Big doings at Bloomfield and Watsessing Avenue. This Loopnet listing confirms rumors we had heard, showing plans for a Modell’s Sporting Goods store and an Aldi supermarket, sometimes called the cheaper sibling to Trader Joe’s (although some feel it’s more like a distant relative).
There’s also the possibility of a MadRag clothing store. Aldi already has a store in Clifton — have you shopped there? How will it stack up to Acme in our ongoing supermarket shopping comparisons?
(Hat tip to Bloomfield Pulse)
It’s really not right at all to compare Aldi and Trader Joes. Aldi is a much more bare-bones, bring-your-own-shopping-bags, no credit cards accepted store. That said, their brands are often very good and their prices are low- so if you like their stuff, you will save.
Bare bones is a good description of the Aldi. It follows a Costco model of not usually carrying competing brands, so there’s usually just one choice for any product type.
But it does have good prices, and it accepts WIC transactions.
My impression of Aldi, only having visited a few times, was that it is what Food Basics tries to be: They have great deals on what they have, and what they have at any given time is based on what they can get and sell cheaply. If you walk in with a list of items you may not find all of them, but if you just want to feed yourself reasonably, you can do that.
I think the “sister” part comes from the fact that they have the same parent, Albrecht. “Brother” might be more appropriate as the chain was built up by two male siblings.