Lidl and Aldi in Abingdon – update

Lidl and Aldi in Abingdon - update
Development of the Lidl Store on the Fairacres Estate has been cracking on and four large Lidl signs have been mounted.
Lidl and Aldi in Abingdon - update
They include one on each side of the store itself and one overlooking the Marcham Road, at the far end.
Lidl and Aldi in Abingdon - update
By searching, using a well known search engine, I found Lidl advertising for Customer Assistants and Shift Managers in Abingdon. ‘As a Customer Assistant at Lidl, no shift is the same and you get out what you put in. Starting at 5am some days to set up the store bakery for the day or finishing at 11pm on others to close the store and ensure the store is ready for another day of customers, you’ll keep moving and keep business booming. Every day is different, so you won’t just be working deliveries or working on the till; you’ll be doing all of it and more. You could even train to be a freshness specialist, non-food specialist or a bakery specialist…’

They have an online aptitude test before an application passes to the interview stage. My impression of Lidl and Aldi is the terrific speed items are scanned at the till.
Lidl and Aldi in Abingdon - update
Meanwhile the time is over for responding to the Planning Application for an Aldi Store at the top end of the Circus Field, opposite the new development off Wootton Road.

Both neighbouring parish councils have concerns about the traffic modelling and siting of the proposed entrance.  Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council have objected to the plan. St Helen Without Parish Council have put in a holding objection. See https://data.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/java/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P21/V0024/FUL#exactline.

Expect a decision round about 16th April.

22 thoughts on “Lidl and Aldi in Abingdon – update

    1. JP

      If M&S are moving in to Unit B of Phase 1, as is implied by the linked email, I guess this means Argos will either be moving or closing as it is currently occupying Unit B.

      Reply
  1. Janet

    I have never shopped at a Lidl before so will be very interested to see what they offer. I do not know what is up with Tesco recently as they do not seem to be stocking as many items as before. They do not sell the spice refills for the jars. They appear to be phasing out small tins of vegetables etc.

    Reply
    1. Chris John

      That’s the Brexit effect. Many supermarket suppliers are slowly running out of stock. I recently had to use an Aldi. Somethings were ok. Other items very awful

      Reply
    2. Ann

      If you have reason to go to Witney have a look at the new Lidl on the outskirts of town. A nice clean fresh supermarket. Self service and serviced tills. Good in store bakery and fresh fruit and vegetables.

      Reply
  2. PPJS

    Lidl are good, Janet – perhaps less so on meat. If their till queues look like backing up, they open another and announce it to customers. I think Aldi do the same.

    Reply
  3. Ste

    Bit funny that there has been a massive flurry of supportive comments on the Aldi Wootton Road application from people..its almost like someone has gone onto a social media site, shared the application and encouraged people to comment in the hope that it will get it pushed through….

    Reply
  4. Dino Marks

    How many supermarkets are needed really? My personal feelings towards Aldi and Lidl is such that I will not be joining the throngs of sheep that will no doubt rush through the doors.
    You get what you pay for. If you want slightly cheaper food etc, then you should be prepared for poor customer service, extra long wait times as tills, no time to put shopping away as all till operators are on strict time checks and no adherence to Covid social distancing.

    An M&S would be welcomed at that end of town, but when you have a Waitrose literally 5 mins drive away, is that needed?
    The addition of Lidl and potentially Aldi in throwing distance will only put pressure on B&M and you end up with a battle between all these supermarkets with only a finite amount of people that can spread themselves amongst them…..and at a time when more people want home deliveries rather than actually going to the shops.

    Then there’s Homebase. Again, competition with B&M (and Lidl) means they can’t compete on the lower priced garden furniture etc, so will need to increase prices on everything else.

    Rather than more supermarkets, the Fairacres site should have been built to function as a leisure site with indoor sports facilities with additional space for things like Bounce, play areas etc etc. Instead, more shops selling cheap sugary tat to sit at home and increase the rates of obesity.

    We learn nothing in this country. It’s all consumerism gone mad with everyone striving to get something cheaper than everyone else to the detriment of quality. A bit like watching ITV.

    Reply
    1. Hester

      Personally I have no problem with competition – it usually works to the customers’ benefit – but would rather see these smaller supermarkets not concentrated in one place, but spread around so that there is at least the option for those who are environmentally-minded to walk or cycle to them. There is a plan for a “Local Centre” including one or more shops in the 900+ North Abingdon housing development. That will be an excellent place for a small supermarket, serving not just the new houses but all the existing ones along Dunmore Road – and with decent access and parking.

      Reply
      1. Daniel

        That’s a good idea. And yet another opportunity for the developers to demonstrate their grey water utilisation at the solar powered shop with ground source heat pumps!

        Reply
  5. PPJS

    I am not a regular shopper at Aldi or Lidl, but what Dino describes is not my experience. People who use Aldi or Lidl are not sheep; some have found really good lines at better prices, others simply cannot afford M&S or Waitrose prices. During lockdown last year, my wife found that Aldi in Didcot were consistently more organised than Tesco in Abingdon.

    If you are on a low income, you shop where you can afford to.

    Reply
    1. PH64

      Very questionable to brand a group of people as “sheep”.

      People are more complex than that. Each has different needs, desires and aspirations. Some people like Lidl for what it offers, the prices and who know what else? Personally, it’s not my cup of tea, but always think carefully before deciding that because you don’t like it, it can’t be any good, nor the people who patronise it.

      Good luck to all these competitors – may each find their customer segment and serve it well.

      Reply
  6. Julian Annells

    Dino Marks, have you always been a snob, or did you go to a special school to become one? Asking for a friend.

    Reply
    1. Dino Marks

      Far from a snob. My main point was to question why this area wasn’t used for something more beneficial instead of yet another supermarket.
      But snob? Certainly not.

      Reply
  7. Badger

    Aldi, Lidl and M&S will all be good for competition and choice in the town, Tesco has long had a strangle hold on things locally, knows this and has applied ‘local pricing’ of items to our financial detriment.
    I can see the attraction/reasons for locating most of the stores at Fairacres which is fine if you live near but not if you have to use your car (if you have one) to drive from one end of the town to the other, the interesting part will be how well traffic is able to leave the retail park at peak times due to the single right turn T-junction exit onto a road already full of traffic queuing for a roundabout.
    I personally would prefer to walk to these retailers but when presented with traipsing on foot over half-way across the town several times a month it becomes considerably less attractive.

    Reply
    1. Daniel

      all being well, soon you’ll be able to just pop along from junction to junction on the A34 from one side of town to the other.

      Reply
  8. Badger

    What time means soon?

    “Soon” is an unspecified time. It just means “in the near future”. So if someone says “I will do that soon”, you don’t know if they mean “in one hour” or “in one day” or “next week”. You would ask “How soon is soon?” to get a more specific time.

    Methinx you jest Sir! 🙂

    Reply

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