I tried to work at an Aldi once, back in the late 90's. Their pay was nearly what the local factories made (Chrysler, Delco [electronics for GM], and Subaru a bit further away). They rarely hired folks at full time, however: Most worked 25 hours a week, but I think still had some insurance & vacation.

The most telling sign of the work environment: They had low turnover. Most retail seems to be the opposite.