Public grocery discounts versus Aldi and Lidl: what New York’s 30% offer can teach German shoppers about comparing selected offers across a complete list.

A 30% discount on some grocery products can lower a bill, but it does not tell you what a complete shop will cost. German shoppers comparing Aldi and Lidl should use selected offers as a starting point, then price the full list, check pack sizes, and decide whether a second stop earns its extra time.

A discount applies to items, not automatically to your basket

The reported New York plan concerns a 30% discount on some products. That word, “some,” carries the practical lesson.

A promotion can make pasta, yoghurt, or coffee clearly cheaper while leaving the rest of a weekly shop unchanged. If your list also includes vegetables, cleaning products, nappies, bread, meat, and household basics, the final total depends on every matched item, not the most visible offer.

This is especially useful when comparing Aldi and Lidl in Germany. Both can have strong weekly offers, but the cheaper store for one promoted product may not produce the lower total for the whole list. A €1 saving on coffee disappears quickly if three other items cost more, or if a longer trip adds time and fuel.

Start by separating your list into two groups:

• Items you will definitely buy this week.
• Deals that are tempting but optional.

Only the first group should decide which shop wins. Optional deals can be worth adding after you know the cost of the planned basket.

Build a list before opening the weekly offers

Write the whole shop down first. Include quantities and the size you normally buy: “milk, 1 litre,” “pasta, 500 g,” “washing powder,” or “chicken, about 1 kg.”

That detail matters because Aldi and Lidl often sell similar products in different pack sizes. A 400 g offer can look cheaper than a 500 g alternative until you compare the unit price. German shelf labels make this easier: look for the price per kilogram, litre, or 100 g, then compare like with like.

A practical list might include:

• 2 litres of milk
• 500 g pasta
• tomatoes
• eggs
• coffee
• chicken
• washing-up liquid
• toilet paper

Now check each retailer’s current offers against those exact items. Do not replace half the list with promotional substitutes unless you genuinely want them. A discounted product you would not otherwise buy does not reduce the cost of the planned shop.

Compare the total, then inspect the gaps

Add the prices for everything that can be matched confidently. If Aldi has the better price on coffee and chicken while Lidl is lower on pasta, tomatoes, and toilet paper, you have three useful comparisons:

1. The complete Aldi basket.
2. The complete Lidl basket.
3. A split basket that buys only the genuinely cheaper items at the second store.

Keep unmatched products visible. A comparison with six prices and four missing items is not a finished answer. Check whether the missing items can be bought at the first shop, whether a close substitute is acceptable, or whether the split plan still works after their likely cost is included.

This is where selected-offer advertising can mislead without doing anything deceptive. It shows a real low price. It simply cannot answer the question most shoppers actually have: “Where should I buy this whole list today?”

For a closer look at how a few discounted items can mask a higher overall bill, see The Five Discounted Items That Can Hide a Higher Grocery Bill.

Put a price on the extra stop

Aldi and Lidl are often close enough for a two-store plan to make sense. Sometimes they are not.

Before splitting the shop, compare the basket saving with the added distance, parking, walking, and queue time. If Lidl is on your route home and Aldi requires a 20-minute detour, a €2 basket saving may not feel worthwhile. If both are beside the same station or car park and the split saves €8, the calculation changes.

Set your own threshold in advance. For example: take a second stop only when it saves at least €5, or when it adds no more than 10 minutes. The right number depends on your routine, but setting one prevents a small headline deal from turning into an inconvenient errand.

A two-store plan should stay simple. One shop for most of the basket and a short second stop for a few high-value differences is easier to repeat than chasing five shops across town. When Does a Two Store Munich Shop Save Enough to Justify the Extra Trip? explores that tradeoff in more detail.

Check dates, conditions, and the actual shelf price

Weekly offers have an end date. Some prices depend on a specific size, flavour, loyalty condition, or stock being available at a particular branch. Check the product name and pack size before treating an offer as part of your total.

For German shopping, also watch for offers that begin later in the week or expire before your planned trip. A Wednesday price may be irrelevant if you shop on Saturday. Keep the list and comparison tied to the day you expect to go.

The next time Aldi or Lidl advertises a standout deal, add it to your full shopping list and compare the resulting one-store and two-store totals. Choose the plan that saves enough for the trip you are actually willing to make.