Aldi in Cocoa, Florida

From Wal-mart's parking lot in Cocoa, Florida, shoppers could see the building going up. Consumer's wondered what the new store, Aldi, was. Most had never even heard the name before. Although Aldi is sweeping the nation, scattering stores through the south and west consumers still look on wondering what the new store is.

Aldi is located on 524, Clearlake Road, in Cocoa Florida. The store is across the road from Wal-mart. The location for a store no one has heard of before may be a bad one from the look of the empty parking.

The parking lot is big and easily accessible with a stoplight on Clearlake Road. The parking lot had plenty of room for the past several months. When the store first opened, there was a couple of days with a packed parking lot, now it is close to amazing to see more than ten cars in the parking lot.

Once you have parked, before entering the store, you will need to get a grocery cart. In order to get a grocery cart, you have to deposit a quarter to take one. Needless to say, this is a little inconvenient. First, you have to search your wallet or pockets for a quarter. It has to be a quarter, not dimes, not nickels, and certainly not pennies. Once you stick the quarter in its slot, you have to pull a chain out of the back. This seemed to be a little tricky and the chain got stuck.

The cashier is helpful and friendly, and left the register to be of assistance. The manager came out to watch the store for a few moments later in the visit and just as quickly disappeared, leaving the cashier alone once more. No other employees were visible.

The store is fresh and clean. After all, it was just built. The aisles are wide enough for two people to easily pass with shopping carts. If you need assistance or want a particular item, you are on your own. There is no stocker or customer service associate that can come to your aid.

Milk was on sale for $1.99 a gallon today. The cooler with the whole milk cart was empty. The cart behind it was full. It was hard to reach the milk. After working for a gallon of milk, the shopping experience lost its luster.

The prices were more than comparative IF it were products you would normally purchase. Being a frugal shopper, bargains are terrific especially on items that are normally on your grocery list. Aldi only carries a limited number of products. Some of these products could possibly be normally consumed on a day to day basis. If you are purchasing something just because it is a good buy, are you really saving any money?

After finding a few items, the shopping trip came to an end. At the register, there are signs that you bag your own items. By bagging your own items, you are supposed to bring a bag with you. You can take the items to your vehicle in the grocery cart and then return the cart. The items will be loose in your vehicle though. Once you return your cart, you hook the chain back and the quarter you deposited will release for you to take it.

Aldi is well worth a second trip, if only to save a dollar on milk. Aldi is the type of store you shop first to see if it has the products you are looking for and then, complete your shopping elsewhere. If you are familiar with Save-A-Lot chain stores, Aldi is extremely similar. Remember to bring bags with you when shopping Aldi.