Never miss a delivery slot again (aldi.co.uk)

Member Name: Smokindave

Product:	aldi.co.uk
Date:	15/07/09 (154 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Clear website layout, Extensive range, bargains galore

Disadvantages: No delivery option just in store shopping

I wish I could remember how and when I discovered the Aldi website, but I really can't, so I'll just say that it was more than a couple of years ago. I am pretty sure that it was some sort of Google gadget hunt which threw me in their direction, anyway I discovered it so lets move on.

So first of all find it at http://www.aldi.co.uk/.

Secondly sign up for their twice weekly email which highlights special offers available in-store.

Now the website has evolved quite a lot over the last few years. I seem to remember it initially being mainly gadgets and various house and garden objects of desire being presented in a dozen or so little windows on a single web page. At the bottom of the page would be a few offers on food and drink from the store, but it always felt like the gadgets were the headline grabbers.

With the economic downturn came an opportunity for the budget supermarkets to appeal to a whole new audience. A quick look at the Aldi website today reveals a much more elaborate and up to date affair.

For a start the website has a more modern and fresh feel about it. Their homepage gives a glimpse into all aspects of Aldi products at a glance, everything from their excellent bargain fruits for 49pence to holidays, flowers and online photo service. Browsing across the drop down tabs at the top reveals more detail of each section which are as follows; Special buys, Shopping at Aldi, Info and Services, About us, Store locator and Careers.

For those of you not familiar with Aldi special buys then this is how it works, On Thursday and Sunday Aldi update their in-Store Special buys products. This is not to say that there will be a complete change in stock twice a week but simply that new items will be added, and I guess some will disappear. Special buys can be anything from laptops to garden seeds. Some of the most desirable items can sell out quickly so be warned, get there early.

The 'Shopping at Aldi' tab contains several options beginning with 'The Big Deal', basically pushing several food or drink items which have been dramatically reduced to sometimes less than half the standard market price. Interestingly there are often top brand products here, i.e. not just Aldi's own brand which dominate the store (and keep prices low). As well as 'The Big Deal', there is a list of the 99 pence or less items on offer in the store. It is not clear if this is the total products available in store, or not. The remainder of this tab is made up of various food groups which if clicked give a breakdown of what is available, i.e. cheese, meat etc, both photos and prices included.

The other tabs I shall not go into detail here other than to say that it is worth a browse to get an idea of what Aldi are about. The most important tab is probably the Store Locator as if you haven't guessed by now this website is just a promotion for the store. You cannot buy items online for delivery. Now that you realize that you need to actually visit a store it is worth having a look at the FAQs' so that you get familiar with some of the little quirks that Aldi have. For example, there are no shopping baskets, only trolleys. You cannot pack you items at the checkout, for speed there is a separate bagging area. You will have to pay for plastic bags. The list goes on, but I have to agree with most of the reasoning behind why it is this way.

Through visiting the website some time in the distant past and from the subsequent emails, I have been lured into Aldi, and although I do not do my main shop here nor even my top up shop, I do find myself visiting the store on a regular basis and filling the trolley with all sorts of stuff, most of which is excellent value for money and good quality gear, so why not go have a click, after all what have you got to loose?

Summary: A website that could lure you into a new shopping experience