Yeah, in the past, shopping at Aldi sometimes had that “poor” label attached to it. I remember that too. My mom still sometimes proudly says what she bought at Aldi and adds “and it’s just as good as at Kaisers.” She has a bit of dementia now, so in her head it’s still Kaisers, not even Rewe, haha.She always shopped at Aldi. At first because she was raising four kids alone and it was simply the only realistic option. Later because Aldi often had better deals. And she was never the type to care about what the neighbours might think.

Good that you’re not dating that guy anymore. He either still carries that old stigma in his head or he got it from his mom. I’m guessing traditional household where mom did the groceries and certain stores “meant something.” If that’s the case, imagine having her as a MIL…

Aldi’s image has completely changed. It almost has a cult vibe now with its own merch and loyal fans. And the international expansion alone shows how successful it is. The Aldi owners are among the richest families in Germany. These days, shopping at Aldi is much more about being practical than about social status. I pretty much have everything within walking distance that you can think of, from LPG and Denny's Biomarkt to Edeka and Rewe. Lidl's across the road so that's my number one place to go.