A lot of the random stuff in the middle aisle is genuinely very good. Their own-brand chisels are something of a cult item among traditional woodworkers, because they're ludicrously cheap but perfectly capable of fine work. There's always excitement in the cycling and running communities when Aldi release a batch of sports kit, because it's excellent value and it does the job. You're never going to shop at Aldi for a pair of featherlight race shoes or an aero skinsuit, but their kit is brilliant for everyday training use.

I don't think that Aldi is bizarre, I just think it's very German. There's more to life than GDP. There's nothing insincere about "good enough". Not everything has to be an ostentatious display of aspirational consumerism. Most of us are satisficers in some aspect of our lives. I'll spend stupid amounts of money on finding the perfect mechanical keyboard, but I just don't care very much about paper towels or laundry detergent or potato chips. I might shop elsewhere for some items, but I'm perfectly happy to do the bulk of my shopping in a store with a very simple value proposition - perfectly acceptable quality at a consistently fair price.

In a mainstream supermarket, I have the pervasive feeling that I'm being manipulated. There are too many SKUs, too many special offers, too many coupons and loyalty schemes. It's like shopping for a cell phone contract - you know you're being taken for a ride by a deliberately overcomplicated offering, but you don't have the time or the inclination to figure it out. I don't get that feeling in Aldi. I'm in and out in half the time, I spent half as much and I'm rarely disappointed. If that's the future of retail, then sign me up.