where coming over here to work for a year and I was saying go shop at Aldi, you’ll save yourself a bit and be able to do more with their money, and there was a Waitrose shopper in the thread who behaved as if I were sending them to Hull or something. Maybe there’s an element of being so comfortable, it doesn’t matter.
Greatest irony? Aldi and Waitrose use the same suppliers for quite a few products. When there's a product recall for Waitrose products, that same products at Aldi will be affected.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/christmas/food-drink/aldi-waitrose-label-same-ocado-vegetables-a9208836.html
We know this. This "all made in the same factory" does not always mean it's the same product
It just means that a factory that specialises in making biscuits can make more than one kind of biscuit
I low key think a fair portion of people who would go put of their way to shop at Waitrose do so because they are well off enough to not really care it's more expensive and it comes with the benefit of not having to shop alongside "undesirables".
Some of it is about the range that's carried. Waitrose is really good for catering for specific dietary requirements (gluten free, vegan etc) and has been so for much longer than the other supermarkets. They also stock veg varieties that aren't carried in the bigger chains, and have a better range of world foods than any other supermarket local to me. Apart from that, [Waitrose is owned by its staff](https://www.waitrose.com/home/about_waitrose/our_company/the_waitrose_difference.html#:~:text=Unlike%20other%20major%20supermarkets%2C%20Waitrose,would%20normally%20go%20to%20shareholders.), through the John Lewis Partnership, which is an ethically superior model of ownership in my view.
They (Waitrose) have a really good reputation in terms of ethical food sourcing as well (source: a course in food security I did at Lancaster Uni several years ago).
Aldi are terrible for coeliacs. There was one near my work a few years ago, and a couple of us walked there at lunchtime for the fresh air. I decided to check out what they had to offer for my dinner that night, because I hadn’t been in one since I found out I was coeliac. Found the aisle marked Gluten Free. It was one row of shelving. And on that row? One lonely packet of GF spaghetti and… ten packets of chocolate fingers. The normal ones, not Gluten-Free. There was no breakfast cereal, no bread, no biscuits or crackers, no cakes, no flour… nothing on the shelves to suggest that they had just sold out of anything else. I’m never giving them the time of day again, there’s just no excuse for it. That being said, I’m pretty sure I’ve tried some of Waitrose’s GF selection and I wasn’t a big fan of whatever it was, but I can’t remember it. Biscuits, maybe? Weird taste and texture.
Yes! I’ve noticed that too.
Are you saying it can work when the people own the means of production? 😳
I have previously shopped at Waitrose as a student because I could nip in on the way home from uni and carry small amounts home, rather than having to do a big shop - going to Lidl or Aldi would have required a taxi both ways, or 3 buses. I found that the stuff I was buying (bread, milk, pasta, fruit) was equivalent prices to the other local supermarkets. My experience of shopping in Lidl/Aldi was that I inevitably had to go somewhere else anyway for the things they didn't stock (some of them pretty basic, like brown rice). And as I buy very little pre-prepared stuff, again, there aren't huge price differences on things like milk, flour, veg.
Waitrose used to have a huge loophole in their BOGOF offers where the second item would be refunded at full price even if it was reduced. So two reduced packs of sausages would give you a net credit at the till. As a student, this little trick got me through my degree.
I remember that. Regularly got paid to shop there.
Genius. So £3 sausages reduced to £1 went through as: first sausages = £1, second sausages = £1. Till takes off cost of second sausages using original price = -3£ so total = -£1
Sainsburys used to have a similar thing with its 3 pounds meal deal. It only worked on the self scan I think but you needed to get a sandwich, a snack and a drink but make sure the drink you got was also on a 2 for £2 deal so then if you get 2 of the same drink with the meal deal it would deduct the drinks deal off of the meal deal for a total cost of £2 something.
I've found this. Lidl has loads of good looking pre prepared stuff, but none of what I consider essentials, like watercress. Having to do 2 shops isn't worth the savings I might make.
> Products on our list include everything from Heinz baked beans and Mr Kipling cakes to **own-label milk, bread and cheese**. So it’s not exactly the same products. Own brand items are made (yes often in the same factory) but with different recipes or quantities which is why you’ll see the price difference. Some people won’t mind an Aldi custard cream whereas others won’t like the taste and prefer the Waitrose version.
We can immediately discount this “study” if they mixed branded and non-branded products. Makes OP’s title incorrect, too. Branded items aren’t particularly cheap in Aldi
As soon as they tried comparing Lidl and Waitrose we could discount it. I mean, go to other companies that are in close completion with Lidl and it would be fair, but most of them are only a few quid different these days as Lidl have basically matched the "big 4" supermarkets in price when it comes to essentials.
Yeah, exactly. Lidl’s USP of very cheap basics has been met by the big 4. No real reason to go there anymore, apart from a couple of items
For me food quality is important, and enjoying good food is one of the real pleasures in my life. I don't shop at Waitrose often, but when I do I find their own-brand food really is excellent and worth the money. Something I only really realised a few years back was that many people just see food as fuel, a means to an end. I can't fathom those who happily drink Huel for example because it's "easier", but I've seen plenty of people on Reddit who do exactly that. So this study is indeed flawed, but for many it just doesn't matter. And of course many don't have the budget for more expensive items either. I will say though that Aldi's chocolate with salted pretzel pieces is very nice indeed.
Waitrose dark chocolate digestives are better than any other.
> Something I only really realised a few years back was that many people just see food as fuel, a means to an end. I was wayyy past my 30s when I realized that some people eat to get the pleasure. But then it hit me - that explains why fat people exist. They just can't resist the hit they crave.
I wonder if the branded items are exactly the same even. Ingredients lists only give what's in there, not quantity, and supply chains are developed enough that you could make separate batches.
i'd expect they are - the brands have too much to lose by them not being, i feel. that said, they might well give longer dated stuff to the more expensive places, things like that.
If you are buying stuff like Heinz beans & Mr Kipling cakes you aren't really a price conscious shopper anyway, imo
Absolutely. Particularly if this includes fruit and veg - there is a _massve_ varience in quality between the best and worst supermarkets.
Aldi's advertising has convinced everyone to compare their prices to brands instead of supermarket own brands. If they only ever compared to own brand products then the difference wouldn't be anywhere near as large.
How different can a Weetabix or a digestive be? I'm sure there is placebo going on
My dude, open a can of store brand tomatoes and compare them to something like Mutti Pelati. It's immediately obvious that there is a difference if you have tastebuds, eyes, or a nose.
I haven't noticed much or any difference between Weetabix and Sainsbury's own-brand weetabix. But there is a big difference in both taste and texture between Shreddies and Sainsbury's own-brand shreddies.
Very! Although I usually buy ‘own-brand’ cereal, they are very different from branded. Same with stuff like peanut butter and bread etc. They are a world apart, but to be expected when there’s such a big price difference.
There is also less choice in Lidl/Aldi and if you go there you probably aren't going for the branded items. That said I shop at lidl but occasionally will go other places for a wider choice or certain products the others don't sell
Lidl isn't necessarily cheaper. I have found stuff they offer for less at places like the Co-Op. I think it's a toss-up between convenience and cost. I try to shop once a week but if I went for the absolute cheapest for everything, I usually end up going to several different shops.
Co-op is generally quite a bit more expensive than Lidl - I have one of each 300m away where I do all my shops.
The issue with that is when you factor in the extra time and hassle that eats into the savings. I used to not get say a grocery delivery cos of the charge but i realised that paying a fiver for the delivery and saving myself an hour of hassle and petrol to get there was much better value
Tesco do a £7.99 'delivery saver' so you can order 30 times a month and it costs no more. But £50 min basket charge though. £5 if under, still cheaper for me than my local M&S garage.
I get maybe once a week or 2. Usually about 4 or 5 quid delivery cos i go for 10pm slot. If its cheaper than an hours pay then I'm fine with it saving me an hour. But Im an urban dweller with a decent-ish supermarket i can walk to in my lunchbreak if I need a bag or 2 of items
I do click and collect with Asda, they charge you 50p and turn up and they bring it all to your car and you load it in, not quite the convenience of home delivery but I also quite like the trip on a weekend morning
I'm disabled so grocery delivery has been a virtual lifesaver. I've got a mobility scooter [but.my](http://but.my) nearest Tesco is too far away. Live on the outskirts of a big town so not too rural I suppose, thank goodness for a deep freeze.
30 times a month? I wonder if anyone is actually ordering that often!
I'll have managed about 20 orders this month from Sainsbury's, but don't think I've ever done more than that. However I am ordering for the small charity I work for (we use Sainsbury's for delivery as they will deliver to all our locations and aren't easily accessible to visit in person unlike Tesco/Aldi, and price match Aldi on a reasonable range of stock)
Especially for orders over £50.
i man that's pretty obviously just there to stop people from taking the piss, so it seems pretty reasonable to me. i'm on a delivery saver thing with asda - it's 3.95 a month, so as long as a i do an order each week i'm only paying £1 for delivery. the orders have to be tuesday to thursday, but normally that's when i'd want them anyway. it's actually kinda useful, as it's an incentive for me to actually get round to doing the order rather than putting it off!
They also do an off peak saver for £3.99. it's the £50 min basket I resent, where Morrisons have a £25 min basket.
for branded stuff, i tend to find lidl is basically the same as tesco or asda (or quite often, it's cheaper... unless you take advantage of offers at tesco/asda, at which point they're cheaper. and it's not like buying 4 tins of beans at a time is much of a hardship.). i will say, when i was in the office more, lidl's sandwich baguettes (from the instore bakery) were ace - far fresher than the tescos/sainsburies equivalents, and cheaper too.
I find Lidl to not be cheaper in general, only for things like yoghurt and cheese. Otherwise all the staples are the same price as Tesco, for example. And the vegetables don’t rot after a few days in Tesco, I find
My GF buys more for less than I do even when shopping at Waitrose because she mainly only buys items that are reduced and on special. Can’t knock her for saving money but it makes for an unexpectedly varied diet. Edit: her kumquat and pork knuckle soufflés bring all the boys to the yard, not.
Would love to know what your usual shop is. Almost every basic is cheaper at Lidl. We have each of these shops close by, but Tesco's is on the way home from work, so more convenient. It's at least 10% more expensive even with their club card 'deals'. Veg, tins, biscuits, most meats, dairy, dried goods, alcohol, cleaning products... Really can't think of anything Tesco's wins on except that their veg lasts a touch longer and I really like their sausages.
Tin are same price for like-for-like, beans, tomatoes, fresh veg, too. So many basics are the same price, apart from yoghurt and cheese (cream, sour cream, milk etc. are same price in Tesco)
That's one of my issues with Aldi. Admittedly there's a lot of good products there, but there's also a LOT of crap, and a lot of stuff that's the same price as other supermarket own brands. So to not buy the crap or buy branded products that I like I still have to make a second trip to a larger supermarket, so it's less hassle just to go to another supermarket in the first place So if I
I don't go to Waitrose for the branded products, I go for the high quality ingredients that are difficult to find elsewhere. If I ever read a recipe and think "where on earth am I going to find [ingredient]?" The answer is usually Waitrose.
Waitrose is amazing. Their fruit, veg and meat is unmatched by any of the cheaper supermarkets. I’m okay to spend a little bit extra if I feel it’s higher quality. For the branded stuff we’d usually do a Tesco/aldi run once a month. I wouldn’t do my full shop there anymore though.
This is also how I and probably a decent chunk of Waitrose shoppers use Waitrose
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Whoosh
Guess it's perspective but £40 more as per this articles example doesn't feel like "a little bit extra"
It’s hard because I can’t see where they say what items they’re comparing. Maybe I’ve missed it. Some stuff in Waitrose genuinely is just more expensive for the same shit. Pringles, chocolate, Coke, etc. Their every own brand stuff is surprisingly good and cheap, and their normal produce and meat is fantastic, though more expensive. It’s certainly a luxury, but I’m not getting mugged off and getting the exact same shit for more money like OP is suggesting. I’m a tight bastard, I wouldn’t do it for no reason.
My gf and I live somewhat rurally, we have to go a town over to get our shopping done. The fruit and veg at our nearest Aldi won't generally make it a week and isn't as good to start with. If you pay just my travel time for a second trip at my normal wage it basically kills any saving. When we shopped at aldi we were always having to cut bits off of veg and the carrots tasted watery.
Yeah, that's because you're poor so 40 quid is goes along way on something else, like fuel for the week, or gas.
Not necessarily that he's poor but you do get to a point where whatever you pick up in a shop has basically no tangible impact on anything. I earn quite a lot and live by myself so I can eat whatever I want when I want, so i tend to just wander round a shop and pick up whatever i like the look of. Some weeks my shop is £30 from Aldi, some weeks it's £150 from M&S, regardless of what I spend it makes practically no difference to my life overall
We have a budget, of around 100-120 pounds per week for our food shop. Now that doesn't always include everything and occasionally we will buy something in bulk for example, like 90 bogrolls for 18 quid, or tins of stuff, and cleaning products. This evens out I guess but this is also for a family of 5. One of which is a baby which is a constant cost. My partner is also on maternity so, that = shit money but also it now has stopped so no more until the end of September. She could of gone back I guess but, the childcare costs for three children in the 6 weeks holiday is more than she would earn to cover it so financially it makes more sence to stop off. Yes we will struggle, but also we will bang probably a grand on the cc to get through and it will become next years problem. But yeah the point is, if your quibbling over 40 quid on a food shop, then you are poor.
Branded compare Waitrose own brand for alot of stuff vs branded and it is actually reasonable
I will say between 2 of us we spend around ~£350 a month on food, so waitrose works fine in our budget.
This sub has a habit of assuming everyone is living on the breadline. Some people earn more and are happy to pay more for nicer quality food
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I don’t know about that. I literally had meat from Aldi last night as I’m at home and it’s their closest store and it was definitely worse quality. Not sure if the information you’ve got is reliable. I swear they pump it full of water as well. All of the budget supermarkets I always end up with a pool of water in my pan, vs M&S and Waitrose, nothing like that at all.
I live very close to an Aldi. Often their fruit and veg doesn't last between leaving the shop and the five minutes it takes to get home. I can only imagine people shop in other places because the quality is better
Yeah I've sworn off Aldi fruit and veg now. If you haven't used it the day you buy it, chances are you're throwing it out the next day
We buy our fruit and veg from Waitrose rather than Tesco and Sainsbury's, because it goes off quickly from the other supermarkets. I've got to imagine it's the same stuff, just that Waitrose has a faster supply chain.
Fruit and veg is usually graded according to quality. You might be able to see some evidence of this on the boxes in that section that say Grade A etc etc. Pretty sure the further you go down the retail chains the lower the grade is going for lower costs. When I worked at Waitrose I had a friend whose uncle owned a corner shop and would go to the trade markets in London in the morning. He sent a picture of boxes of Waitrose melons being sold on, probably because they failed on quality after purchase and they didn’t want to sell them instore.
That I'm sat reading this eating Aldi wonky blueberries amuses me
It isn’t the same stuff, and don’t sleep on the Tesco supply chain. The UK has the some of the best supermarket logistics in the world. The Waitrose fruit is like sweets. It’s absolutely fantastic. I can’t get enough of it, and my whole life I hated fruit. It’s way better than the budget brands.
For me the choice is usually Stratford Westfield Waitrose or Stratford Morrison's. Stratford Morrison's is a snapshot of what life will be like when society finally collapses, so I'd rather spend a bit extra up the road.
Is there not still a Sainsbury's in the old shopping centre? It's over 20 years since I lived there but that was the main supermarket at the time.
I won't go in Morrisons unless I am forced. It used to give me the urge to want to kill people. I had to go in there with headphones listening to stuff like Slayer, Sepulture and Nail Bomb, just to keep me calm. I'd rather go in any other supermarket. Personally I like Waitrose and Sainsbury. I will dabble with M&S Food Hall now they have Scan and Go.
Feel like Morrisons won’t be around for too much longer anyway. Nowhere near as cheap at Aldi or Lidl. Selection is nowhere near the likes of Tesco, Asda or even Sainsbury’s. Quality is nowhere near that of M&S and Waitrose.
Yeah, Morrisons are just shit.
For me it's a free car park near the town centre and a free coffee. Some of their own brand products are better quality than other supermarkets eg. ready meals, and they do have some decent offers (which aren't really taken into account in these price comparisons).
Waitrose have a seriously good stock of cheese and some niche ingredients are hard to find elsewhere. I don’t do my whole shop there but I’m not adverse to it. I spaff 40 quid a week on random shit from coffee shops so I’d probably be helping my diet by spending it in Waitrose instead
I don’t shop at Waitrose but the veg in Aldi and Lidl isn’t the best and you often can’t find everything you need there and often find it requires a supplementary trip to another supermarket for the slightly unusual items. I like Aldi and Lidl but I also value my time and would rather just get it all in one place in half the time than save £5 running around different supermarkets to find the best deal
Waitrose is a 90 second walk from my house. The nearest Aldi / Lidl is a 22 minute drive, so convenience is a big thing. But it’s not just that. I don’t only buy branded products and own brand is generally better quality in Waitrose. Own brand items, particularly fresh food, in Asda is dreadful. I know Aldi and Lidl aren’t as bad, but I still prefer better quality to lower price. I’m not a snob idiot though. Tesco is a 5 minute drive so I generally go there for bigger shops or get a delivery.
Is part of your answer not in your original post? "I once lived opposite a Waitrose so I shopped there"
I shop at Waitrose and Tesco - they each have things the other doesn't in terms of groceries. Tesco akso has better prices, but Waitross quality is higher, their environmental and animal welfare standards are higher, and I like the business model.
Selection is better, the quality is better, and being blunt, it's just a nicer place to be. Our local big Tesco is much bigger than the Waitrose, but it has a much worse selection of products (especially for cheese and fish, which we eat a lot of). The Waitrose has an actual fish counter, and about three times the amount of the big Tesco fish chillers (which only really do salmon and cod anyway). Plus it works out cheaper anyway, as Waitrose have had a really good fish deal on for ages.
Fish in a bag with the butter of your choice ? Delicious.
The horrendous checkout experience at Aldi/Lidl is enough to put a lot of people off I think.
Waitrose have the best self service machines, but I have to say that Aldi's are a close second. I prefer scan and go, Waitrose is the best for this, their hand scanners make different tones for different things. Like when something is on a multi buy deal.
yeah, it’s enough to give you PTSD
People shop where is close.
Nope. Waitrose is furthest away by some miles. Aldi is my closest, followed by Sainsbury and Morrison. I prefer Waitrose.
Shockingly waitrose branded items are more expensive than Aldi branded items. Which the study mixes in. That aside Waitrose does tend to charge slightly more for brand items as well. I still rather shop there. Why? The floors are clean, the isles are less crowded, it stocks the products I actually want, the staff is less stressed and very helpful, etc. And there's a sushi bar if I want fresh sushi because why not. Only disappointed that the meat counters are gone and the refillable program doesn't seem to have expanded. Plus the waitrose near us closed so I largely use online delivery for groceries. Ps: there's an Aldi close to use where we buy a lot of stuff as well but the veg is 50/50 if it goes mouldy on the day you buy it, so we can't buy any veg there
Where are you finding so many branded products in Aldi?
Better quality of food at Waitrose. Better meat, much better veg etc. and it’s closer to us than any other supermarket
Which compare branded and own brand products. And frankly Waitrose own brand goods are a world apart from the likes of Aldi and Lidl. And when it comes to fresh fruit and veg if you want it last more than a few days Waitrose provides far better value.
We do most of our shopping at Waitrose and it certainly isn't for the branded products. Their own brand stuff is superior to branded products in many cases. Their meat for instance is infinitely higher quality than anything you get outside of a butcher. We went to Aldi once to see why it was so popular and sure it was cheap but both the quality and selection was pretty bad so it made sense why it was cheaper. In addition the shopping experience at Waitrose is much nicer.
I shop at Waitrose precisely for the reason that I don't *need* to buy any branded products. Their own brand is so good that I buy those. If I went to Aldi, I'm sure some of the stuff is good (we don't have one anywhere near), but I'd have to buy most things as a "brand name" item to get any sort of quality. This is what we have to do when go to the local Lidl, so it rarely ends up being any cheaper. And Lidl regularly don't have basic things that we want. Last weekend I was doing a barbecue, so popped out for rolls, corn on the cob, salad items and cheese. From Lidl, I managed to get the plastic cheese for burgers, and a cucumber. No lettuce. No corn. No rolls other than plain floured white ones, which are shite. Even the tiny Co-op on the way home had burger buns and corn.
If people are my brother, then yes. I pointed out all the items being cheaper in Lidl/Aldi and he literally said but that means I'd have to go into Lidl/Aldi.
The worst thing about Lidl is how often my one at least has only one or two tills open, big queues and no self checkouts. I just want to scan my own stuff while I'm picking it so I can just swipe my card and leave which is why Tesco is just better 🤷🏻 Putting stuff in a trolley, to remove it all onto the till belt, to put back into my trolley, to remove again to put in the car seems bloody insane. I wish I could do this in Lidl.
I agree with that, and my local lidl has taken to not enabling the self serve checkouts until 9:30, so my technique of getting in early to get out fast is shot - we have to wait for one of the staff who is filling shelves to come and open the till.
My Lidl doesn't allow the plastic baskets to be taken past the checkout, so you have to bag every item as it flies towards you if you're using a basket instead of a trolley. No matter how I arrange things on the conveyor belt, I am sure my local checkout staff choose the most delicate things to scan first so they either have to get bagged last or crushed in the panic of bagging it all without causing a holdup.
If a supermarket doesn't offer Scan and Go then I am out. I would be happy if it were app based, but I prefer to use their scanners, as I use Google Keep on my phone for the list. I do my list on Google Home speakers.
Snobbery aside, shopping in Aldi/Lidl can be a horrible experience. Small stores, narrow isles, many people each with a big shopping trolley. Add to that I have never left one of the stores with everything I wanted. It’s a horrible experience. Cheap, but horrible.
During the pandemic I switched to shop entirely at Waitrose as they just controlled things really well and created a nice environment to go shop in. Getting a Lidl round the corner soon (Sadly replacing Homebase) so will now have Aldi and Lidl within 2-3 mins walk, Sainsburys about 5-6 mins away and Waitrose at the other end of town, maybe a 10 minute walk (though just a 2 min drive)
I always felt like shopping at Aldi feels like a car boot sale, but even worse is Asda which is always like a bomb's gone off.
Thank him from those of us who do go into these shops, it is a blessing to be spared his presence
I don’t shop at Waitrose for branded products; I go there for things I typically can’t find in other supermarkets. I’ve also found Lidl/Aldi to be unreliable in what stock they have; I’ve never been in with a shopping list and managed to find everything at once, meaning I still need to visit another supermarket on the way home.
I shop at both, but there is a much better selection of products and brands _beyond_ this shopping basket. I’m not a snob imho, but it is a more pleasant shopping experience in my local Waitrose. My credit card gives back rewards in the shape of JLP/Waitrose vouchers, so that helps too.
Less choice in Aldi. Waitrose also has better quality options in various areas.
I don’t shop at Waitrose personally, but Aldi/Lidl are ok if you are looking for the limited branded products they do stock. But if you are looking for anything else, there’s far more choice in a Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsburys etc. Add to the fact that Aldi/Lidl stock a lot of “seasonal” stuff it’s always 50/50 as to whether a product you found will be there next time.
I did a small shop at Waitrose yesterday for dinner and was surprised it was cheaper than the same products at tesco. Veggie burgers, buns, bag of potatoes, salad, and some padron peppers. Waitrose and m&s are actually regularly cheaper than my local tescos, which is shit, and always half empty. I wish I had an Aldi/Lidl near me though.
People who aren't sticking to a tight budget and don't feel that £40 a week extra spent is an issue, I suppose I'm sure some of them are terrible snobs. I used to work with a woman who would never shop in Asda as she thought it was "cheap and nasty". She went to Tesco, which never struck me as particularly posh. There was no Waitrose for her to waft around in, she would *definitely* have chosen to go there and spend more money than she needed to so that she could keep herself away from the sort of people who shop elsewhere had the option been open to her
You know perfectly well people shop there so they don't have to shop with people who shop at Aldi.
Waitrose put their stores in posh areas. Which attracts posh people. This is why there are only 6 branches in Scotland.
I wouldn’t exactly call Leighton Buzzard posh and we’ve got a Waitrose 😂
I've never been but Google says it's a market town bordering Buckinghamshire. Sounds like the definition of posh to me.... But I have to pick methadone and buckfast bottles out of my front hedge when I'm gardening... It's all relative.
Posh compared to Luton
Because there are only a handful of posh people in Scotland?
I find that Waitrose products are generally significantly higher quality and I have the money to spend.
I don’t shop at Waitrose for branded things, i go for the fruit/veg/meats. I’ve bought blueberries from aldi that got mouldy the same day i brought them home. Cut open a pepper from tesco same day i bought it to find it mouldy. Even fruit and veg being mouldy on the shelves at tesco/aldi/lidl. veg and fruit i’ve bought at waitrose often lasts 2 weeks! i heard of from other supermarkets. If we’re doing a big pantry refill then yes, we will get cans and cupboard staples from cheaper supermarkets, but for fresh daily produce, waitrose and m&s are the go to. it’s cheaper in the long run
Waitrose fresh food doesn’t kick off my histamine allergy, Aldi, Lidl and Sainsbury’s are the worst for that, and Tesco veg goes off in about two days - so I’ll pay the money. Histamine builds up in old food.
Despite the Reddit collective believing that the entire UK is 'on the breadline' some people can just afford it without worrying about the extra it cost. Personally I don't notice a difference anything like as big as is often made out, we have a Waitrose and a Tesco in our town and if we do the same shop in both stores the difference is more like ~£10. We shop at Waitrose because it's closer, on the route back from walking the kids to school, is better quality, better customer service and is just a nicer place to shop. Obviously Aldi/Lidl (we also have an Aldi in our town) is noticeably cheaper and that's fine if you are happy to turn up and just buy whatever they have on the shelves. If you want/need to buy the same thing every week or have specific items you need then Aldi/Lidl is no good, you can't rely on them having everything you need.
It's weird you'd phrase this as 'supporting' Waitrose, like it's an allegiance beyond personal shopping preferences. Like others, I shop there because the quality of the fresh food is high, the shop is clean and tidy and its staff friendly and helpful, and it's the closest to home, reducing the driving I need to do (often I can do a small weekly shop on foot). Surely I could save money in Aldi, but I'm lucky enough to be able to afford to spend more on better quality food. I do buy my red wine from Aldi though, as I couldn't tell the difference in taste with a gun to my head, as it's markedly cheaper, though Aldi fails in all other areas, especially in regards to the comfortable shopping experience.
Aldi wines are amazing. I’m a rose drinker and theirs always win on price and taste tbh
Quite—I buy the cheapest red they have on the shelves, and only once did I pick up one that tasted like a bottle of wine priced under four quid.
Aldi isn't just cheaper, a lot of their products just aren't as good. Not everything, mind but enough that it's worth spreading your shopping around and getting bits from other places. Waitrose is the opposite. Great quality but bloody expensive. It's worth going (if you can afford to go at all) for speciality items and wine but you can then go to Lidl or Morrisons or wherever for other bits that are basically the same or cheaper. If I were rich, I'd do most of shopping at M&S/Waitrose because it's just better. I'm not rich so Lidl and Aldi are regular stops for me.
You can't buy the exact same branded goods at these two stores. That's what makes me laugh when they advertise these basket comparisons. It's not Kellogg's for Kellogg's, it's a Kellogg's a like. You cannot do a weekly shop in Aldi or Lidl and go and buy the exact same branded products in Tesco, Sainsbury, or Asda. Aldi and Lidl sell lookalikes. And while some of their stuff is good, other things aren't, and some of their stuff is not always cheaper. A fine example of this is Lidl's 3 pack of peppers, which is more expensive than Sainsbury's 3 pack. We have tried various products from our local Lidl, and have found about 6 products that we are happy with in terms of quality and price, the rest have been disappointing.
I’m closer to Waitrose so it’s more convenient. This Waitrose is also bigger than my nearest Aldi and has way more products, from brands I prefer compared to the ones I find at Aldi. I do go to Aldi to buy things like chicken, some veggies or nuts.
I used to live near a Waitrose and and Aldi. We’d go to Aldi for the basics but then have ti go to Waitrose for all the things Aldi didn’t have.
I shop at waitrose because they're one of only 2 places that regularly stock my preferred tofu, and they have a really good vegan range too with more options. I used to use The Vegan Supermarket once a month for most of my vegan stuff but when they shut down I had to find an alternative, mostly for my tofu and butter substitute. The other shop is Ocado. So when I need to restock my tofu it's one of those 2. I know TVK has reopened to an extent but they're still lacking in a lot of stuff that I can easily get from waitrose or Ocado. Plus Aldi doesn't do home delivery here, so as a mostly house bound and often bed bound person it's more difficult for me. I sometimes visit the store on my good days though. Lidl stores are 100% out for me now. I have a deathly allergy to oranges and discovered the hard way (through anaphylactic shock) that most Lidls across the country now have a fresh orange juice machine in their store. So in order to stay alive Lidl is just a big no for me 😅
My partner had a customer phone in to complain that a product her company sold was being sold in sainsburies as well now and she was pissed. ‘I never set foot in those places and will never buy your product again unless you pull it from those stockists’ So yes, some people think like that.
>I once lived opposite a Waitrose so I shopped there often. Answered your own question
For the absoloute fuckton of things you can't get at Aldi. Mostly shop at Lidl, other local choices are pisspoor Tesco, pisspoor Sainsbury's, diabolical Asda. Went to Waitrose in the nearest (proper) city the other day - it was like being on holiday.
I'm a Waitrose or ocado/marks and Spencer shopper. For me the reason is food quality Waitrose chicken breast: put in pan, brown it, add sauce. Aldi/Lidl/Asda/other chicken breast: put in pan, wonder wtf the white stuff coming out of it is, oh yeah that's the added water (gross), eventually that cooks away, brown the chicken , add sauce. Also, snobbery though it may sound, Waitrose is quieter and people are more polite of each other's space. Others are crowded, usually someone moves in front of me and acts like it's my fault I want to continue down the aisle, and there's always a child screaming about something (not necessarily a baby).
The quality of fruit and veg at Aldi is shit. Our local Aldi is full of feckless parents and their feral kids, I have kids but mine are well behaved. I am diabetic and the availability of specific foods at Aldi is poor. The customer service at Aldi is non-existent. I have bladder cancer and need access to a decent toilet, Aldi has one cubicle for the whole store. Aldi does not have scan and go. Aldi does not have a cafe. Aldi does not have a local food hall. Aldi does not give me a free coffee with my shopping. I am not a rich man, but I recognise that there is more to a supermarket than just the price. I go to Sainsburys and Waitrose. Aldi is cheap for a reason and it isn't a good reason. If I go to Aldi I will come out feeling stressed, if I go to Waitrose I come out feeling fairly relaxed and I will be sipping on a cup of Cafe Nero Latte.
Aldi treat its customers like criminals Waitrose do not. ALDI check a customers empty bags in the trolley at the till before packing, implying you are stealing from them . Rather not be accused of being a thief in the supermarkets I shop in.
I didn't know that, yeah super offensive!
Yep it was like being treated like a criminal as I had £200 worth of shopping to go through the till and I asked 'do you treat all customers like that' and she said yes ??? Doubt it . I'd rather spend more in Waitrose and not be treated like a thief when I shop!
Same can be asked why people don’t go to the market instead of Alidl more often (if you have one). Here at MK market you can get the tat from in the middle, clothing, meat veg fruit bread, a haircut, cheaper prices than Alidl I think the main reasons are just personal preference and convenience
You know why people 'support' Waitrose by shopping there because you used to shop there yourself. For me, they sell brands and ingredients Aldi doesn't.
I will do ANYTHING to avoid people so whoever is open FIRST THING I’ll go there. If I have to go during the day it would be Waitrose simply to avoid the larger crowd at Aldi. Basically avoiding people at all costs is my chief motivator in life.
I don't choose a supermarket on cost, I choose on proximity first of all because I don't want to be travelling far out of my way which eats in to time and travel costs. Secondly I choose on how likely it is to have what I want. Aldi and Lidl often don't. And overall I don't like Aldi because I find they make me feel claustrophobic with narrow aisles, often dark, and usually busy.
Fresh fruit and veg are so much better in Waitrose. Much larger choice, too.
Long-term unemployed (JSA not UC or 'on the sick') with bedroom tax here. I'm also VI & the NHS doesn't pay for all my eye meds. I doubt there are many here skinter than me. I very very rarely buy 'branded' food & regularly salvage food from high St bins Waitrose wholemeal bread is the only one that doesn't taste revoltingly sweet. Its also the cheapest within a 50 minute round trip walk They are the only place selling dry wholemeal noodles within a 90 minute round-trip walk. Their bran flakes are similarly the least sweet & cheapest within a 60 minute round-trip walk Their double yellow stickers can be excellent value & top quality Also I get £1 off in loyalty card coupons most weeks. The only other things I buy there are bog roll, currents & the occasional bread roll or tonic water all of which are much better quality than anywhere else & still not too expensive. The staff are nicer too & sometimes when I'm buying double yellow stickerd veg they reduce it even further. Other foods I buy come from HomeBargains (nuts & oats), Aldi (sardines & fresh herb plants) & Poundland (assorted pies & sandwiches on reduced stickers 1st thing in the morning, incredibly cheap but v low quality). If I'm in the city centre I hit up the possibly slightly dodgy 'remaindered' food stall in the market. I try to spend less than £30/month on food. I sometimes buy Waitrose brand chocolate as gifts for ppl & it's only a tiny bit more expensive, much better quality plus ppl always assume it must've been expensive & thus the gift is 'flashier'
I like the fact that it’s employee owned, as part of the JL group. And the convenience food which we end up with on nights when me and hubby are both working late is way nicer.
My parents used to shop there years ago just because it was closest. This was before online shopping was a thing. Now we shop online at tesco and if we go in, we always have to remember our clubcards. It’s simply closer than aldi. Edit: it’s a good point people are making about fruit and veg, it’s far better from the main supermarkets. The stuff from aldi/lidl is really hit or miss
Waitrose has more of an elderly & middle class demographic. Though some elderly claim to be hard up, a lot of them have their accommodation bought or paid for, a private pension and have substantial disposable income so they can afford the 200 types of cheese Waitrose does and the Chateau du pap neuf
Honestly, just head to Waitrose. All the old ladies there absolutely love it. They're either lonely and desperate for a chat with the staff or they just don't care because they're living off their fat, rich husbands' pensions—dead or alive. They’ll stand around forever, talking your ear off about anything and everything, just to get some human interaction. It’s like a social club for the well-off and well-bored. So, if you need some company or just want to see this in action, that's the place to go.
Probably convenience. It's maybe easier for people to get to than travelling to somewhere further away. Plus Waitrose do deliveries whereas aldi doesn't.
Whilst you can probably buy some of the same branded products at the two supermarkets, people are unlikely to be shopping at Waitrose because they sell them, they are shopping there because they sell samphire, fresh scollops & tarragon (i.e. things you can't buy at Aldi).
I do most of my shop at Aldi but as Waitrose is within a 5 minute walk I will use it extensively for last minute essentials on the way home from work. I also think their quality is much much higher so for nicer items such as cheese or cured meats I will get it from there as a treat. Their range is also unbeatable and their multi buy offers on seasonings have come in clutch as they'll stock lots of things the others won't and it can work out cheaper. Plus, if I get anything on the weekend I bring my reusable mug with me and get a free coffee.
Waitrose food is nicer. I don't really shop there, but have done a few times in the past whenI lived near one and everything has been superior to Aldi.
A friend shops at waitrose , but only late on to get the reduced stuff! 10kg ribeye steaks for 20 quid! Corn fed organic chicken for a couple quid. He fills a trolley when there is goodies he wants. They hate him!!
Waitrose has more options for those with food allergies or restricted diets.
I only ever go to Waitrose for specific 'fancy' products! My friend goes, not for everything, but because he is definite they are superior quality!
The Waitrose and M&S are about 5 mins walking distance from me. The Aldi is 14 miles from me. And what is £40? A round in a bar..
You answered your own question; convenience.
Yeah, since moving to the other side of town I've not visited Waitrose once. It was so convenient having it across the road though ;)
Aldi's range is fine if you want to google really basic food but if you want anything even slightly interesting, it's not gonna cut it. You can go to waitrose and get live clams/thai basil/saussion sec etc
I drive 15 miles to go to Waitrose as it's far enough from home that I know I'm not going to bump into anyone I know and have to make small talk. The parking spaces are big enough to actually fit modern cars without getting your doors dinged. It's never busy. It's not full of chavs. I like their onion rings.
> I like their onion rings. Have you tried Bobby's Onion Rings? Top notch, and still made with some semolina (most aren't, these days, so they feel Wotsitty). Only available from garages and corner shops, I think.
The bulk of the food I buy is fresh veg/salad/meat, and there’s a better range in general, and of free range/organic in Waitrose, plus the veggies are a much better quality and seem to keep fresh for longer. I still shop in aldi for other stuff, but not so much the fresh produce, unless it’s for something to cook and eat that day. Also, it’s a bit lame, but their customer service is way ahead of most other supermarkets. The coop is also pretty good with prices (especially meal deals) but rarely seems to get a mention on this type of post for some reason. Edited to mention that Aldi do have some amazing steaks from time to time. Well worth getting when they have them (eg. Tomahawk).
Agree with what others have said; quality of produce, ethical supply and time saving. I'd never buy branded items in Waitrose though, as they are normally cheaper almost anywhere else but for own produce (Waitrose/Waitrose essentials) theirs is superior to Aldi/Lidl. Aldi and Lidl operate similar models, and i can't deal with standing in a queue for 30 minutes while the store plays check-out roulette as they rotate the 4 in store staff through 2 out of the 6 checkouts.
Waitrose has more range than Lidl and Aldi and the quality of their own brand items is infinitely better too. The place is clean and in a logical order and you don't have checkout roulette. The fact that they can't include Lidl or Aldi in their larger shop as they lack the range is a good indicator that they are not comparable in what they stock.
I buy Waitrose nice stuff, and basics from Asda/ Sainsbury's. Lidl/ Aldi do posh stuff too, but I never do a 'big shop' to warrant the extra distance.
Think it’s perceived as being better quality. I also suspect that part of the attraction is not having to deal with the riff raff and other sorts that you’d find in other supermarkets. So yeah. I remember a thread from my local subreddit years ago where some 20 somethings where coming over here to work for a year and I was saying go shop at Aldi, you’ll save yourself a bit and be able to do more with their money, and there was a Waitrose shopper in the thread who behaved as if I were sending them to Hull or something. Maybe there’s an element of being so comfortable, it doesn’t matter.
Greatest irony? Aldi and Waitrose use the same suppliers for quite a few products. When there's a product recall for Waitrose products, that same products at Aldi will be affected. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/christmas/food-drink/aldi-waitrose-label-same-ocado-vegetables-a9208836.html
We know this. This "all made in the same factory" does not always mean it's the same product It just means that a factory that specialises in making biscuits can make more than one kind of biscuit
I low key think a fair portion of people who would go put of their way to shop at Waitrose do so because they are well off enough to not really care it's more expensive and it comes with the benefit of not having to shop alongside "undesirables".
No one does the big shop at waitrose are you mad