Poor Aldi's*.  The Town of Brookfield Plan Commission squelched their plans for a new store. One of the reasons cited in the Community Watch post was that, "Some members of the Plan Commission said they were wary of the discount grocer's reputation and the type of customers and tenants the store would attract to Bluemound Plaza..." (near Best Buy)

Was that criticism warranted?  Just who is an Aldi's customer?

Well, I am. I know of 2 aldermen who shop there. I also know some of my City of Brookfield neighbors shop there. As food prices continue to climb, I think more Brookfield customers will seek them out.

The last time I was at Aldi's Hwy 100 store near Greenfield Ave., I asked if business was increasing because of rising food prices. The checkout guy said, Oh, YES. In fact, we are building one in Brookfield.

Brookfield? I said, I wouldn't think you would ever get one in Brookfield. He then went on to tell me they wanted to build one in the Town of Brookfield. I was still skeptical.

I do know what the commission is worried about. There is a certain type customer that both Wal-marts and Aldi's attract in some areas. (Customers without a comb or teeth come to mind, however I have seen people like that at say, The Outpost too.) But then, Chucky Cheese customers are no prize either!

I do wonder if that customer element has to do more with the neighborhood the store is in though. Aldi's stores are often located in less affluent areas and so they attract bargain seeking customers. If an Aldi's was to be built in the Town of Brookfield, it would seem that it would attract customers from that area? I would think it unlikely someone in the lower income bracket would drive past a closer Aldi's to get to the Bluemound store.

What about their reputation? 

The people I know who shop there love the low prices and their products.

Unlike some cheaper store brands that are very inferior to name branded items (Jewel Foods comes to mind), Aldi's has top notch companies making many of their products. 

The post mentioned that "Trader Joe's might be a bigger draw."  So, Trader Joe's is OK, but Aldi's is not?

Interestingly, they are owned by the same parent company. They even share some of their product line. My sister and I discovered this by a fluke. I told her about the great frozen whole baby green beans I purchased at Aldi's. She told me she bought the same beans at Trader Joe's. (She has no Aldi's near her; I have no Trader Joe's.) 

Here is the scoop on Trader Joe's and ALDI : (my emphasis. Photo is of Trader Joe's at Bay Shore)

Owned by a German company called Albrecht Discounts, ALDI is a discount grocery chain that started in Germany in 1948. Decidedly no frills, the company stocks virtually all house-brand products, all offered at very low prices thanks to exclusive deals with their suppliers, many of which are big-name producers. ALDI has approximately 5,000 stores worldwide and the two Albrecht brothers, who own the company, are some of the riches men in the world.

But getting back to ALDI's business strategy, does this sound like another store that we know of? The same strategy, although executed by the US staff and tailored to their customers' tastes, is the exact same one used by Trader Joe's.

Trader Joe's, although it may be based in Southern California, is actually owned by Albrecht Discounts. The company was purchased back in 1979, long before it hit the cultural mainstream. Since that time, it has been left to turn itself into a very trendy, upscale grocery store by following a similar business plan to ALDI. TJs has low prices and a lot of store-brand products, but a different image that appeals to a different group of consumers.

Seems the proposal will come before the full Town Board on June 17th. Maybe their opinion would be swayed if Town residents asked, "When Aldi is coming to town?" If not, maybe Aldi's would consider building another Trader Joe's?

*I am not affiliated with Aldi or Trader Joe's in any way.
 

Links:

My dog just received a Christmas card! He is a popular dog with our local dog sitter. (She was kind enough to also include us.)

When we got our dog in 2001 we were faced with that common problem of what do you do with them while on vacation?

Through word of mouth we found out about a local woman who dog sits in her home. It has proven to be a very nice arrangement for both our dog and us. 

I am sure there are very nice kennels out there, but we really like leaving Zipper, our 13# Maltese mutt, with the neighborhood sitter, who we affectionately refer to as "Grandma". Our pooch has a blast at her house when we are on vacation, which helps us to enjoy ours as well. (It is like doggy camp for him.)

Entrepreneurship is one of the things that makes our country great. I like to support local businesses and entrepreneurs as much as possible. Often they provide a better level of services and do it with a more personal touch--like sending customers personal notes. 

Zipper, by the way, was obtained from the Wisconsin Humane Society. We put in a request for a small, no-shed dog and a few months later received a call that "Walter" was available. (That was the temporary name given him.)

One look was pretty much all it took. He came home with us that day and has been a wonderful addition to our family ever since.

The Wisconsin Humane Society is a very good place to adopt dogs from. They do extensive personality testing to make sure the dog does not have aggression issues.

Just one month before Zipper, we had a very bad experience with the Waukesha Humane Society adopting an older dog. That dog had to be put down for biting. We later found out he was surrendered for aggression reasons. A pretty traumatic experience for the whole family. (He was our first dog.)
 

Warning: DO NOT go to a Humane Society just to look! That is how it all starts. We really had no intention of getting a pet until we went to the Wisconsin Humane Society on a homeschool field trip. The rest, as they say, is history!

This is Buddy, I believe one of the dogs rescued from a puppy mill by the Elmbrook Humane Society. Buddy now brightens the days of residents of Fairview Senior Homes. (This picture does not do Buddy justice.)