Aldi moves closer to becoming America’s third largest grocery retailer

Aldi’s inexorable push across the U.S. continues with news that the grocery chain is opening its first store in Louisiana this week.

The retailer, which expects to become the third largest grocer in the country by the end of next year, plans to open two more stores in Gulf Coast states next month and 20 additional locations before 2022 is over.

“There is nothing like watching shoppers discover Aldi for the first time,” Jason Hart, Aldi U.S. CEO, said in a statement. “There’s a moment of surprise when they realize just how much they can save by shopping with us. We can’t wait to share that experience with more customers as we add new stores across the Southeast.”

The chain will eventually supply its stores in the region from a new 564,000-square-foot distribution center scheduled to open later this year in Loxley, AL. The DC is expected to support as many as 100 Aldis located in Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, Southern Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. The company is looking to hire 200 associates for the warehouse and 300 to fill store roles.

The new Gulf Coast stores will be among the 150 new units that Aldi expects to open this year. The chain has opened 200 stores over the past two years. Its geographical focus for new stores in 2021 was concentrated in Arizona, California, Florida and in the Northeast.

Low prices have always been a key branding point among Aldi shoppers who appreciate the chain’s high quality private label lines that all come with a no questions asked satisfaction guarantee. The grocer has emphasized fresh foods and expanded its assortment of organics in recent years in step with changing consumer behavior.

Aldi has remodeled and opened new stores with modern designs, wider aisles, open ceilings, natural lighting and digital signage that promote its house brands. It has also opened some stores that are larger than its typical 16,000-square-foot layout.

The grocer said it would add curbside pickup at another 300 stores, bringing the total number of Aldi locations offering the service up to 1,500. Aldi currently operates around 2,100 stores in the U.S.

• Aldi Sets Sights on Gulf Coast as National Expansion Continues – Aldi
• Aldi fans can’t wait to shop its ‘Aisle of Shame’ – RetailWire
• Should Aldi’s growing store count and digital progress keep rivals up at night? – RetailWire