Lidl

LOVE/​HATE
Like the heading says, I have a love/​hate relationship with Lidl… I’ll explain why…
Lidl is the SO close to my home it would be rude of me NOT to shop there and it’s usually truly a bargain-​filled bonanza!
They have an ever-​changing weekly list of specials; the stuff can be VERY random,(genuine leather horse saddle, anyone!?) but wee gems can be picked up every now and again.
Buuuuuut the problem is, inconsistency! Unfortunately, when you find something you like, you’ll be VERY lucky to be able to find it a few weeks later, which is super disappointing… Also their price-​cut specials (recently Venison sausages… mmmmmmm!!) sell out REALLY quickly; I reckon there needs to be a limit people can buy.
I do love the relatively new bakery that’s been added in; smells soooooo good!
It’s definitely more pros than cons, for me, but a wee bit more consistency would have Lidl hitting the heights of the olé 5 stars!!! :-)

Generally I find Lidl to be a bit odd, it’s very hit and miss: you’ll find a satellite dish next to thermal vests, next too a waffle maker in the hardware section, and the fresh fruit and veg can be great when there’s stuff of the shelves, but they can look a bit desolate by the end of the day.
There are people out there who Lidl watch, and by that I mean know what is going to be coming into Lidl in the future in the non-​food bit of the shop.
Following a tip-​off from one such person regarding cheap fruit trees, yes I know the crazy circles I move in, I went along to my local branch in Lanark but to no avail: they had sold out.
Then it occurred to me if the stores all receive the same stock but only certain things will be popular in certain areas, so I went along to this branch on the way home and confirmed my theory as a branch in a built-​up area the stock of trees were untouched (pun intended).

You know what you are getting with Lidl — quality groceries at rock bottom prices. Don’t be put off by the unusual names of the products, they are top notch items in most cases that our friends in Europe have as part of their supermarkets.
All Lidl stores have the same blueprint: drinks in the first aisle, alcohol in the last near the checkout. The cold food sections are always located along the back wall of the store, with fruit and vegetables further along the first aisle of the store. In between is a mixture of usual supermarket fare, mostly from mainland Europe, and the week’s special offers which can range from clothing, to toys, musical intstruments and car accessories. These items are sold for a limited time only, again at cheap cheap prices.
The staff aren’t that friendly, they always seem in a bad mood. Then again, it doesn’t look like the most welcoming place to work — everything looks very basic. But, nonetheless, it is a great place to supplement your weekly shopping, and increasingly people are using it for their main weekly shop.