I was surprised to learn that the Aldi is coming to Blairsville. There’s a “sneak peak” on November 30, and the grand opening is December 1st. I haven’t seen the site yet, but it is supposed to be on the road that goes to the farmer’s market, just past the Home Depot.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Aldi, it is a German discount grocery chain. Its biggest competitor is another German discount grocery chain, Lidl. It’s been a while since I’ve been in one, but they have a lot of prepared foods, many of them German standbys like wiener schnitzel. There are a lot of store brands. Their prices are drop dead low. There’s a “center aisle” with regularly changing miscellaneous items, like folding tables and kitchenware. I once bought a electronic kitchen scale there for $10 that’s served me well for years.
In my experience, the produce is so-so, and there are some peculiarities. In the ones I’ve visited, you must “rent” a cart by putting a quarter in a device in the cart holder. You get it back when you return the cart. They don’t provide bags. You can either bring your own or buy reusable bags at checkout. And the check out personnel sits instead of standing.
Up in Indiana, in the Amish/Mennonite communities, you’ll regularly see horse drawn buggies tied up to the hitching post outside. Trust me, those folks know a bargain when they see one.
Personally, I’m thrilled that they are coming to Blairsville. For one thing, it solves the question of where to buy our Christmas stollen. And it is a bit of a different shopping experience.
A note to our county commissioners: We could have had this in Blue Ridge. Lamar Paris, the sole Union County Commissioner, is beating us with a stick. As usual.
Here’s the website: