I work in an Aldi Distribution Centre, happy to answer any reasonable questions you might have.
Apologies in advance if I go AWOL but I will get to your question!
[AMA] I'm a Warehouse Operator at an ALDI Distribution Centre
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Any ideas why certain bakery products seem to sell out at one location, but never at others? Do they have a somewhat rigid approach to how many units go to each store, rather than aiming to meet demand?
I'm told the ordering system is mostly automated and unless someone changes the order quantities manually (on the stores end) that roughly the same stock arrives everyday. This could be due to poor management, maybe it's another supply chain issue or perhaps they are still testing the waters in that particular store.
I find the meat at Aldi is very hit and miss. I think I've had more off items purchased that are supposed to be in date than any other supermarket.
Then head office gets shitty too and refuses to refund when you don't keep the rotting meat packaging.What are your thoughts?
Yeah sounds about right by their attitude. I think that's incredibly poor form on their behalf.
Personally I've never had bad meat from Aldi but I rarely buy meat from there either.
What happened to the cheap napkins Aldi used to sell? I haven't seen it in my local store for a long time now and they only sell the premium one which is not ideal for daily use.
Could be another supply chain issue or a profit grab - "Let's get them in here for the dirt cheap napkins, once their here it's too late.. They'll have to buy the expensive ones"
Thanks OP.
What's the biggest challenge for you guys?
Getting orders out on time?
Keeping all the stores well stocked?
Dealing with management?
Over in Europe ALDI seems like a well oiled machine, with many vegan options, a large organic section, etc, but back home it feels quite dated and unhealthy.
Thanks OP - My pleasure it's been fun.
What's the biggest challenge for you guys? - Right now is the staffing issue. A lot of jobs out there more glamorous, easier.
Getting orders out on time? - Yes, well kind of.. They want us to be ahead, as in orders picked and ready to go early so they don't have to staff the weekends / public holidays as much. This does not work on the current system
Keeping all the stores well stocked? - Yeah, if you've read through the previous comments I feel like I keep repeating 'supply chain issues.' We are told very little about this, they have a more "come in, pick these orders, do your job and leave" approach. Also coincides with the staffing issues.
Dealing with management? - For me no. There are a lot of people I work with who have major issues with management. I don't want to assume anything into their issues with management but in my own instance, I do my job well, follow instructions and basically toe the line with them. Never had a problem.
Over in Europe ALDI seems like a well oiled machine, with many vegan options, a large organic section, etc, but back home it feels quite dated and unhealthy. - We are seriously 10 years behind Europe in this case. Until the new Super DC opens I cannot see anything changing, we don't have the room to expand our product range (in the dc).
Since Aldi have actually sold the DC I work in, along with its land they can't really do much to expand now (they're renting it back from the buyers on a 7 year lease)
What happens to the unsold special buys? Are the non-perishable items kept somewhere until they next go on sale?
By the way, your responses are all very well written. I work in the corporate world where a surprising number of people struggle to string two sentences together or spell correctly.
What happens to the unsold special buys? Are the non-perishable items kept somewhere until they next go on sale? - The special buys that don't move are usually sent back to us then re dispatched to another store where they think the stock will sell. Other times they are sent back to the supplier. Unsure of the refund policy on that.
By the way, your responses are all very well written. I work in the corporate world where a surprising number of people struggle to string two sentences together or spell correctly. - Why thank you! There was actually a guy correcting my typo's somewhere on this thread but I think it's like a hobby for him or something.
OP I assume you order select? I've worked at the woolies dc (primary connect) before and its a damn brutal and shitty job basically working like robots for 10 hours straight, how strict are they on pick rates/performance?
Aldi have this policy that they call the 'work life balance'. So our shifts are generally much shorter (in Victoria anyway)
So our current shift structures are 5:30am - 11:30am (AM Shift) 11:30am - 5:30pm (Noon Shift) 5:30pm - 11:30pm (PM Shift) some staff are on an 8 day per fortnight roster, others on a 9 day fortnight roster.
However shifts more often than not run longer than these times and overlap into the next shift. Some staff just leave on the dot, others like myself stay behind to help out but more so for the extra cash. They do it like this so in the slower periods don't have to have staff there for longer than needed. But a lot of staff only want the bare minimum in hours and will just leave as they see fit.
The robots part is pretty much how it is but like in a 6 hour shift we get a 30 min break (30 mins paid) if you work over 6 hours you take another 20 minute break (unpaid)
KPI's one month can be cut throat, as I've said in a previous post management will be all over staff for under performing. But then you won't hear anything for 3 months.. All of a sudden they're back with their pieces of paper and performance advice.
Hi OP. Do you happen to know when the Townsville Aldi is opening?
Thank You
Kind regardsBefore the end of the year is what is on the planning map that we have at the DC.. I know they've been recruiting for this store so that would suggest it's close.. But I cannot be certain.
thanks
It’s opening 22nd November. It’s in the industry news.
thanks
What happened to the green, sugar-free "flying power". It's the knock-off of V sugar free, with taurine in it.
I noticed it hasn't been there for 3 weeks now, they only have the redbull sugar-free knock-off, which lacks that beneficial amino acid :(
Are you guys no longer doing a v knockoff?You know what? I haven't seen that in the DC for about 6 weeks.. They did just get a whole heap of new products in and it's place was taken by something else.. Could be on the way out.
Update on this I saw it come back into our DC today so hopefully its not too far away for you.
Are the Monarch Utopia Almond ice creams being discontinued? I have seen them in any of my local stores for ages.
Have not seen those in the DC for a long time now. Looks to have been deleted.
What's been the "Hottest" Special buy item in your time at Aldi?
The thing that you just could get enough stock of? I know wayyyy back in the dar I lined up to get a TV for my folks and there was also hype around snow gear but I'd love to know from your time there.
I feel like the special buys have lost their hype somewhat. They used to be good value and novel, but in recent years I feel they just rotate the same crap around and around. I rarely buy things from the special buys these days.
Things like TVs aren't good value anymore - better brands out there etc.
Agree. There are very very things now that have people lining up for.
True, one of their special buys was half price oreos at 1.25 each. Woolies and aldi usually have Oreos at half price sale all the time at the same price. But aldi made it a special buy.
Like the other person on this thread said.. There aren't like huge ones anymore. But in my time and experience it's always been the snow gear and lawn mowers.
i can't find the aldi apple ciders anywhere. it's been such a long time. please bring them back, they are a steal.
ps i am not a crackpot.
bring back prune juice
I will be passing on all these suggestions to management, however whether the listen or not is another issue.
Any idea when we get the mi goreng back to stores? It's been 3-4 months and I cannot find in stores close to me. South Brisbane.
OP has no idea as they work in the warehouse and not in purchasing/logistics
go for colesworth migoreng in the meantime
Probably will not as I have no doubt their other branded noodles margin is a lot higher than the Mi Goreng.
WHEN WILL YOU HAVE A PROPER INTERACTIVELY PRICED WEBSITE AGAIN?
Quite honestly in about 10 years I think.
Hi, what is quality for therecently Aldi coffee machine on this week special buy? It is a bang for the buck?
Thanks for your input.Truth be told I bought one. So far so good!
3 year warranty so if/when it breaks after 2.5 years, papa starts again
Like Jules said their refund policy is pretty good. I have no experience personally with the coffee machines. The logistics managers + important office people get them in their tea rooms but us lowly warehouse working do not I'm afraid.
This thread oddly reminded me about those Aldi Dim Sims in the purple packet back a while ago now (maybe a decade ago).
Never tried them, how were they?
Why are even the corner stores running out of even essential staples like bread, milk, coffee, eggs, chicken, most of the time?
How come this issue is almost unfixable?
Of course it's fixable but whether they take action or rather when they take action I'm not sure..
They were bragging about these corner stores being a 'huge company focus' But in recent months I've heard absolutely nothing about them.
Aldi used to also sell Apple flavoured Werthers candy. Now they only stock the Original and Chocolate flavours and no longer sell the Apple flavour.Why did Aldi stop selling that flavour? Or has it been discontinued?
Could be discontinued yes. I'm unsure only the purchasing team know this stuff for sure.
Do you yeet the pallets into the back of the truck like the checkout operators yeet your groceries at your trolley?
Haha if we did we'd hear about it from the stores. We always have the stores send photos of fallen over pallets etc to us (most likely happened during transport)..
Their fav is to send a high (ish) staked pallet with a like the shortest person they can find standing next to it and making a big deal of it. I swear they go looking for really short customers, chuck a uniform on them and get them to pose.
aldi no frills, cheep and cheerful
anything else go to colesworth
As a shopper I agree.. But as I work for them "no most of the products are just as good if not better!"
I reckon they are same same but different as well to the major "branded" products. some are just a clear re-label like: treseme vs hairtres, the 2kg tub greek yoghurt vs jalna, the wheat biscuits vs wheatbix, the rinse aid vs finish rinse aid
plenty of others but I bet. even the bread packaging looks like helgas just a different brand name
the only thing we buy at wooliesworth is heinz salad cream, baby formula, paul newmans ceasar dressing
Might be too late to this thread, but OP, will we ever see the frozen German pretzels again?
They were amazing, spray with water and top with the included rock salt, bake for 5 minutes and they were perfect with butter.
They sound awesome. Never had them… I'd like to be able to help out more with the missing product range but I don't have anything to do with the purchasing side of things. When something leaves something else takes its place and there is never any explanation to us.
But fingers crossed. Keen to try.
I'd say both price gouging and price matching. It does feel as Aldi are slipping a little in their price comparisons on a lot of products.. They may feel they have a loyal enough customer base now to raise and match a little.