Lidl and Real

Our friends in Virginia used to tease me about my love of Costco..."Oh, I got that at Costco!  Did you know they have those at Costco?" etc.  :)  Well, my new favorite place to shop in Germany is at Lidl!  And, luckily, we live practically right across the street from one!  (It's funny even to compare the two, really, because they have totally opposite philosophies...Costco is a mega-store where one can buy in bulk whereas Lidl is a small, local store where most people shop for fresh items every day or so.)

Maybe you have been to Aldi in the US?  Aldi is similar and is also a German company.  I read in an article recently that Lidl has plans to open stores in the US in 2015, so keep an eye out for them!  

I like Lidl for several reasons:

1) It's so close and convenient to our house.  I love that I can pop in there on my way to get Drew at school and buy just enough items to fit in my shopping basket or on the top of my stroller.  (They don't supply plastic grocery bags there, so people carry their own basket or moms like me just place things on top or under our strollers while we shop.  I very rarely use a cart there.)

Strawberries and tulips--just the essentials. :)

Returning home from Lidl with William
The cashier said to him, "You love being by Mommy, right?  That is the life." :)

                                       

2)  It's small.  I can run in to Lidl for a carton of milk and a package of chicken for that night's dinner, find what I need quickly, and get out within 5 minutes or so (depending on the line, of course).

3)  The bread.  Oh, the glorious bread.  We eat a loaf of ciabatta bread probably 3 times a week.  The bread is super cheap--just 79 cent Euro for a loaf.  I also often pick up a couple pastries here (they are warm when I get them right after dropping Drew off at school!) or a pretzel for Drew.   They have these cool display cases that are closed...you use a long handled scooper thing to slide the item you want towards the side of the tray and out so you only touch the item you are buying.  Smart!

4) The center aisle of Lidl has non-food items that are changed out twice a week.  You can find out what is coming on their website, lidl.de.  (Click HERE to see this week's offerings if you are curious.)  They carry things ranging from kids' clothing to gardening tools to school supplies to biking gear, etc.  I love to pop in there to see what is new!!  I almost always find something I have to have.  Ha!  Well played, Lidl.  My mom sent me a funny video of an Irish man singing about his love of Lidl.  He would go in for a loaf of bread and come out with a wet suit!

5)  The prices are low.  I realized that produce was much cheaper at Lidl than at the commissary (1 euro for a container of strawberries at Lidl vs. $4.50 at the commissary?  No contest.)  Then I realized that the chicken was fresher and tasted better.  Now I buy pretty much everything at Lidl except for things that are typically "American" that I get at the base (canned goods, Mexican food items, and our favorite cereal brands/granola bars, etc.).

6)  The produce is fresh and readily available.  If I know I am making a pasta with mushrooms on Thursday night, I can buy the mushrooms that same day instead of letting them sit in the fridge all week.

One thing I find funny is the "American week" they have at Lidl every so often.  Their American line of food is called "Mcennedy" (click to check it out).

It is all total junk food--kind of sad that that is what is associated with America!  American week features popcorn, chicken nuggets, chocolate muffins, etc.

Our other favorite grocery store in Germany is called "Real."

My little helpers.  Drew loves to shop with his own cart at Real.

Real is similar to Walmart.  It is large and carries not only food, but also electronics, sporting equipment, clothing, beauty products, etc.  It is a little farther away from our house (we have to drive there), but I stop there every couple weeks because I can get the "big milks" there.  Lidl only carries 1 liter containers of milk--we practically finish one pouring a glass of milk for each of us at dinner!  Our friend, Ted, who was visiting thought this was funny because the "big milk" I get at Real is only a 1.5 liter size.  Pretty different than the gallons we are used to in the states!

The " big milk"
I usually buy 4 or 5 of these at once.

Real has an amazing dairy section.  There are 3 aisles of yogurt alone--one entire section is just kinder yogurt!!  Drew loves to pick his own.

I also like the bread better at Real.  I buy a brand called "Golden Toast."  I also always browse the kids' section there and sometimes pick up baby clothing for William.

So, that's about it!  What do you think?  Do you think you would like shopping at the German grocery stores?  What American items would you miss from your favorite grocery store if you lived abroad?