What's the difference between Aldi's and Trader Joes? (Sugar Land, Center: credit, new house)

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by alidoremi

I'm wondering if the TJ's in Houston are the same as the ones in California, where I live. I LOVE TJ's. I don't usually buy prepackaged reheatable food but love their organic veggies and fruit (which tend to be cheaper there). They have reasonable prices on unique cheeses; their bulk Parmesan wedges are cheaper than at the big-name grocery store. Here are other things I usually buy there: organic cereals and oatmeal, organic eggs and milk, pure juices, bread, frozen veggies, biscotti, maple syrup, spices, organic broths, canned goods... there's too much to list. On the one hand they have unique items that are fun to try and different from a regular store; on the other hand they have cheaper prices on items that you'd find similarly somewhere else. And their '2 buck Chuck' wines (I think it's actually $2.50 a bottle now...) are wonderful.

Yes, IME, they are the same. I'm a Bay Area native who moved to the Houston metro 8 years ago. I live in The Woodlands, and TJ's selected The Woodlands for their first Texas location. I was there the day it opened (can't remember the year , but I'm almost certain it was during Obama's second term)...it seems pretty much the same to me. I spent 4 months last year in the Bay Area and Stanislaus County. I patronized the TJ's in Pleasanton and a few other places, and didn't really notice any difference from the ones in Houston, nor from many previous trips to different TJs when I lived in the Bay Area, and when I lived in Southern California. Their carrot juice (and a few others that are also pure and don't have any additives) = cheaper than Whole Foods.

P.S. I went to an Aldi's when the first one opened in the northern part of the Houston metro. I've only been to Aldi's once since. As another poster mentioned....I don't like that they don't take credit cards (I have a FF mileage rather than FF points credit card).

[oceangaia]

Originally Posted by hellpaso

Please forgive my ignorance, but do people actually use credit cards to purchase food from a grocery store?

Seriously? I can see that some people may choose not to use credit cards but how can one be so ignorant in this day and age to not be aware of their prevalence in use?

[Houston321]

A lot of people put everything on the credit card, collect the reward points, then pay the card off every month. Smart if you can handle it.

[crone]

Originally Posted by Houston321

A lot of people put everything on the credit card, collect the reward points, then pay the card off every month. Smart if you can handle it.

A friend is a tax guy. He changes credit cards as often as i change socks. He always chases the best rewards deal on what his needs are.

Mine gives back 2% on most stuff. Instead of letting bills go to the bank account, those who do not charge extra get paid with a credit card. I like that 2% back.

This year, the home insurance wanted a credit card instead of a check, no fee.

[Whyrallnamestaken]

Originally Posted by aba030

This is a recent development (the thread is from 2014). Aldi starting accepting credit cards on 3/1/2016.

Yes

I now shop at Aldi's once in a while.

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by crone

A friend is a tax guy. He changes credit cards as often as i change socks. He always chases the best rewards deal on what his needs are.

Mine gives back 2% on most stuff. Instead of letting bills go to the bank account, those who do not charge extra get paid with a credit card. I like that 2% back.

This year, the home insurance wanted a credit card instead of a check, no fee.

I don't pay taxes, nor HOA fees, with a credit card, but I pay for everything else (including insurance) with my mileage credit card and then pay it off each month. In the past I've also been able to build up miles on that account by making a new deposit to a brokerage account, so I've just done a transfer from one existing discount brokerage account to the other to make that happen.

A number of rewards cards give you 'points'. I don't like those, because the issuer can revoke the program at any time. I only like the ones like you have that give you a dollar amount rebated or discounted....or ones like the mileage one that I use that actually credits the miles to the airline each month so that the bank can't 'pull the rug out from under a cardholder's reward balance'.

I just noticed a post that I previously overlooked.... informing those viewing the thread that Aldi's now (as of 3/1) takes credit cards. Good to know.

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by mikeyyc

Owned by the same company. Think of Trader Joes like a Whole Foods compared to Aldi's Kroger.

I have always wondered this also!!!!

So does TRADERS JOES have stuff Aldi's used to have??

[lukas1973]

Originally Posted by Dude111

I have always wondered this also!!!!

So does TRADERS JOES have stuff Aldi's used to have??

It's rather complicated. Since 1979 Trader Joe's is owned by the "Markus-Stiftung". It's a family trust of the Theo Albrecht family. This family trust also owns Aldi Nord. This retailer operates about 5,000 grocery stores in Europe (Northern and Eastern Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Spain, Portugal).

There are two different kinds of Aldi. Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd. The Aldi stores in the U.S. are part of the Aldi Süd empire. Aldi Süd is owned by family trusts of the Karl Albrecht family. Aldi Süd operates about 3,000 stores in Europe (Southern and Western Germany, Austria, Switzerland, UK, Ireland, Hungary, Slovenia). About 1,650 stores in the U.S. and about 450 stores in Australia.

Aldi Süd is in almost all regards better than Aldi Nord. There are several reasons for this. One reason for example is that Southern and Western Germany are better off than Northern and Eastern Germany. Higher purchasing power of the residents lead to higher sales per store.

I'm quite sure that there are no business relationships between Aldi in the U.S. and Trader Joe's. Aldi Süd and Aldi Nord seem extremely similar, but the views of the management between both retailers are allegedly quite different. The management of Aldi Nord is more conservative whereas Aldi Süd is eager to try out new things.

[lotophage]

To me, Aldi's feels like shopping in the grocery portion of a Sam's Club. You can save a few bucks, but you have to be extremely flexible about what's on your grocery list. You are also likely to have to buy bigger portions of some items than you need, because they seem to only carry one size of most items.

Trader Joe's reminds me of shopping in one of those grocery stores they stick in train stations in Europe. Food for people with no time to cook.

[Whyrallnamestaken]

I've shopped at Trader Joe's only a few times. I wouldn't buy all my food there. Somehow they stay in business. I prefer the traditional grocery stores.