Ok, there are definitely negative aspects of this Lidl location. These include: fewer options than larger chains, and definitely(!) the freshness of their meat, and the opening and closing of registers continuously. HOWEVER there is a very, very clear reason for that.
The staff...
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Ok, there are definitely negative aspects of this Lidl location. These include: fewer options than larger chains, and definitely(!) the freshness of their meat, and the opening and closing of registers continuously. HOWEVER there is a very, very clear reason for that.
The staff is EXTREMELY overworked. They do not have one role in the store, they all do everything...all throughout their shift. Every employee is a cashier, a stock person, a cleaner, a customer service representative, and even a cart collector. They do it all.
Consequently, they are often called from one task (cashier, for example) to another, such as stock.
Yet somehow, the lines move very fast because 1: the cashiers move at the speed of light, and they have 2 divided areas (following the scanner). So, the 1st customer moves directly to the end to begin bagging. When the order is finished, the payment scanner is at arms length from where the customer is already bagging. This allows the cashier to immediately move to the next order and it will be seperated from the prior customer's order, following being scanned, using the divide installed.
The meat: Dear Customers, it's your fault. Close the case doors when you are done selecting your meat, and for the love of Pete, if you decide to not buy a perishable item (like meat!) put it back into its intended location!
When minimum wage employees are entirely running a store, we need to all help out. (Do the math for FT shifts at minimum wage and calculate the annual. It falls just above the poverty line).
Now, the MAJOR perks:
Staff are great. Everyone is pretty friendly, and considering the age-range of the workers, generally knowledgeable about the location of items. If you place pre-packed or boxed, items on the scanning belt to begin with, many cashiers will repack your items as you had them, before moving them down the belt. This is not an always, but it's not their job either. There are always carts of empty stock boxes that they will simply recycle anyway, so you can use those instead of bags if you choose, and you are actually helping by doing this. First, you are not buying new bags. Second, you are REUSING RECYCLEABLE boxes to pack your things in, which you will end up RECYCLING at home. And by doing this, you substantially reducing work-load on the under-paid employees. It's a win-win!
Beyond this, although every item you may want isn't there, there are a variety of organic, luxery, and international items to find. The staple items are all there.
The prices range from average to below average, and the store-brand items are WAAAYYY cheaper, and usually as good or better than the name brands. Take, for example, Frosted Flakes...everyone knows they are ~$700.USD, but the store brand is a million times tastier and less than $3.USD per box. I'm talking, per ounce!
The store is small, so it is ideal for people with moderate mobility issues (trouble walking, but not in scooter), or those with anxiety, etc.
Finally, as an fyi, the cashier is also customer service. So if you bring your receipt and hopefully the item, the cashiers immediately refund you. No other registers, lines, locations, or any hassle. Just one and done.
As a parent, it is a great place to teach your kids real-world math, which gives kids a great advantage both in life, and in school. Many children struggle with math because it does't seem applicable to life in any "real" way. So, as a parent, use math words while pointing to things they want and compare. "You like goldfish. This is a big 64oz box...this is 12, 1oz snack bags. The 64oz is $6.99!, and the snack bags are $3.50! But what is the better price?" The child will say the snack bags. (Basic more/less math comparison). Then say,
"Hmm...but each bag is only 1oz. (Unit of measurement), and there are 12. That means that if we MULTIPLY 1oz by 12, we only get 12oz. So that means, we would spend $3.50 on 12oz of goldfish for you. Now I'm curious... do you like goldfish or LOVE goldfish? The big 64oz box is for $6.99. How many goldfish do you want?" Easy.