Gordon Foods

[JBMcB]

You are correct that they do not sell most brand name items there... but what they do sell is in no way inferior to brand name items.

I find they are hit and miss. They had a $3 bottle of wine for a while that was way better than it should have been for $3. We bought their version of Cheerios, which tasted like flavorless cardboard, but their girl scout cookie knockoffs are better than the originals. The produce at the one we went to was pretty bad, but the bread was OK, and the meat was fine. They had some German sausages that were outstanding and cheap.

[Hypestyles]

neat. So are they open already? at least there will be another retailer there.

[stasu1213]

I had felt that something such as a Gordon Foods should had opened on Gratiot, a literal food desert. I can't believe that the owner of the building is asking too much for rent that the only business that could afford to pay it is Gordon. I would rather see a Bed Bath and Beyond in that spot. I still think that there is an effort to keep out any retail or grocery stores that will be a threat to any spartan produce carrying stores that are on Jefferson from Lafayette Park to Alter rd. Look how long it's taking Meijer to start construction on the no named store that it planning to put on Jefferson.

[Meddle]

I never understood appeal of Aldi, expect German expats like it. It's all generic no-brand names.

Much rather have a Kroger in city, but that is unlikely..

Within the last six months, I've been able to get eggs for .39/dozen and milk for less than a dollar a gallon. Which store? Not the one with a K that requires a card.

[Meddle]

The produce at the one we went to was pretty bad,

They redid ours a year or so ago and it's better than most other stores with a better variety.

[Maof]

I never understood appeal of Aldi, expect German expats like it. It's all generic no-brand names.

Much rather have a Kroger in city, but that is unlikely..

Just go and take a look. You might be surprised. I have a feeling you're like my better half..."it's all crap", yet never stepped foot in one.

[Maof]

Another quick note...I was in Aldi around Christmas two years ago. Was looking at the german Stollen bread along side another shopper. I asked her if she had tried it and her response, in a german accent, "it's as good as how my mother made it". It's really good toasted too.

[jcole]

We divide shopping between mostly Meijer and some at Aldi. Aldi has great dairy prices and a good variety. All good. Certain dry goods are very good, such as crackers, cookies, some salad dressings, canned veggies, refried beans, seasonings and specialty items. They have Indian food sauces that are out of this world for about $2.50 a jar that you would pay 7 or 8 for at a specialty shop.
For bad stuff, I wouldn't feed my dog their dog food, canned soups, ground coffee, bread.
Haven't tried many frozen foods. Chips are OK. Meat scares me a little.
From what I hear, their chocolate is superb.

[gumby]

It's not really a matter of community planning, it's a matter of what the owner of the center can rent the stores for. I would guess that Aldi [[assuming they even wanted to come to that location, with other stores somewhat nearby) would have been seen as too direct a competitor for the Dollar Tree store that rents the other storefront in that center.

Although I would guess that the Dollar Tree management isn't entirely happy with a Gordon store going in there, but at least a bulk food service store isn't selling the same products as DT, and may also bring some extra traffic to that corner that would also benefit DT.

How would Aldi, a grocery store, be considered direct competition for Dollar Tree, a seller of chinese crap for a buck?

[JDKeepsmiling]

We bought a plastic grill set this spring at our Aldi that was made in the USA! When I looked up the company that made it, American Plastic Toys, they are located in Wixom, MI, and still have all of their production here in the US. Was an awesome find, and my 3 year old loves cooking on the grill when I am.

[Jimaz]

We bought a plastic grill set ... my 3 year old loves cooking on the grill when I am.

I've never heard of such a thing. I had to look it up.

[JDKeepsmiling]

That's the one. He loves it!

[Meddle]

For bad stuff, I wouldn't feed my dog their dog food, canned soups, ground coffee, bread.
Haven't tried many frozen foods. Chips are OK. Meat scares me a little.
From what I hear, their chocolate is superb.

In my years of buying a wide variety of things, there are very few things I've found that I would not buy again. Their large can of coffee isn't the best, but it's less than half the price of most bigger brands.

I've been big on the Tomato-Basil and Spinach-Herb wraps lately though. Larger than most and they make a great tasting sandwich. Their cinnamon-raisin bread is good too, but I've been trying to stay away from most breads in recent years.

[JDKeepsmiling]

In my years of buying a wide variety of things, there are very few things I've found that I would not buy again. Their large can of coffee isn't the best, but it's less than half the price of most bigger brands.

I've been big on the Tomato-Basil and Spinach-Herb wraps lately though. Larger than most and they make a great tasting sandwich. Their cinnamon-raisin bread is good too, but I've been trying to stay away from most breads in recent years.

To my knowledge, all of their chips east of the Mississippi are private label manufactured by Uncle Ray's here in Detroit.

[Shai_Hulud]

Aldi is not my favorite but the quality for most items is comparable to other store brands and it often costs a lot less. What I like about it is that the stores are small as they generally only have one variety and or size of everything. It is very easy to get in and out. For people who are strapped for cash and or time, it makes a lot of sense.

GFS should do fine in that location. There are plenty of restaurants around to patronize it and smart people know it's a great place to prepare for a cookout. For weekly shopping, it's probably too much for most and I prefer Sam's Club.

[Johnnny5]

I've been big on the Tomato-Basil and Spinach-Herb wraps lately though. Larger than most and they make a great tasting sandwich. Their cinnamon-raisin bread is good too, but I've been trying to stay away from most breads in recent years.

Unless you're a fan of Styrofoam, don't try their rectangular shaped low-carb wraps. I buy a lot of things at Aldi's but those were the biggest disappointment I've had for any grocery item in years.